Communal Time Bomb or Powder-keg? (Part II)

Why recent eruption of communal violence in Northeast Delhi? Its root causes is inherited legacy of communal violence – mostly political. People are only suckers. Over the past seven decades, there is systemic atrophy, paralysis, or lack of professionalism. Those claiming to be intellectuals par excellence are spreading the self-destructive virus to gnaw away at all the four pillars of the Constitution – Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and the Media.

Oh, the Blindmen of Hindusthan, never too late to admit that Islam preaches the concept of owing first allegiance to Ummah (Muslim world) or Muslim Brotherhood. Thus, the allegiance of Indian Islamists is extra-national and ingrained in their psyche. Even today deep inside their hearts and minds, they nurture the view of all others as Kafirs to be hated, converted, made Dhimmi or killed.

The build-up of communal violence can be traced to the AMU over the issue of Pakistan’s founder, Jinnah, portrait in the campus in 2018. Violent clashes erupted between opposing student organizations what with AMU Student Union dominated by Muslim students. Followed the eruption of clashes in JNU, Jamia Milia Islamia and AMU in 2019.

Newton’s “Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” explains the “spiraling of Delhi Violence”. The firebrand Muslim leader’s “Hate Speeches” vocabulary is explicit: “Islamist supremacism”, “communitarianism” and regaining Islamist “power.” Its natural fallout is hatred against other religionists deeply ingrained and embedded into their psyche. Deradicalization of such people is a utopian expectation. Violence is employment. Peace is an anathema for such radicals.

Obfuscation of CAA deliberate by such radicals. At the cost of repetition, let me highlight that the CAA is one which gives citizenship to the persecuted minorities of neighboring Islamic nations that have, since their inception, indulged in horrific crimes against their minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis, and Jains etc. And, the NPR was initiated during the UPA rule.

Having incited, instigated and some even sponsored anti-CAA protests, Modi critics are blaming him and Amit Shah for allowing the Shaheen Bagh protests to continue to consolidate majoritarian sentiment - vicious politics.

So, they turn “Nelson Eye” on the issue of PFI-SDPI role and brush it aside – Abubacker and Anish Ahmed. Add to them also, the Indian Mujahedeen, Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), ISIS/Daish, al Qaida and their sleeper cells all over the country. Recently, members of the ISIS Module case in Tamil Nadu and ISIS-Al Hind Module Case in Karnataka have been arrested. And, it is well known that the ISI and other state actors have been aiding and abetting such groups.

Ipso facto, Muslim vote bank is the lifeline of all so-called opposition and regional secular parties. Quite obviously, they are extending full support to Shaheen Bagh protests. “Willy-nilly” they are under obligation to support Islamic causes in India with utter disregard national security interests.

In reality, Shaheen Bagh is not a mere anti-CAA agitation – another sponsored Khilafat Movement. Shaheen Bagh is an agitation for Ummah. PFI and Sharjeel Imam confirm it.

Political Islam in Shaheen Bagh has been crying for ‘Azadi’ from Hindu India. Islamic slogans like “Allah-u-Akbar”, “Tera mera Rishta kya, La Ilaha Illallah” “there is no God but Allah”, “Hum ladke lenge Azadi”, “Hinduon se azadi”, “Jinnah-wali azadi”, “Cut Assam from India”, “We will klll Modi”, ‘Remove police for 15 minutes, We (Muslims) will finish 100 crore Hindus” and “Hinduon ke kabar khudenge” are only consolidating and advancing their end objective. ‘Ye shahar zagmagaega, nur-e-la-illaha se, Ye desh zagmagaega, nur-e-la-ilaha se, Nara-e-takbir, F**k Hindutva that distorted the ‘Om’ symbol to several slogans that exposed the Islamist mobs’ deep-seated hatred for Hindus.

When one chants ‘Jinnah wali Azadi’, what they are essentially saying is that they want ‘Azadi’ to break India yet again and create another Pakistan where the founding principle of the state was Islam and the two-nation theory. The two-nation theory of Jinnah essentially said that Muslims cannot co-exist with Hindus. The two-nation theory states that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations by every definition; that Muslims have their own customs, religion, and from every point of view like social, moral Muslims are different from Hindus therefore, Muslims should be able to have their own separate homeland in the Muslim majority areas of India, in which Islam can be practiced as the dominant religion.

Therefore, when today the protestors at Shaheen Bagh, who are essentially protesting against giving citizenship to the minorities from Pakistan, raise slogans like ‘Jinnah wali Azadi’, it merely means that they are reposing their faith in Jinnah’s two-nation theory. Muslims cannot co-exist with Hindus and thus, want to break up India yet again to form another Islamic nation.

Rana Ayyub, the India Jihadi journo, has cautioned that they should not be taught about the language they use. She meant that being uncouth, anti-national and divisive are their prerogatives. “Pakistan Zindabad” by Amulya Leona on stage in Bengaluru in the presence of Asaduddin Owaisi is yet another inspirational and motivational slogan for the Muslims, whilst the same is provocative slogan against co-religionist.

Jamaat-e-Islami and PFI-SDPI inciting hatred for Hindus, exhorting people to cry 'Bolo Takbeer Allahu Akbar.” “Jamaat-e-Islami stands for Islamic State. It is driven by the motto of freeing India through Islam. SDPI is using religion as a weapon of terrorism,” stated CPM Kerala state secretary Balakrishnan recently. It is trying to create a communal divide in the country. Both are trying for communal polarization. He also alleged that Muslim fundamentalists are exhorting people to cry 'bolo Takbeer…’

Naseeruddin Shah has addressed Shaheen Bagh recently and urged the crowd to be fearless and fight for their ‘rights’ which is the ‘right for more Islamic pound of flesh from India’. Activist Teesta Setalvad coached Shaheen Bagh protesters even before the Supreme Court mediators could interact them. In November 2019, Arundhati Roy has published an article decrying the CAA, NPR and NRC.

