The Soft Option

AN UPDATE ON KASHMIR:

As the posters on chowk are aware, this article has got mixed reactions. It was sparked by the Indian PM’s call for a ceasefire during the month of Ramazan. According to latest reports, the Indian government has extended the ceasefire period by a month. In a reciprocal gesture Pakistan is moving back its troops a bit.

I know, some of you may wonder whether I should eat my words or not. To tell you the truth, I am hungry and ready! But, I want your responses to some queries…

1. Will an additional month help address the important issues?

2. Will the different extremist factions come to some understanding, since I believe they are the ultimate deciding factors, and peace has prevailed due to their sagacity and not because of what some politician said. (After all, they could have disregarded that.)

3. If India and Pak are being mature about it, how would we expect Kashmir to be mature, what should be its stand, who will decide?

4. And must the fate of a state be dependent on these piecemeal gestures?

And yes, one more thing – is anyone willing to adopt Dr Farooq Abdulla? I’ll pay for his upkeep.

Farzana

Jay (#536):

“ Most of the criticisms of farzana`s article seem to have its origins in the motives of the author who unnecessarily has revealed her identity as an Indian Muslim. This info seems to have corrupted the reading of her articles. If she had used an anglo saxon name with a US university address, more of the focus could have been on the content.”

Instead of imputing “motives” to me, it would help if you read the article once again, tedious as the process might be. Not once have I revealed my ‘identity’; only in the last Para did I mention something about Indians wanting to relocate me, but that was mainly because of my views. It is unfortunate that you think there should be more like me only to test whether the Hindu-Muslim fight is truly dead or not. If indeed you need more Farzanas (incidentally, aren’t you too making ME into the subject?) it is to test whether some people can stomach the truth, however bitter it is. I hope you understand and appreciate the difference.

As for using an Anglo-Saxon name with a US university address…I think I rest my case. You have answered your own question.

Farzana



Prem (#538):

Thanks! I agree India is a fractured and fractious society on many counts, and I see it as my duty to comment on all those. I have done so in the past and will continue to do so. But you tell me, why has there been such an adverse reaction to a “Muslim speaking about Muslims”? Unfortunately, even if I chose not to mention it, my name is a dead giveaway. Would it not be considered perfectly normal, say, for a vegetarian to talk about animal rights?

In themselves “historical/contextual difficulties” are easy to surmount, but does anyone want to? Why have commentators like me come out in the open? It is ridiculous to imagine that one is making any gains out of it. (In fact, quite the opposite has happened, and if you are in Bombay you will know what I am talking about.) The ‘movement’ started in 1992; skirmishes between the communities were always there and Thackeray had not spared South Indians and Gujaratis as well, so he too rode on the “let us get those l….. out”. That is when many of us discovered the viciousness. Incidentally, I had once written that the only role most Muslims see Imam Bukhari playing is to spot the moon for us once a year! (No Muslim wrote back contradicting me.)

However, some of us resisted many types of bait. A prominent and intellectual Muslim politician I chanced to meet urged me to join the fray in some manner because, “We need intelligent Muslim women to be here.” I refused. Why? I have no problems being called intelligent or a woman, but I did have a quarrel with being ‘used’ as a Muslim.

While I don’t think I have done or am doing anything noble at all, you will agree that I could have continued quite happily in my cocoon. Why I didn’t is something I have to ask myself. Thanks for starting me on some self-introspection.

Farzana



InYourFace (#139):

Since you already know that India’s secularism needs improvement, my task is easy. Besides, if you are all those things -- upper caste, poor, Hindu, educated by grant from Muslim trust, you are s shining example of what we need, though given your intelligence I am sure you will not be poor for long. As regards Pakistanis trying to ‘expose’ the secularism of India, I wouldn’t worry too much – you give them one side, I will give them the other, and between the two of us we will confuse them so much that they will give up the ghost in no time.

