Guest post by IRSHADUL HAQUE
Translated from Hindi by Shuddhabrata Sengupta
Akbaruddin Owaisi, you are an enemy of Muslims. You are the kind of adversary who lurks like a snake in the grass, ready to strike at the person who cares for that patch. Your desire to provoke a confrontation between India’s 25 crore Muslims and 100 crore Hindus reminds us of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is why Javed Akhtar has gone to the extent of calling you ‘the greatest enemy of Muslims’. I know that I am not alone when I find myself agreeing with this view. Many other Indian Muslims will be in agreement with me.
Your behaviour and your actions are reminiscent of the second phase of Jinnah’s political career. Do not forget that Jinnah played his part in diviging this country to fulfill his political ambition. Of course he was amply helped in this task by Hindu Fundamentalists like Savarkar. But today’s India is not the India of 1947. You might have a voice amongst a section of Muslims in Hyderabad, but the Muslims of India are not your inherited property.
You belong to the party All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) that your grandfather Abdul Vahid Owaisi founded, and which your family has been running like a private limited company for the last fifty-sixty years. The Owaisi family is exactly like the Thackeray family of Maharashtra. After your grandfather’s death, your father Salahuddin Owaisi took charge of the family firm, and tried to expand it. Your father occasionally roared, often talked about Muslims and what is happening to them, and occasionally spoke against Hindus, but you have crossed all boundaries.
People like you occasionally come out of your lair, roar, and then hide once again in its darkness. You do not have the capacity to engage with anything outside Hyderabad. Raj Thackeray, like you, can spout venom in Shivaji Park about North Indian and Bihari Hindus and Muslims, but does not have the guts to step outside Mumbai. Ordinary people in this country now understand well that people like you and the Thackerays are complicit with each other. One lets out his bile against North Indian and Bihari Hindus and Muslims and the other against a hundred crore Hindus.
Listen, Akbaruddin Owaisi. Try and understand this land. Your family may have been feudal lords for generations but you need to get out of the mentality of treating Muslims as your fief. You, and your elder brother Asaduddin Owaisi are carrying the burden of the politics that your father gave you in inheritance. Raj and Uddhav Thackeray are like you, heirs to this fiefdom of hatred. It is possible that a minuscule section of the 42 percent of the population of Hyderabad (the Muslims of Hyderabad) benefit from your brand of politics, but the 25 crore Muslims who live everywhere and anywhere in India have nothing to do with your desire to ‘teach a hundred crore Hindus a lesson’.
The six to seven MLAs of the MIM might carry some weight in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, but your party has neither any identity, nor any relevance outside of Andhra Pradesh. This is because ordinary Hindus and Muslims have no desire to fight with each other and bear no hatred towards each other. It is people like you and the Bukhari clan (Imams of the Jama Masjid in Delhi) who try to teach hatred to the Muslims of India. Your tradition links you to Praveen Togadia and Ashok Singhal of the VHP and to the Bukharis.
Yes, I do admit that your clan runs four dozen schools, a few hospitals, a few orphanages and some ‘sewing centers’ for poor women in Hyderabad. You are also the managing-director of the Owaisi Hospital. You arrange for the treatment of the sick. All that is just as well. But this does not mean that in return for these ‘favors’ you have the license to make hate-filled speeches to a gathering of fifteen-twenty thousand Muslims in Nirmal Town, in Adilabad, adjoining Hyderabad. It does not mean that you are entitled to have your cronies give the cry of ‘Nara-e-Taqbeer, Allah-o-Akbar’ as a means to enact a form of religious blackmail.
On that day, on the 24th of December, the way in which you wear roaring in your Shervani, was reminiscent of Jinnah. You are deluded if you think that if the police can be made to stay away then you can teach one hundred crore Muslims a lesson. Leave Hindus aside for themoment, Muslims themselves will teach you a democratic lesson that you will find impossible to forget. Try and step out of your lair in Hyderabad, just for once.m
Your public life had its ‘moment of awakening’ even before the 24th of December. But even in your private life you have distinguished yourself by your violence. You have had a history of personal enmity with a Hyderabadi property dealer like Mohammad Pehelwan. This led to assaults with knives and bullets in 2011. If your personal enmity with another Muslim peaks in confrontations over property that use bullets and ammunition, then how can you honestly hope represent the struggles of poor and deprived Muslims. You issues fatwas of death to Taslima Nasreen. Prevent her from coming to Hyderabad. All you do is play with Muslim sentiments.
I would advise you to learn restraint in your statements and speeches. If you have such a great desire to make your mark as a ‘Muslim Leader’ it would be better if you were to pay some attention to the actual problems of poor and pasmanda Muslim communities, in a manner that your father and grandfather tried to do, at least to a certain extent.
