Indian Muslims continue to suffer from the misfortune of being led by people with a limited vision whose initiatives appear to be aimed at fostering a ghetto mentality instead of encouraging the community to become a part of the mainstream.
As much is evident from the latest resolutions of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, which can only serve to strengthen the stereotypical images of Muslims being out of step with the rest of the country. This impression is confirmed not only by the familiar objections to the singing of “Vande mataram”, the National Song, but also in such mundane matters as watching cinema and television as well as important subjects such as the women’s reservation bill.
A perusal of the Jamiat’s resolutions can make one wonder whether its members live in the present times or in some bygone age. There is little doubt that if the strange directives of the organisation are seriously followed by India’s Muslim population that number 150 million - the second highest in the world after Indonesia, a wide gulf will open up between them and other citizens with the latter looking down on the minorities as incorrigibly retrogressive.
To start with the Jamiat’s objections to “Vande mataram”, the outfit shows no recognition of the fact that it is with Muslim sensitivities in mind that only the first two stanzas of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s stirring hymn is regarded as the National Song. The reason is that after praising the beauties and bounties of the motherland, the poem goes on to describe Mother India as a goddess. Since this is known to be unacceptable to Muslims, this portion is not regarded as a part of the National Song.
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12:05 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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