5.5.10

Muslims on a leash...

...held by Shiv Sena and Modi's men

When the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena start protecting Muslims, it is time for our antennae to go up. They are parochial parties, and the former’s role in the Bombay riots and its communal stance is well-known.

The case of Majid Khan that I had written about - Dogs allowed, but not Muslims - has taken a turn because these two parties have done the turncoat act from their positions. They went to the building from where he was barred, held a meeting with the society members and asked them if they had a problem with a Muslim staying there.

“Until the Sainiks went there on Monday, some elements prohibited me from even going anywhere near the society. But the Sainiks insisted that I go with them there and sit in the very house that I had rented,” said Majid.


One can well imagine his relief. There will be a general feeling that the SS is doing something concrete and it does not believe in discrimination. Right now Majid Khan is only a Muslim; they probably have not asked whether he is from Bihar or UP or Tamil Nadu. They cannot afford to expose their hypocrisy and will play their cards well. As one of their members said:

“We have made it clear that we will give him 24-hour protection during his family’s stay in the building. Irrespective of who opposes him, we will stand by Majid. The idea is to send out a clear message that a person should not be ostracised because of caste, creed or religion.”


This is frightening. They have held a Muslim man captive and he is supposed to owe the roof over his head to them. If anyone has to give him 24-hour protection then it ought to be the cops, not a political party. This is not the Sena’s private durbar. This is not Chembur’s Panchayati Raj with some mukhya sitting and deciding.

If the Shiv Sena is honest, it should have helped Majid Khan file a police case, as I mentioned.

I am also struck by the photograph of the family. Had the man been a ‘typical’ Muslim, then would the Sena have come forward? This looks like any urban family, and personally it is how they are and many of us are. But a clean-shaven pant-shirt Majid with a Hindu wife has definitely played a role. I can imagine some SS blokes slapping their thighs and saying that this is how Muslims should be to belong to the mainstream, never mind that they go around looking like half-baked godmen themselves.

There is no message here and instead of the society members being made an example of narrow-minded discriminatory tactics, it is Majid Khan who has been made an example of the Muslim who will be forced to cop-out and become a ‘protected’ species.

Would he have dared oppose the Shiv Sena’s interference? No. And in that No lies the story of what threat really means.

- - -

The business of protection against threat has become very important.

IPS officer Rajkumar Pandiyan, accused of killing Sohrabudin in a fake encounter in Ahmedabad in collusion with cops D G Vanzara and Dinesh MN, on Monday said he should have been honoured by the country for eliminating the most dreaded criminal instead of being put behind bars.


Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife were kidnapped and locked up in a farmhouse in November 2005. He was then dragged to a spot and shot dead, with one of the big cops asking his men to take the body to the civil hospital. Two days later his wife Kausar bi was burnt to death. The initial CBI reports did recreate the scene.

It will be recalled that top officials were transferred by Narendra Modi’s government to protect them. Now Ram Jethmalani will be able to appeal the case of Pandiyan even though his client says he killed Sohrabudin in a fake encounter.

Pandiyan wants to be feted because he believes he saved the nation from this threat. He obviously has little idea about what constitutes a nation and its laws. If the cops are really convinced and upto the task then they capture criminals and see to it that they are tried legally, and if at all they have to shoot, it is when they have evidence and a warrant. They do not lock them in farmhouses and then fake an encounter.

It is cowardly. And we still do not have a medal for cowardice.

- - -

Picture of Majid Khan's family - Mumbai Mirror

4 comments:

  1. Farzana,
    It's your cult that see everything through negative view point. You will not accept any positive act from saffrons. I'm not certain about sainiks. But I'm sure Narendra Modi is not an anti-muslim saffron leader. It's you like people trying to impose such an image on Modi. Saffron team gave us people like Osho, Nanaji, Vajpayee etc. Even Nehru realized his mistake in his last days. It's unfortunate to see that even today we are not ready to accept their positive acts.

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  2. Das:

    In your earlier comment you spoke about fears; I asked you to list them.

    What is my cult? And it is people like me who are spoiling the image of Modi? He is a squeaky clean guy? I am glad you plead ignorance about the SS because some of us have first-hand knowledge and have spoken to victims.

    The positive acts are politically driven and I have said the same about non-saffron parties too, although I don't have to if I don't feel like it.

    And please do not include Osho in this devious group. He had his faults but he was not parochial or a bigot.

    I am not ready for stray bits thrown at Muslims or anybody. Simple. If these parties want to get a halo, they can earn it by behaving themselves.

    Time to start my own cult, I think.

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  3. Hi FV,
    Great to see your blog rocking , i have nt been following the updates and commenting ....but the place is warm with newer "thinkers"...u are still chasing them with superior logic ...typical you ...
    Anyway I had logged into to see if u had blogged about our New IAS topper from Kashmir and teh story of his life..i was moved ...i will wait to say more ...
    I would want you also comment on parallels between Chetan Bhagat and Faisal, both sons of high ranking armed force officers , both with good education ,both rebels in their own right.....
    I regret teh hiberation, i was rediscovering teh pleasures of haryana Vodka coupled with Andhra Tabacco , relished while enjoying the marwari cricket league :)

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  4. Ah Manish, one of my 'thinkers' was missed. Good to see you back, and I promise you will some intellectual absinthe here.

    I have some ifs and buts about the Kashmiri guy...

    Re. Faisal Shahzad and Chetan Bhagat, where did you get the comparison from? I'd say both produced whimpers that managed to catapult them into the big bang league.

    Your routine seems to be as eclectic as can be...but nothing is complete without Mumbai masala.

    And suggest some music...I want something upbeat.

    ReplyDelete

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