This text was first published in Hindi in naukarshahi.in
KAFILA - COLLECTIVE EXPLORATIONS SINCE 2006 
I appreciate the author’s sentiments. But his appraisal of Jinnah, and, therefore, his comparison of Owaisi and Jinnah, are, as historical research has shown, plain wrong. It ironically plays into and forwards the vituperative nationalist discourse that Sanghis and the Congress have been flogging for decades now.
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I completely agree with you. Things were not so black and white in 1947 as the author seems to suggest. He conveniently seems to lay all the blame for partition with Jinnah while ignoring the role of Nehru and Congress, without whom there would not have been a partition in the first place as Jinnah’s original demand was for provincial autonomy.
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If you are referring to Congress’ rejection of the Cabinet mission, Provincial autonomy as envisaged in it- and Jinnah wouldnt settle for anything less – was A) completely unworkable In Group A (the Non-Muslim majority regions of India) B) the deal would have awarded disproportionate political power to Muslims completely disproportionate to their population and C) would have left India with a polity in which the primary and most important driver would be religious identity, something which would have become almost impossible to reverse.
The fact is that Muslim League led by Jinnah, at least since the late 1920s, had been making completely unreasonable demands. Look at their 14 point program, which demanded a minimum one-third muslim representation in Central legislature and all provincial assemblies. The latter is completely outrageous as, in most regions that constitute post-partition India, muslims were just between 10-17% of the population. In Central Legislature, along with general seats that muslims would win in Muslim majority areas, it would have meant Muslim representation would have always been >40% while the constituted less than 25% of the population.
Anyways, irrespective of of whether Jinnah’s demands were just or not, he and his party were the main culprits behind injecting a a brazen, divisive communalism into the political discourse during the 1940s, which caused irreparable damage to Hindu-Muslim relations, built and sustained over centuries.
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Things were as black and white as it could get.
The great leader Jinnah roared,
“We shall have India divided or we
shall have India destroyed.”
Jinnah’s original demand for provincial autonomy had an option of seperation after 10 yrs. He demanded the division of India into 3 parts, which had the right to succeed after 10 short years. According to the agreement princely states too had the right to go independent. This would have made sure there
would’nt be one but several Indias. The whole Nation would be held to ransom to the wishes of a few landlords, princes and Religious thugs.
Basically the great man was anti democracy. His disolution of elected govts in Sindh and NWFP immediately after partition, imposing Urdu on the Bengalis of East Pakistan are all testimony to that.
If anything Nehru and Congress can be blamed for giving into Jinnah’s blackmail. It is preposterous that you put Jinnah and Nehru in the same bracket. Nehru would NEVER call for arms against his own people like Jinnah did with Direct Action day.
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@Clearly Confused and @Rean
Please take the Sanghis out of the equation. They have done their penance.
Sanghis have corrected themselves. Advaniji visited Jinnah’s Mausoleum (Mazar-e-Quaid), paid homage and exclaimed ‘Jinnah was a secular man’. Then came Jaswant Sinha (Ex. Finance Minster in BJP govt. and Vice Presidential candidate of NDA) with his seminal work-Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence. He not only absolved Jinnah as the chief mischief maker of partition, but gone one step further in finding the real culprit, one J L Nehru and by default Congress.
It took them almost 60 years to realise that the people (most) on the left knew all along.
That leaves you only with Congress. And you have every right and responsibility as well, to vent all your spleen into the pit that Congress is; nation’s designated dustbin.
In hindsight, I wonder, if only Nehru invoked an ‘(In) Direct action day’, he could have probably saved himself from the ignominy of being the Chief architect of (by Jaswantji) or the co-conspirator (by kinder souls) in the partition of India.
Amen. .
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There is an error in the translation. In the second last line Irshadul Haque has used the word ‘pasmanda muslims’. It has a definite caste connotation and ‘backward Muslim communities’ does not bring this out clearly. I would like the word pasmanda to be retained. You don’t translate dalit, do you?
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Thank you for your suggestion Khalid. Will make the change in the translation.
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Am trying to understand whether this was criticising Owaisi or subtly trying to deflect attention to Thackrey and VHP . When there is criticism of Thackrey or Varun Gandhi, there r no references to any Muslim fanatics. Also none of the Hindu groups/persons mentioned above have ever said anything in their speeches about the Prophet. But Owaisi ranted about Ram and Ram’s mother. Try to stick to the point without disgressing. So much for the fake secularism.
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exactly agree with you Shub…in order to get the article stamped as secular,he tried to balance the criticism by adding thakrey flavour …i guess fear of getting caught in any controversy made him to do that…but unfortunately he lost miserably in his own fake secularism..so except the title which was as well taken by the javed akhtar’s comment, this article is big disappointment despite he really had done good research…
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Exactly what i wanted to say!
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Exactly. It would have been much much better if the article had avoided trying to bring in a Hindu equivalence while condemning this. I have not read of any article on Thackeray in which Owaisi or any other muslim fanatic is brought into the picture.