Add to the list political leaders and budding ones to include: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, AIMIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi, Waris Pathan, Akbaruddin Owaisi, Mani Shankar Iyer, Shashi Tharoor, Salman Khurshid, Mahmood Pracha, R J Sayema, Umar Khalid, Jignesh Mevani, Chandrashekhar Azad, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Javed Akhtar, Swara Bhaskar, Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma, Abhay Verma, Prashant Kishore, Pawan Varma, Yadav clan etc. Add to it, the intense and widespread social media coverage spearheaded by likes Rajdeep Sardesai pouring vitriolic at the Delhi Police.

Let me recount the “Extracts of Joseph Story Comments on the US Constitution 1833” to include: “The structure has been erected by architects of consummate skill and fidelity; its foundations are solid; its compartments are beautiful, as well as useful; ….. And its defenses are impregnable from without. It has been reared for immortality, if the work may justly aspire to such a title. It may, nevertheless, perish in an hour by the folly, or corruption, or negligence of its only keeper, THE PEOPLE. Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.”

Focus of the media must start with the highlighted part of Joseph Story comments – THE PEOPLE. People residing not only in Delhi, particularly the Northeast Delhi, but also all over the country, are primarily responsible for electing criminals as their elected representatives at all levels from the Parliament to the Panchayats.

The virtue, public spirit and intelligence of Delhi electorate are to be blamed squarely for the triggering surge of communal violence. Despite Delhi’s highly informed literate electorate, voters have opted for 43 of the 70 newly-elected MLAs with 37 of them with declared serious criminal cases against themselves which include an attempt to murder, and at least one related to rape as per Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Paradoxical it is that even Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister, and his deputy, Manish Sisodia, have criminal cases against them.

Of the 539 winning candidates analyzed in the present Parliament by the ADR, 233 MPs or 43% have criminal charges. Similarly, the situation in all the institutions of governance down to Panchayats levels. No wonder, everywhere the “Profligates” are being rewarded by “THE PEOPLE”.

Ipso facto, the issue of criminalization politics has been making media headlines since mid-1980s, that is, well over four decades. Yet, neither the Election Commission nor the Judiciary has asserted decisively banning criminal candidates even with FIRs and charge sheets filed in the courts from elections or suspending them. Occasionally, they make ‘sound bites for photo ops’.

Recently on 13 February 2020, the Supreme Court ordered political parties to publish the entire criminal history of candidates for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections along with the reasons that goaded them to field suspected criminals over decent people. And, the information should be published in a local as well as a national newspaper as well as the parties’ social media handles. It should mandatorily be published either within 48 hours of the selection of candidates or less than two weeks before the first date for filing of nominations, whichever is earlier. So what? Surely, the Supreme Court must direct the lower courts to fast track the criminal cases pending in the courts against elected representatives and delivering judgments. Does the judiciary at all levels not realize that the “Due Processes of Law” will be used by the criminals to make them ineligible! Is it not also lack judicial professionalism (Justice Delayed; Justice Denied – PEOPLE) or incompetence or complicity?

As per one observer, the Supreme Court is under fire from the critics for refusing to send a clear and timely signal on the basic rights of habeas corpus. They justify Shaheen Bagh non-violent civic protests, spearheaded by women, minorities, and students. There was always the danger that long and sustained protests with no attempt at a dialogue open the way for radical elements to take over.

My earnest plea to the judiciary is to act with the utmost expedition against criminal representatives so that it deters others to enter the electoral field. Mere direction to file FIRs and charge sheets has no meaning due to “Laws will take their own Course”. For example, the accused of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots are still roaming free. Even the Nirbhaya Rape case delay makes a mockery of the Judiciary.

Of course, the crisis of democracy or its curse is Parliament/Legislatures and the Executive. Political leaders have been excelling at the art and science of confounding issues, inciting PEOPLE on narrow sectarian lines (vote bank politics) provoking and creating crises and violent eruptions and bungling their return to peace. Surely, it is also woeful lack of professionalism or complicity or incompetence in discharging their roles and functions for not enacting fool-proof laws.

Why the media failed to put the requisite pressure on the government, political leaders and the judiciary instead of merely flogging the Delhi Police. The Delhi CM is reduced to staging photo-ops at Rajghat; the rest of the Opposition seems to muster about as much energy as it takes to put out a tweet. It has more consultants than convictions or courage.

Everyone is aware that the rapid spread of vicious politics by the elected representatives of all political parties with utter disregard to their impact on the psyche of people – gully politics of the worst order by the so-called elected representatives claiming holier than thou status as leaders and statesman. Total lack of ethics, values and morals! Also, contra national security interests!

No point in blame games by the AAP leadership. Why were Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and the local MLAs conduct pro-active peace initiatives like “Peace Marches and Mohalla Peace Committees” in the Northeast Delhi. Why the media is not blaming and crying hoarse on the many elected MLAs of the Northeast district for their intelligence failure including the Delhi Cabinet?

Kudos must go to National Security Advisor, to don the peace maker’s role and marching on the streets and by-lanes of Northeast district. The Delhi Police is making valiant efforts to restore peace and normalcy. So what? The lesson of the inherited lineage of oft-repeated communal violence is clear. Communal riots will break out sooner than later at a time and place of the choosing of radicalized elements of all groups.

I dare challenge the pseudo secularists to ensure deradicalization of affected sections of society after having embedded hatred and distrust deep inside people’s psyche.

Wake up the PEOPLE and don’t get misguided by criminals and crooks masquerading as leaders and obfuscating issues like CAA and NPR.