Honestly, my dear, having seen me being ‘sent’ on so many foreign trips by my countrymen, do you think we need Pakistanis to expose our ‘secular’ credentials? We do that rather well ourselves. Anyway, I am glad you asked me instead of Shabana Azmi; unless you live in a hut that has been bulldozed and there is a camera crew to photograph it, she wouldn’t give you the time of day. And here I am, I haven’t even asked you your name, though I got the punch all right!

Farzana

Krashid #540,

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the word ``secular`` is a loaded one, and I did not mean it to suggest that you were irreligious, I meant it in the sense of believing in a separation between church and state, in the sense of excluding religion from the institutions of state.

I agree with everything you said Krashid. We see eye to eye on these points. There may be dark times aheads, but I believe in the long term India cannot afford a civil war, which Hindutva would ultimately mean. I dont think it will happen, I believe that there is a real opening up to the outside world in India, an awakening, for better or worse, to the West. These interests will ultimately preclude the narrow agenda. India was a semi-socialist state for forty years after independance, it was state-run and valium dependant. But the ghosts and the ghouls were to a certain extent hiding. We thought we had left the impulses of extremism behind when Godse shot the bullets into the Mahatma. But they were just hibernating, waiting for their chance to return.

But I believe that this opening up and engagement with the outside world is what will save India from itself. Despite their backwards social agenda and bigotry of the RSS, this BJP led coalition is opening up the economy, opening up markets and freeing up trade. The two are incompatible. Narrow nationalism cannot co-exist with an open economy.

Capital flows will wash away the bacteria.

An open economy neccesitates cosmopolitanism, social mobility and tolerance. So even amidst this darkness, the roots for future tolerance are, I believe, being sown. The problem with India is the margin of prosperity is dwarfed by the poverty of the mass, the rural illiteracy etc. To these people politics is simple, and people can be rabble roused by the basest fanatics. I hope that like you say, the economy drags them up, through literacy and democratic empowerment.

Krashid, my grandfather told me once that in 1947 India did not become free. He said India was stillborn. He lived through partition and became annoyed when people criticised the conduct of the British, because he always said that however the Angrez treated the Indians, it was as nothing to how the Indians treated themselves, and what they did to each other in partition. It was these fanatical Hindutva bigots who shot Gandhi-ji, the light of India, and it is depressing to think that they have returned and were simply lying dormant, a latent cancer. But I truly believe that what they are doing today is an aberation, an historical aberation, caused by feelings of insecurity : insecurity on several fronts: globalisation, economic disposession, ``threat`` of Pakistan, exploitation of crude nationalist feelings and a power vaccum created by the corruption of opposition parties (in particular the cursed and bai-sharaam Congress party and Indira`s brood). I believe they are so virulent because they know this is their last chance before India starts its long march to the modern world.

All this time the institutions are being tested...Ayodhya, Narasimha Rao... corruption and unconstitutional bigotry are pushing the limits of the state, and strengthening the institutions that uphold what matters. India, in a national, institutional constitutional sense will be made stroger by these storms.

I think that it is good for each other to understand what lies beneath the surface storms in each others country`s. I hope this has explained a little to you, although they are just my thoughts and I am sure many would take contention with my (general) optimism.

I hope you are enjoying your stay in the Motherland.

regards,

Harpreet

repeat -- I would recommend reading

http://www.saag.org/papers2/paper169.htm

where the politics behind the recent Parliamentary debates on the Masjid issue is discussed.

-Arun Gupta

Krashid

A good thoughtful response by you after a long time. I agree, it is the economy which will be the main thrust in the years to come. You are also right on the count that it is the size of pie that creates the problem. I have a detailed theory in mind about the surge of BJP and the rise of Hindu nationalism. If you remember I had a discussion with Tahmed some time back, in which I outlined a few reasons for the rise of BJP in the background of political situation in Kanpur from 1984 to present. I also pointed out a few hints about the fall of BJP in Kanpur in recent parliamentary elections, which was further confirmed by the mayoral elections held a few months back. In nut shell, it was the rise of a neo-middle class in India following deregulation of economy searching for its identity in its ancient roots. BJP ingratiated itself to the Indian middle class by talking about nationlism, a strong superpower India, and filling this class with a strong sense of pride. Fortunately it also delivered on the economic front at least at the center. Pakistani policy of supporting ``terrorism`` in Kashmir and the events like Kargil further made Indian population rally behind BJP. However it is recently observed that the performance of BJP at the state level has taken beating in absence of effective leadership. In states like UP, Maharashtra, where extremist elements like Shivsena, RSS were dominant, the support base of the BJP shrank rapidly. This was because the the ancient traditional lifestyle that these org like RSS talk about is at odds with the same middle class that is getting more westernized. Thus while the ``sense of pride`` as promulagated by BJP caused middle class to come close to it, the distaste for the lifestyle, old socialistic type economic policies preached by RSS has recently lead this middle class to drift away from BJP. If the BJP tilts towards RSS, it would further shrink its support base. In other words the very factors that once caused the rise of BJP may lead to its fall until it modifies itself.

Sincerely

Prem #538

Its as simple as this. Does the Congress I or say Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav`s party deserve secular credentials solely for throwing chappals in the House, whatever the reason? Do they deserve that their own sinful past be forgotten just for raising a ruckus. No, they have to live up to their loudly proclaimed principles by putting them in action.

Also suppose those preaching social reforms were the worst offenders in the use of caste epithets never used even by Indians, apart from showing an appalling ignorance they are unaware of. Something liek Thakeray claiming to be brave while terrorising an entire city with crowds of goons armed with lathis just to appear before an unarmed magistrate. Well, all parties, whatever they profess, have to have to live up to what they profess or throw at others :-). Let us wait for that great day to dawn.

Ms Versey is another matter. According to her, a. Hindus donot question rabid Hindus beliefs. b. If some Hindus do indeed question rabid Hindus beliefs or recognise injustices committed by them, and god forbid they write about it, or speak against it, they(the questioners/writers/speakers) and their false secular credentials deserved to be exposed. c.And there can be no other category of `Hindus` except those who poke fun at minorities. Basically in her eyes one is a Hindu first and an Indian later, an attitude she has no problem in simulataneously accusing others of holding wrt Muslims.


It may look like that Cong I, Ms Versey, rabid Hindus and false-secularist-but-not -admitting-it-and-yet-to-be-exposed types are the only categories of Indians, but luckily its not so simple.

Sadhana

Harpreet #534

Few clarification.

Neither I am secularist, if it means irreligious.

Nor I am in favor of religious exploitation, which is basically a warfare for economic pie whose main fodder is middle and lower middle classes in the name of God or Brahman. People killing each other.

Religion is good, for me.

Religious bigots are not different whether they are in India or Pakistan or any western country.

The only difference is our pie is too small to be shared by all. So restrict the pie to some group. And what powerful notion the religion is. You are pious even if you are a killer. You go to nirvana or heaven even if you rape and mutiliate. You can give it the name of Islam or Dharti Mata, modus operandi and tactics are same.

So after this big lecture, it seems India might survive due to its democratic credentials and economic prospects. But all indications are that it is rapidly changing into a Hindu state. Which is sowing seeds with long term implications for the very survival of India.

If the predictions come true. That is India gains sufficient economic strength, these matter will disappear with time. But if not, India is heading towards a disaster.

It is the economics stupid, as told to Clinton by his advisers.

Ms. Versey!

Could you please advise me honestly, if you can. How can I respond to Pakistanis who are determined to expose `secularism` of India? `I` being an upper caste, poor hindu educated with a grant from muslim educational trust. I am asking you, instead of Shabana Azmi because you seem to (probably unintentionally) encourage their ignorance.

BTW, I fully realize that India`s `secularism` needs improvement.

re: Farzana #537

I very much liked your response to Mahesh. I agree with you that Muslims continue to face discrimination in large parts of India. Come to think about it -- we all seem to discriminate against each other in India. India, if anything, is a fractured, fractious society. Hindu-Muslim relations have a particular edge to them because of well-known historical and topical reasons. But even there, things are not simple. For example, Pakistani government recently announced (news item in The News) that they would keep a special eye on people travelling to India lest these people engage in anti-Pakistan activities. Imagine, if muslims in Pakistan can not trust one another when it comes to dealing with India, how much more difficult it is for Hindus and Muslims to trust each other when it comes to dealing with Pakistan? We need to recognize these historical/contextual difficulties and work together towards a better collective destiny--something the Thakerays (sp?) and the Bukharis (sp?) of the world will never be able to do.

Having said that, let me congratulate you on an excellent post.

re: urstruly`s resolutions

I can`t understand all the fuss. OK....may be his motives are suspect. But, he only mentioned some real problems that the Hindu society has struggled with. Is there any Hindu here who has problems with the resolutions urstruly asks us to make? If there is such a Hindu, he and I do not share the same religion.

Prem

MaheshG (#525):

You ask: “Do you hate India?”

I say: The very thought of hating my country is sickening. That is why I feel despair. If I did not care, I could have just shrugged and got on with my life.

You ask: “Do you believe Muslims are actively persecuted in India?”

I say: Yes, you can see it for yourself, and passively as well, when some of us are made to get defensive.

You ask: “Do you hate Hindus?”

I say: To be honest, I hate certain political figures who are currently ruling India, and they happen to be Hindus, and I hate the fact that they have wormed their way into the minds of some sections of the middle-class and the intelligentsia.

You ask: “Do you view Hindus with suspicion?”

I say: As a community, no. But due to the atmosphere currently prevailing, I do sometimes get suspicious of the motives, political and social, of a few people.

You ask: “What steps by the majority community will make you feel safe in

India?”

I say: For the common person, and whatever be my background, I include myself in this category, it is important that cultural prejudices are wiped out first. Just as Muslims tend to view Hindu gods and customs in a rather dim light, Hindus too return the favour with even more fervour. I agree it is a two-way street and, believe me, I have done my bit. E.g., once when Bakri Idd and Mahavir Jayanti (the birth of the Jain saint) fell on the same day, I appealed through my column that Muslims should not sacrifice goats on that day, since traditionally slaughter-houses have remained closed to respect the sentiments of the ‘ahimsak’ Jains.

However, you must understand that minorities do feel insecure, and if you try and needle them on communal issues all the time, it will become a large sore. You want them to be a part of the mainstream, then don’t make fun of their clothes, their habits, their lifestyle. You want them to live in the ghettoes, then don’t assume that those ghettoes are dens of vice to be raided and ravaged at will. If you want them to be a part of the future, then don’t dig up a past they had no control over; it would help if you took care of the present, which is in your hands.

And now, Mahesh, may I ask you a few things: Would you have put these questions to Shabana Azmi? No. Because she knows to mouth the right clichés. Would you have asked them to a rabid Hindu writer who lashes out against Muslims? No. If you are a part of the majority it is all right to take potshots, and even if you raise questions about corruption it will be seen as concern for the country.

I too am concerned about my country, but if I get angry, don’t expect me to pretend otherwise. Having said this, I am happy you brought up the subject. And just a small personal question: Would you say you hate me because I am a Muslim or a nasty writer or just a pain in the butt? What??

Tell me more…or ask…

Farzana

Prem(#535)

I don`t think I am clearly out of my depths in a secular framework; I would just prefer it if everyone came out clean -- the fact that I have got the kind of responses I have bears testimony to the lack of other people`s tolerance.

Farzana

MOTIVES AND CONTENT,

Most of the criticisms of farzana`s article seem to have its origins in the motives of the author who unnecessarily has revealed her identity as an indian muslim. This info seem to have corrupted the reading of her articles. If she had used an anglo saxon name with a US university address, more of the focus could have been on the content.