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He actually is tryig to tell that though owaisi was ‘wrong’ comparing it to thakerays so many times and adding vhp in it shows he doesnt have a spine. Just to get a badge or ‘secular’ he wrote it. Its a cowardly spineless article by the author.
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lol… now you got it. Author is trying to dilute the severity by bringing VHP and BJP name in between. He is very clever.
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I usually don’t comment.. But this article moved me.. Seriously we here don’t care about these stuffs.. I just wish peepz like owaisi n thakrey omit from our country..
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Why? Is this the first time you are reading an article condemning communalism? Ok, I get it – it is because a Muslim (can you believe it, a Muslim!) has condemned minority communalism. Typical condescending attitude of a secular Hindu – as if Muslims are inherently less capable of being secular and liberal.
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Not the time to comment. Wait and see should be the strategy.
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Overall good article but i do not understand why Raj and Uddhav is always necessary to criticize such bigot politicians whom i don’t put in the category of politician even. The time and again comparison with Thackereys makes this article light and hollow. It seems some kind of balancing act is going on.
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There are a few points which need to be corrected in the article and some points which need to be noted to make sense of Akbaruddin.
1. The correct name of the founder of MIM was Abdul Wahab Owaisi.
2. The corporate hospital and the engineering colleges run by the Owaisi brothers do not give any concessions in fees to Muslim students. They are commercial enterprises making money. It is not a charity for Muslims.
3. The only seat which MIM wins is the Hyderabad parliamentary seat which comprises the old city of Hyderabad and adjoining areas. In the assembly, they will win only three seats on their own basis, the rest come as a result of covert deals with local Congress, TDP and other politicians.
4. On the other hand, its also a fact that MIM has tried to broaden its base in Hyderabad and regularly gives tickets for the GHMC councillor posts to backward caste and dalit non-Muslims.
5. This is not a new feature of Akbaruddin Owaisi, he is merely carrying out the style of Salar-e-Millat who turned hate speeches and violent politics into an art form. Salahuddin Owaisi’s speeches were far far worse. On a good day, he could make Bal Thakeray or Sadhvi Rithambara look like peaceniks.
6. It is a fact that the MIM has provided Muslims of Hyderabad with physical security. The RSS fears, cut that, shits in their khaki nikkers, at the MIM goondas. Today Muslim can successfully run businesses all over the city and not just in Muslim localities, our girls can zip around in scootys even late at night, mosques can be rebuilt and enlarged in mixed Hindu-Muslim localities, and frequent riots dont kill us, all thanks to the MIM and its fear apparatus. Its not as if the Muslims of Hyderabad don’t know and don’t intensely dislike the politics of the Owaisi clan, its just that we will again vote for him because this is what has provided us security and peace for the last two decades.
Can anyone else promise us that?
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dear old hyadrabadi
at the end of your reply i am still confused what you want to put forward…is that owaisi kind of people are sent by God to protect or trying to prove that RSS is afraid of these people…communal issues have been lingering since last many centuries n certainly with todays scenario we r improving the situation…we ourselves capable of maintain the peace with each other if we bypass these extremist leadership…but we are not ready to look beyond…all we do in the process is to let us lead by these kind of extremist who plays with our sentiment…who would like to follow the religion which asks us to be violent with humanity,certainly nobody would…its high time we should understand ultimate truth is death….now we are educating…we are liberating..all we need is to work collectively n get rid of these fanatics,wheather they belong to any religion…pls dont boast such people…dont do this..not good for our society in longer run…
God only asks us to spread happiness,if we refer any religion scriptures,…its high time to come out of sentiment for a moment n think that if he really cares for us why would he appoint such abusive people to spread nothing but hatred…
they use we as power to protect us..ultimate power lies within us…spread the love…
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It is sad indeed as OLD HYDERABADI mentions in the post that the muslims in Hyderabad have to resort to take the help of the goons of MIM to give them peace and security. It reflects the failure of the state and its security apparatus in not being able to provide the Muslims, the security that every citizen of India deserves. It is in such scenarios that fringe and extremist elements raise their ugly head and gain a following, albeit amongst a minority within a community. This is a pattern that is being repeated across the country irrespective of region or religion. The need of the hour is to analyse this issue with utmost seriousness, rather than bickering about who’s worse amongst the lot- thackeray, RSS or MIM.
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Cannot Agree More With You. A balanced View of the Owaisi family…
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this article is an extract of times of india please go thru it. it states that rap incidents have increased in old hyderabad.
The Old City in Hyderabad is seeing a steady rise in rape cases, worrying authorities who are planning several measures like improved policing and awareness drives to make women in the area feel safer. From juts nine cases of rape recorded in 2010, the numbers have jumped to 14 this year with a few days yet to go before Hyderabadis ushers in the New Year
The rise in rape cases is worrisome at a time when thousands of denizens are out on the streets protesting against last Sunday’s brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student, who was also beaten up along with her male friend, stripped of their clothes and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi.
Police in Hyderabad and the entire state have been put on alert and asked to increase patrolling near women’s colleges, hostels and pubs.
The Hyderabad police commissionerate which is divided into four zones – north, east, west and south – had recorded 40 cases of rape in 2010 out of which nine were from the Old City, 54 in 2011 out of which 13 were registered with various police stations under Old City and 60 in 2012 out of which 16 complaints were lodged in 10 police stations in Old City limits. Of these 16, two were transferred to other police stations on the grounds of jurisdiction. Further, the largest number of cases were recorded in 2011 at Santoshnagar police station with four cases being reported between June and December.
dear mr. old hyderabadi
u can never fight crime with crime. if u give power to such ppl one morning u will find them turning against u, once they have achieved wht they want.
they only way to stop crime is to build a strong society, stand for a hindu’s daughter and u will find his father standing for a muslim child today or tomorrow, the same way u would.
these ppl dont belong to anyone. A bad human being can never do good to anyone
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stand up for humans irrespective of caste and creed and u will receive humanity in return
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@Old Hyderabadi.
You should have used your common sense while making allegations at hindu community. you said muslims are freely moving in non muslim areas also with out any fear. this is enough to understand that Hindus are secular. And if Hindus are communal then CM of AP would have been a BJP or a VHP member.
This is the problem with you so called Secular Muslims you pretend to be secular but from inside you still support communal thoughts.
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wow … Imagine all communities will have hired goondas like akbar ..( whatever).. what will happen to this country. I know the way to law is difficult but thats the correct way. If Akbar was really your supporter, he would have created a welfare organization for Muslims providing them free legal support, free colleges, free hospitals (much like what Christian missionaries do … much like what Sikhs do ..). he is making a fool out of you muslims .. I have stayed around the world and met muslims in US, UK and europe .. you guys are biggest moaners and complaint box .. you have complaints against India, US, UK, europe and leave alone .. Pakistan and UAE as well .. Cmon man .. stop supporting people like Akbar and start contributing back to society.. people like Akbar are nullifying good work done by muslims like our former president, bollywood khans, Javed and Shaban Akhtar .. Create a better world for tomorrow .. dont harp too much on past .. We hindus also dont support hindu fanatics like RSS, VHP and Thackreys .. can u see .. none of them are in power. Lets collectively discourage all fanatics .. Lets make India a better place and be forgiving. Lastly, i will give you a thought to think about .. In which country muslims are most succesful? .. Trust me its “India”.
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Preperetionguy, this post has been written originally by a person with a clearly Muslim name. Here is an instance where a person with a Muslim name is attacking a rabid, fascist, Muslim communalist. He says that he is voicing the thoughts of many other Muslims. His post is not a complaint against anyone other than Owaisi and his brand of politics. Please learn to read what is written instead of being so patronizing.
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Shuddha
“Here is an instance where a person with a Muslim name is attacking a rabid, fascist, Muslim communalist.”
Much left unsaid. But still, means more than it says. But discerning readers will not miss the i….
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Dear Mr. Sengupta,
Pardon me for wondering, but is your post really an UNEQUIVOCAL condemnation of Mr. Akbaruddin Owaisi’s speech? To me, it appears to be somewhat of a BALANCING act between Islamist and Hindutva politicians. However, I do not remember to have seen such balancing when the HINDUTVA politicians were condemned in the past.
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Hopefully no one will miss the uniqueness of ‘a person with a Muslim name is attacking a rabid, fascist, Muslim communalist.’
At the same time I sincerely hope someday it will not appear to be some kind of a novelty.
People with a Hindu name have been doing same thing, blasting and debunking hindu zealots every day in one place or another for as long as I can remember. And I have lived a small amount of 61 years. To be honest having a few lefty friends helped.
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I am not commenting on Author.. it has been changed in a group discussion and i was replying to a lot of Muslims who as usual are finding a way to cover the sins of idiots like Owaisi. Lapse on your observation.
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people like him threat to to democracy and secularism.
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Dear Mr. Sengupata, I highly object your statement that says that Mr. Sawarkar was a Fundamentalist and did help Mr. Jinnah to divide this country. For your kind information, Mr. Sawarkar was a proud Hindu but with a secular and progressive view, and not a Fundamentalist. He highly criticised illogical and barbaric Hindu customs, traditions and beliefs. Just for an example, he viewed ‘Cow’, as a useful animal, rather than Holy in contrast to the popular hindu belief. Further, he was a strong supporter of ‘Akhanda Hindustan’ i.e. Undivided Hindustan, hence no question of him helping Mr. Jinnah in division of his own country. And yeah, though he was a supporter of a Hindu nation, he never said that it should be only for Hindus. Instead, he beleived in creating a ‘secularist’ Hindu nation. Better, if you would have done some research on Mr. Sawarkar before placing him and Mr. Jinnah under same category.
