Muslims must better ignore Modi as if he is a non-entity
Dr Javed Jamil
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has at least one quality for which he must be duly complemented. He says and does what his heart, mind and soul feel right. So if he is sitting in a car and is guiding the driver to race the car on the road in the direction he wants, he at least tells the driver not to try too much to avoid hitting a dog. If it gets killed he will only have to make it appear that he has not hit him intentionally; the owner will then do what is needed: feel sad about it; and then move on towards his next destination. Modi chose to own the Gujarat Car and when he found that many “dogs” have been killed, he is at least ready to say that it saddened him; but his sadness would not stop him from his life long ambition of owning the India car. Once the car is his, he will tell the driver to move again without caring much about the dogs. The speed of the car is more important than the dogs it hits on the way.
Modi has again got it right when he says that “he is a nationalist Hindu”. There is nothing wrong about it. Instead what should have been asked was: what is the definition of “nation” in his dictionary and “Does his nation have Muslims as equal partners”. Neither the majority of Hindus agree with BJP definition of “Hindu” nor most of the Indians with their definition of “Nation”. So while both Gandhi and Modi can be nationalist Hindus, Modi would perhaps love to be a nationalist Hindu in the Godse mould.
By now, Dr Zafar Mahmood must have realized how ill-conceived, even if well-intentioned, was his decision to make a presentation to Modi and hope he would change. Fond as Modi seems to be of dogs, the famous analogy of “Kutte ki dum ko 12 saal tak bottle mein rakho to bhi terhi hi niklegi” (Cut a Dog's tail and enclose it in a bottle for 12 years, and it will yet remain crooked) seems to perfectly befit him.
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By repeatedly making such statements, Modi is on the way to achieve for BJP what it wants. The more the media reacts to such remarks, the more it will suit them. So it will be better if Muslims now start ignoring him altogether. If Congress or other political parties make an issue of it, let them make it. But it will be better for Muslims if they keep their focus on the problems of the nation as a whole: economic disparity, security issues, anti-poor model of development and the inability of the nation to take its second largest majority along, in terms of participation as well as fruits. Muslims must understand that non-BJP parties will find it easier to run the fight if the issue of communalism remains in focus. With the increasing polarization, they will feel more and more secure. Muslims on the other hand must make it sure that while on one hand they will make sure that the divisive forces are defeated they will not let the other parties win without doing what is required from them.
[Dr Javed Jamilis India based thinker and writer with over a dozen books including his latest, “Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough” and “Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination & Road-map”. He soon intends to bring a “Muslim Manifesto for India 2014,” which will provide the basic framework on which Muslim groups can expand. He can be contacted at doctorforu123@yahoo.com or 91-8130340339]
Dr Javed Jamil
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has at least one quality for which he must be duly complemented. He says and does what his heart, mind and soul feel right. So if he is sitting in a car and is guiding the driver to race the car on the road in the direction he wants, he at least tells the driver not to try too much to avoid hitting a dog. If it gets killed he will only have to make it appear that he has not hit him intentionally; the owner will then do what is needed: feel sad about it; and then move on towards his next destination. Modi chose to own the Gujarat Car and when he found that many “dogs” have been killed, he is at least ready to say that it saddened him; but his sadness would not stop him from his life long ambition of owning the India car. Once the car is his, he will tell the driver to move again without caring much about the dogs. The speed of the car is more important than the dogs it hits on the way.
Modi has again got it right when he says that “he is a nationalist Hindu”. There is nothing wrong about it. Instead what should have been asked was: what is the definition of “nation” in his dictionary and “Does his nation have Muslims as equal partners”. Neither the majority of Hindus agree with BJP definition of “Hindu” nor most of the Indians with their definition of “Nation”. So while both Gandhi and Modi can be nationalist Hindus, Modi would perhaps love to be a nationalist Hindu in the Godse mould.
By now, Dr Zafar Mahmood must have realized how ill-conceived, even if well-intentioned, was his decision to make a presentation to Modi and hope he would change. Fond as Modi seems to be of dogs, the famous analogy of “Kutte ki dum ko 12 saal tak bottle mein rakho to bhi terhi hi niklegi” (Cut a Dog's tail and enclose it in a bottle for 12 years, and it will yet remain crooked) seems to perfectly befit him.
[Dr Javed Jamilis India based thinker and writer with over a dozen books including his latest, “Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough” and “Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination & Road-map”. He soon intends to bring a “Muslim Manifesto for India 2014,” which will provide the basic framework on which Muslim groups can expand. He can be contacted at doctorforu123@yahoo.com or 91-8130340339]