The initial criticism of solitude and others for enflaming the hindu-muslim tensions through this typ of articles is baseless. I am a firm believer that india has crossed the rubicon of unbridled religious caste hatred. The latest case of veerappan kidnapping of the film star, the pak hijacking, and the talks with the hizab terrorists is a proof of the emergence of a more mature and subtle india true to the cultural moorings, taking a different path from the macho western values.

The hindu muslim fight of the dimension created by the TNT and fanned by the alleged sole spokesmen is of the dead past, that cannot be rekindled by the farzanas of the world. We need more of farzanas, just to test and prove that the above views are correct. As chowk has done in the past articles exposing the barbaric nature of hinduism, like the `girl married to a dog` stories should be given priority for publication than some bilal quoting some BC authors on democracy.

Pankaj #526

I share your sense of deep disappointment. I hope Vajapyee realizes his mistake. He is a smart person doing one of the trickiest jobs in the world -- managing India. He can`t afford missteps.

re. Krashid:

You are right. Farzana Versey is clearly out of her depths in a secular framework.

Krashid #533,

what would happen then Krashid?

I am sure it would give you great satisfaction to see that happen, in fact you would laugh your head off at what fate held in store for the Muslims and Christians and Sikhs in India, wouldnt you?

You talk elsewhere about the extremists in Pakistan and how they manipulate religion but are in reality irreligious, so you are a commited secularist by nature, but it seems in relation to hatred for India (Hindus?) you and they are tweedledum and tweedledee, one and the same.

But we have no choice because unlike Pakistan, by sheer dint of numbers we are a Multi-religious country.

No amount of goading by you will make us abandon the secular ideal (substitute ``facade`` in your spiteful reply) even while we have the BJP toads on our back.

In fact it is something I and literally MILLIONS of Indians will die fighting for, tooth and nail. (something I am sure you would like to see happen).

You are a proud Pakistani and a proud Muslim unafraid to point out the hypocrisy and badness in your motherland I may hate the BJP and be chilled by what is happening but I believe the idea of India as a secular modern state is worth fighting for and is a noble idea.

If India ever fell to the Hindu fundamentalists it would make it harder for democracy and the rule of law to gain strength in Pakistan.....

this is what it means i think to be blinded by hatred

regards,

Harpreet

Mahesh G # 525

The answer to all your questions is ``When you stop pretending to be Secular and Democratic`` and tell ``India is a Hindu State with no place for non-Hindus``.

INDIANS VRSUS PAKISTANIS

WHENEVER THERE IS AN ISSUE WHICH RELATES TO PAKISTAN, THE INDIANS AND HIDUSES MORE SO, HAVE MOSTLY AN IDENTICAL RESPOSE. IT SEEMS AS IF THERE A BUG STUCK IN THEIR REAR END.THEIR ARGUEMENTS ARE SO ANGRY.THEREFORE,I HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT ALMOST A THOUSAND YEARS OF RULE BY MUSLIMS AND THE ENGLISH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH.WHY DON`T YOU ACCEPT IT AND RELAX.INDIA MAY BE A UNITED COUNTRY NOW BUT IN THE LONG RUN IT CAN NOT AND WILL NOT STAY AS A UNITED COUNTRY.READ HISTORY OF INDIA.PAKISTAN HAS MADE HUGE MISTAKES BUT IT IS GOING GET OVER IT.BY THE WAY JEHAD IS ONE OF THE MOST POTENT AND POWEFUL WEAPON WHICH PAKISTAN HAS AND INDIA CAN NOT MATCH IT.I AM ONE HAPPY PAKISTANI AND IF IT BOTHERS YOU, GO JUMP IN THE GANGA RIVER.

HLAHIL

Pankaj #526 It is indeed depressing when one sees mean and hate-ridden acts in the name of religion, when religion (virtually any of the world`s great religions that I have some familiarity with- Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, or Islam) can be a source of the highest expressions of humanity. But never fear - religious bigots have no future. They can give temporary setbacks when they come to power, but they cannot stop the tides.