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!!!! Owaisi’s forefather’s were hindu’s,he should remember that ….
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Mr. Owaisi is related to the Nizam’s family , who happened to be of recent Iranian origin. So how can Mr. Owaisi’s forefathers be Hindus.
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Irshadul Haque,
Please read and know the history in proper way, then only write about it. be clear in one thing, when Indian flag was laid on Bal Thackrey, there is no secularism left in India. No one comdemned on this.
So no one should expect from Muslims to prove their secularism after the above.
In order to prove your secularism you must have written this against Owaisi, but not repeat this blunder. Let the majority community prove their secularism (when they dont have, how will they).
India is no more secular! think and understand this!
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Nasreen,
I understand your disappointment. I really do. Particularly on laying of the national flag on Thackrey, you are spot on. I felt ashamed.
But I ask you, should our secularism be reflective? Should I leave it to others to define my secular identity? If I am secular or I have to be secular because others are, then I am on a shaky ground. It should be a matter of conviction. Either I believe in it or I don’t.
Never the less I respect your right and mine too, to critsise and protest at every sign of undermining the secular ethos of this country.
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Tell me one thing…who the hell are these RSS people asking Muslim to recite Vande Matarm to prove that we muslim are true Indian?? y not our government/police take any action against them?? Does any Muslim organization or group asked Hindu community to prove that Hindus are true Indian?? ohh ohh I’m wrong they are true patriot by birth bcz then born to Hindus. Dear brother y this discriminates?? If people like Bal Thackeray given the state funeral then people like Owaisi should be respected as well.
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Dear Ms. Nasreen,
Perhaps you have forgotten that, in this Hindu majority country, the Vice-President is Muslim, the Chairperson of the ruling alliance at the Centre is Christian, the Prime Minister is Sikh, the Defence Minister is Christian, the Foreign Minister is Muslim, the Chief Justice of India is Muslim, the Chief of the Army Staff is Sikh, the Chief of the Air Staff is Christian, the chief of the Intelligence Bureau is Muslim. Apart from them, 3 of our ex-Presidents and many Governors / Ministers are Muslim. Many of our highly popular artists, in music / films / sports, are Muslims. Not only do minority communities exercise the constitutional right to run their own educational institutions, some of these institutions are also funded by the government. Although the Constitution of India advised a ban on cow slaughter in deference to the wishes of many Hindus, the same has not been imposed on a national scale. The population of certain religious minorities is increasing while the opposite is happening in some of the neighbouring countries. Among the convicts who have been hanged to death till date, most were not from minority communities.
After all this, do you still feel that the majority community (in India) is not secular?
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The majority and the minority communities in this country consist overwhelmingly of sane, sensible, and un-prejudiced people who have no interest in the kind of hate that either the Thackerays, Praveen Togadia or Akbaruddin Owaisi want to dish out. Most Hindus reject the politics of Hindutva and most Muslims are not Islamists. That is why we have a vibrant, open society, despite the efforts of fascists of all varieties.
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Shuddha,
Paroma’s point isn’t about “just” the Indian society. It is also about the Indian polity, including the state apparatus. Warts and all, even at the highest levels there is little evidence of bigotry on religious lines. To the list that Paroma gave, one can add names of a Muslim who was given the stewardship of the most sensitive strategic programme for years, multiple Sikhs who became RAW chiefs, Muslim, Sikh and Parsi armed forces heads. Basically positions far removed from tokenisms and at the heart of the state.
It’s a point that Tom Friedman made in his column recently.
It’s a point that we so casually ignore while doing an “equal equal” between India and assorted other trends of official sectarianism around the world.
And this is, fundamentally because, as indira Gandhi once put it, india inclusing official india is secular because Hindus of India want the country to w secular.
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AKBAR IN HIS SPEECH AGAINST HINDUS IS UNPARDONABLE
YES EVERY BODY RESPECT THEIR RELIGION
NO BODY HAS RIGHT TO CRITIZISE TO ANY RELIGION
BUT ONE THING I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY IN HIS SPEECH HE ALWAYS TEL ABOUT SYRIA, LIBYA,IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN,PAKISTAN, BANGLA DESH IN WHAT WAY ITS RELATED TO OUR DOMESTIC POLITICS THE PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO HIS SPEECH ARE FROM HYDERABAD OR SUBURBS MOST OF THEM DON’T KNOW ABOUT DISTRICTS OF ANDHRA PRADESH WERE THEY HAIL FROM.
EVERY HUMAN TAKES BIRTH AND DIE SO WHAT FAR THIS PUBLICITY
AS A LEADER HE MUST ENCOURAGE EVERY RELIGION AND EDUCATE THEM TO RESPECT RATHER SPOILING THEIR MINDS
I AM HINDU BUT PRAYED TO GOD FOR HIS IMMD GOOD HEALTH WHEN HE WAS ATTACKED AND HOSPITALIZED, WHAT FOR I PRAYED BECUZ HE WAS YOUNG ENERGETIC LEADER FROM HYDERABAD IRESPETCIVE OF PARTY PPL LIKE HIM MUST BE IN ASSEMBLY
NOW I PRAY AGAIN THAT IN FUTURE HE SHD NOT TALK ABT ANY RELIGION ONLY DEVELOPMENT OF HYDERABAD AS WELL AS OUR NATION
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Dear Mr. Shhudhabrata Sengupta,
I am using Mr. R. C. Patel’s reply box, with due apologies to him, because I do not know where else to respond to your reply regarding my assertion of India’s secular credentials.
You have said, “The majority and the minority communities in this country consist overwhelmingly of sane, sensible, and un-prejudiced people who have no interest in the kind of hate that either the Thackerays, Praveen Togadia or Akbaruddin Owaisi want to dish out.” If that is so, why do secularists condemn Praveen Togadia / Akbaruddin Owaisi? Why don’t secularists trust the ‘sane, sensible, and un-prejudiced people’ despite them showing ‘no interest in the kind of hate’ that Togadia / Owaisi want to dish out? Either the secularists do not trust the people (in which case, the secularists are undemocratic) or the people are not that ‘sane, sensible, and un-prejudiced’ (in which case, your statement is more an example of wishful thinking than of an established fact).
You have also said, “Most Hindus reject the politics of Hindutva and most Muslims are not Islamists.” In this context, let me ask whether you believe in the saying that ‘character is what we are in the dark’. If you believe that an individual’s real face emerges only when s/he is alone, don’t you think that a community’s real face emerges only when it is in the majority? I suppose whether Hindus are secular or not can be known only in India and in Nepal where they are in the majority; similarly, whether Muslims are secular or not can be known only in Pakistan and in Bangladesh (of course, there are many other countries where they are in the majority).
With sincere regards,
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Really how about Malaysia or Turkey for comparison sir??
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The comparison with Jinnah is indeed quite accurate and justified. Jinnah made a lot of hate speeches, and incitements to violence. Also, he never condemned any violence indulged in by his follwers. To explain away all that by recourse to the argument, that all Jinnah desired was provincial autonomy, is ridiculous. It should also be mentioned that the British, the effective ruling entity at the time, were giving subtle encouragement to the ranting, ravings and demogoguery of the Moslem League, as a way to counterbalance the nationalism and anti-colonialism of the majority.
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What this hate monger seeks is votes in the next elections…and I know the Muslims of hyd vote for MIM enmasse..100%. This ONLY Muslim party has tasted blood in handed recently by bagging 13 seats in the municipal elections..with that the brothers duo are planning to increase their base.Akbaruddin in all his speeches stressed SIYASAT ki TAKHAT. Is in getting seats….all the Muslims understood that message.The majlis was able to get so many seats in the assembly is by winning most seats with narrow margins…that’s because the Hindu vote gets divided between Congress,TDP,TRS and now YSRC and also BJP.so the calculation is simple Muslim vote 100% goes to majlis which is 40% of the voters..the rest 60%is shared by all these parties….so in effect it’s the arithmetic of divided Hindu vote. The only way to defeat this anti India party is by allowing the Hindu vote to to one party…that means there shoul be some tacit understanding between other parties to defeat majlis…then the majlis will not get more than 2 seats in AP assembly. Also they cannot win the MP seat . Last elections Asaduddin got 380000 votes,congress got 340000,TDP got. 320000 …..so all these years the majlis is able to get the only MP seat by this 3 way contest.If that is avoidable then the majlis can never get a seat!!!! The way Akbar was praising BABUR to Aurangzeb,the way he was making fun of gaumata and invites all hindus to have beef,the way he thinks of Hindu gods and godesses as MUNHUS…yes he going in the right path of becoming another Jinnah in next 20 years and force another GANDHI to give in to another PAKISTAN II……because by then the projected population of Muslims in India is 50 crores and the percentage will be around 50%. All Muslims don’t follow family planning and don’t worship Bharat desh they will only worship Allah who will take hem to heaven.the future of India is indeed very dark.
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Mr. meneftha.s.Ram, Until we have people like you, we must face these communal heat. How can you target all muslims based on one selfish Idiot, gave bullshit speech. I have been with many muslim friends from my childhood and they are very honest and respect the country. If there are Hindus against Muslims, there will be Muslims against Hindus, and they have to find there own solution like there own parties. If we keep differentiating them, they do the same thing.
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Jaisriram.I read the article.I liked it.I think that the satisfying the minorities in all aspects becomes a importent n top technick of the secular govt’s to get their solid voted.Congress stands 1st for this policy n next comes all parties.The persons like Owaicies,Bukharies r the products who produced by this system.Hindus never think all the muslims r their enemies.Govt’s r trying to maintain the distacebetween hindus n muslims.Every one shoud understand it act accodingly.
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Jaisriram.AshokShingalji n Praveenji r working for unite Hindus to get their rights.They r working against different types of jihadi,convertions,cow slaughter,terrorism.They r against to minority reservations .They r faighting for common civil code.They are against to the discriminate policy of govts for getteing votes.
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Just for argument’s sake if we do a Tasleema on Owaisi and look at his speech from the angle of Free Speech criticism of a religion. Can only Leftists, Ambedkarites and Secular Hindus be entitled to criticism of hinduism? Is it necessary that if a Muslim so much as if opens his mouth to criticize Hinduism it has to be seen from a communal-secular lens.
I think if Tasleema’s of the world are allowed to hurt faiths of millions of Muslims and roam free without any legal action being initiated against them then so should others be too. Tasleema has an audience cheering and supporting her so does Owaisi. And please throwing a shoe here and there or pushing and shoving once or twice in a lifetime does not count. It might be more visible through mass media but has less serious consequences for life than selective legal action against such an act that is also made out be a message to Muslims who might think of hinduism critically. The ‘desperately trying to prove Muslim secularism’ article above only goes to prove that the message has been received and responded helplessly!
PS: On a side note I think its only politically correctness to say that all religions are good or equal. If that was so people would actually believe and practice all of them and not one (and we would have more holidays!). So, I think there should not be any bar on either criticizing or verbally abusing other religions as inferior or conversions to one or the other! Let us be honest about our belief in superiority of our own beliefs (that’s why we believe in them, right?!), put them to test and choose for ourselves!
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“I think there should not be any bar on either criticizing or verbally abusing other religions as inferior or conversions to one or the other!”
After all, we don’t live in an intellectual ghetto like Saudi Arabia or Iran.
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Islamist above, that is an archaic view. It is a silly idea of having to believe in all religions. The issue is seeing different religions as legitimate paths to revere God or contemplate ‘truth’ as one understnads it. On this approach, India, particularly the majority Hindu commumity, has always been quite developed. As for following multiple religions, I strongly recommend the movie “Life of PI”, where the main protagonist actually does delve into several religions at once, and finds some reconcilable truths in all of them.
Also, the problem with Owaisi is not just his rantings and ravings against Hindus, horrendous as they are. It’s his ideological lineage, being descended from the fanatical Razakars, who opposed Hyderabad’s integration with India, and hence India’s federal system and pluralism.
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@Islamist …. The comment is derogatory . If Tasleema has made mistake that does not mean that gives license to everybody else . Do you want India to be like Pakistan where muslims are killing muslims . understand the intention of the speech , he should be punished for such hatred speech .
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hi yes i agree with you. but can you tell me why modi or any other vhp person was not hanged for 2002 gujrat genocide?they killed more than 3000 and brutally raped woman and children.Yet india is secular…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….only for majoriy population
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Need correction here, The founder of MIM is not abdul wahed infact it is the late Nawab Bahadur yar jung RA. Pl visit
http://www.nawabbahaduryarjung.org
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Very crude, shallow, narrow minded posting, by Islamist above. To repeat, I recommend the movie “Life of Pi”, where the main protagonist finds truth or value in 3 different religions, without necessarily ‘believing or practising’ any of them. Also, criticism of religion is one thing, incitements to violence is another. Owaisi is also denounced because he belongs to that tradition of Razakarism, which opposed Hyderabad’s integration into India
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In the moral economy of religions and ideologies there is little difference between good and legitimate. So, when I say “its only politically correctness to say that all religions are good or equal” and you say “different religions as legitimate paths to revere God or contemplate ‘truth’ as one understnads it”. Its almost one and the same thing. I must concede though that your argument adds ‘Yet Different’ to the already existing ‘Good and Equal’ one. Thus, I don’t think your response makes any different or opposing point than what I have already made above. (and, regarding “the majority Hindu commumity, has always been quite developed” don’t even get me started on Budhhism in India!)
Second, I am not at all suggesting that what Taslima did was wrong or should be punished by Law. I respect her free speech which includes criticizing and abusing religions and ideologies on principle as well and practice (I say practice because post 9-11 the negative image of Islam has only made many people, at least in USA, UK, Germany as per their own Govts, that more curious about Islam and they are becoming Muslims after reading Quran). Her reference is more to make the point that when such free speech is available to her then why not to Owaisi?!
Regarding Violence: for me keeping more than half of India (dalits, adivasis, pasmanda muslims, women, children) malnourished and deprived for life for centuries is more violent than the mere physical violence of killing a bunch here and there. Nevertheless, I still would like to protect the Owaisi and other’s right to criticize and abuse but not any call to arms. Importantly, violence can be, and is actually, perpetuated by more than just a call to arms as khaki chaddi bhagwat did 3 months before the anti-muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002. It can be in the form of subtle discrimination in opportunities and outcomes in market and society. A more civilized and acceptable form of violence practices by many in the secular-liberal brigade. In any case it should be the state’s duty to prevent such forms of violence.
Regarding Razzakars. Seriously! u still hung over it. It been dead for the better part of the last century and lets not talk about integration. I can give example of Junagadh, manipur and many more and talk of double standards but that would mislead from the main point under discussion here.
Lastly Pi. We all love pies don’t we now, after all its so untroubling, delicious, sweet and FICTIONAL!!
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Dear Islamist!,
In the 1st paragraph, you have written, “regarding ‘the majority Hindu commumity, has always been quite developed’ don’t even get me started on Budhhism in India!” But, if you ever do start on this topic, please mention that Hinduism regards Gautama Buddha (the founder of Buddhism) as an incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu. Also, please mention that Hindu-majority India is not a theocratic country but a secular country whose Constitution treats every religion (including Buddhism) equally. Moreover, kindly mention that Hindu-majority India provides reservation (in education, employment & elections) to certain a large number of Buddhists. And, if possible, make a mention of the attack on Buddhists in the Cox’s Bazar area of neighbouring Bangladesh late last year (on 30th September 2012).
In the 2nd paragraph, you have written, “many people, at least in USA, UK, Germany . . . are becoming Muslims after reading Quran”. However, you have not written that many young Hindu girls, at least in Pakistan, are becoming Muslims after being ABDUCTED (unless you believe that all such reports are false). You have also not written that Muslims are not becoming non-Muslims, at least in Saudi Arabia, because non-Muslim practices are strictly BANNED (unless you believe that Saudi Arabia is as secular as USA/UK/Germany). You have also not written that Muslims are not becoming non-Muslims, in other Islamic countries, because the punishment of apostasy and blasphemy is death (unless you believe that non-Islamic countries also punish apostates & blasphemes with death).
In the 3rd paragraph, you have written, “keeping more than half of India (dalits, adivasis, pasmanda muslims, women, children) malnourished and deprived for life for centuries is more violent than the mere physical violence of killing a bunch here and there.” In case you think that only Hindus have deprived dalits, would you mind reading what DALIT icon Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar has written about Muslims in the Part-IV of his book ‘Pakistan and the Partition of India’? Regarding the deprivation of Pasmanda Muslims, wasn’t the Indian sub-continent under MUSLIM rulers for more than 700 years from the 12th to the 18th century? As far as deprivation of women is concerned, how are Muslim men better than Hindu men? About the deprivation of children, I have not even understood how that is relevant in this context. But when you wrote about killing ‘a bunch here and there’, I think you forgot that you were writing about the killing of HUMANS (unless you believe that they were less human than you).
In the same paragraph, you go on to write, “violence can be, and is actually, perpetuated by more than just a call to arms as khaki chaddi bhagwat did 3 months before the anti-muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002.” While the tragic violence in Gujarat did occur in 2002, you seem to have forgotten that ‘khaki chaddi bhagwat’ became Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh seven years LATER in 2009 (unless you believe that facts are less important than opinions).
You say, “subtle discrimination in opportunities and outcomes in market and society.” In this regard, would you please read my response to Ms. Nasreen above?
You also say, “A more civilized and acceptable form of violence practices by many in the secular-liberal brigade.” So, ultimately, your point is that violence is perpetrated either by the ‘khaki chaddi’ or by the ‘secular-liberal brigade’. Well, honestly, I do not know how to respond to this!
In the 4th paragraph, you have written, “Regarding Razzakars. Seriously! u still hung over it. It been dead for the better part of the last century” But, in the preceding paragraph, weren’t YOU ‘hung over’ about the so-called deprivation for centuries?
You write, “I can give example of Junagadh, manipur and many more and talk of double standards but that would mislead from the main point”. If you do not want to talk openly about something, then why do you want to make a sly reference to it?
With regards,
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Read the History and then write this type of article.
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Read the History?? what kind of history can that be??
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@Paroma
I sincerely hope that you are either taking up some courses in improving your logical deduction skills or not pursuing social sciences as a career already! (and really praying that u don’t teach it to any1). With so many assumptions on which you have made worldwide generalizations and ommissions in reading my text it will fill up this blog to answer to each and every of your mistake. But still, I may, only if you at least accept your wrong inferences or tell me how did you assume “you seem to have forgotten that ‘khaki chaddi bhagwat’ became Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh seven years LATER in 2009 (unless you believe that facts are less important than opinions).” from my statement “violence can be, and is actually, perpetuated by more than just a call to arms as khaki chaddi bhagwat did 3 months before the anti-muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002.” