Page 40 - Tehelka-May18

OpiniOn
dilemmas
HumrA
QurAISHI
The Delhi-based writer
and columnist’s books
include kashmir: the
Untold story. She co-
authored a series of
writings with the late
Khushwant Singh and
her short stories are
part of anthologies.
The views expressed
are her own
40-41 Opinion Humra.indd 2-3
pOlitics
Peace gets hurt when
hate goes mainstream
Ever since the present government came at the helm of
affairs, hate and propaganda against Muslims have
skyrocketed. Where is our democratic set-up heading?
hy are the so-called what will be the remedy? None! No, I
experts talking expect no fair play and justice from the • History
about the death right-wing rulers of the day. And, with rewinds
penalty for rap- the latest round of communal build-ups It’s about
ists? Do they realise revolving around M.A. Jinnah’s portrait anything but
W that ‘off-with-the- controversy at the Aligarh Muslim Jinnah,
head’ barbaric sentences do not lessen University or Muslims getting targeted says AMU
a heinous crime? On the contrary, it whilst offering the Friday prayers in
relays the State’s impotency in dealing open spaces in Gurugram, it gets all too community
over Jinnah
with the growing number of rapists. obvious that right-wing ‘senas’ have controversy
Rapists are mentally unwell creatures been unleashed to provoke the Muslim
on the prowl and need treatment of the masses and then the rest would follow
severest sorts. They may be banished — rounds of violence and counter-vio- or even look like a Musalman! low speeches fitted with bogus Sarabhai’s 100th birthday, so leav-
for years in open jails and released only lence. It’s getting increasingly danger- When my close non-Muslim promises. ing you readers with her sensi-
and only after a heavy dose of counsel- ous as these right-wing backed goon- friends cannot comprehend the di- The masses of this country are tive outreach: Around the Spring
ling and treatment. Or, in the case of brigades are intruding into everyday lemmas and insecurities an Indian witnessing these partitioning of 2002, soon after the Gujarat
the Kathua rape case where there is a life of the hapless masses. Aren’t these Muslim is going through, I tell them disasters yet we sit as mute specta- pogrom, I had written a piece for
communal angle to it, all the eight rape eerie build-ups relaying the complete to go about in a disguise of sorts: tors. Gone are the men and women The Indian Express, along the
accused ought to be kept tightly jailed breakdown of the system, demolition of he in a Shervani or Achkan and of grit and integrity who could have strain: ‘Where is our God?… Not In
for years to come, so that rape is never the last traces of democracy? she in a burqa or a hijab together led us away from this mess. Alas, Bharat, Apparently!’ It was a cry
again used as an ‘instrument’ to unsettle I do not wish to whitewash my words with a Muslim name and address leaderless are we! Painful and fear- from my heart. Perhaps, the cry was
and kill the ‘other’. nor try and conceal the hurt I’m going of a Muslim dominated area or ful if gets. piercing enough to have touched
In fact, this brings me to ask some- through. As an Indian Muslim, I do not ghetto and then see what they get As I’m filing this column on May Mrinalini Sarabhai. Within a week
thing that’s been bothering me for last feel safe and nor secure with the Modi to experience. In fact, my Kashmiri 11, which happens to be Mrinalini of the publication of that piece, I
several months if not for the last few government and its men manning the friends tell me that the Kashmir had received a handwritten letter
years: what punishment ought to be very system. I can more than see the Valley address and a Muslim name from her. Soothing, gentle, sensitive
given to those who insist on raping my reality of the day: Hindutva brigades and fine-featured face is enough Today there could words, relaying that together we
psyche? Yes, right from 2014 there’s gaining ground, forcing the sane to for the cops to get suspicious; more are going to fight this battle against
been an acceleration in the number of shut up, if not sit or squat huddled in a than definitely if you are a man be hundreds of communal poisoning and also, that
communal comments and third-rate corner. I have to think a hundred times with a beard and a skull cap. And, if no matter what happens we, the
taunts thrown right at my face by right- before I can wish you with ‘as- salaam- there’s even a cracker burst in and politicians around people of this country, have to put
wing characters. Yet, I can’t do a thing. alaikum’ (may peace be on you). No, I around the locality, suspicion gets but no leaders. up a united front.
I sit all too helpless. No, there isn’t any cannot even stop by the roadside and fast converted to hounding and one She had reached out to me at
helpline number where one can com- bow my head in prayer, because of the can even get illegally detained and Paranoid they sit such a crucial juncture. This, when
plain. Even there was one, it would be reality of Hindutva goons attacking with that stuffed into a police lock far away from the she didn’t know me…we had never
manned by the sarkar of the day, which me for offering Juma namaaz in the up, with terror charges on the head. met or spoken with each other. Yet,
in turn is manned by the RSS, along open, when I’m doing nothing illegal or Today there could be hundreds ground realities, after reading my piece, she took
with a set agenda, set in motion right distasteful. Simply bowing my head in of politicians around but no leaders. all too protected pains to write to me on the Indian
from the day Modi government came prayer in the scorching heat, because Paranoid they sit far away from the Express address which was later
centre-stage. of the lack of mosques in Gurugram! In ground realities, all too protected in their sprawling re-directed to me.
Some bruises are so deep and inter- this Azaad (free) nation, I’m not azaad in their sprawling bungalows…
nal that they cannot be seen. Also, if seen enough to wear a skull cap or cook meat preparing the next round of hol- bungalows letters@tehelka.com
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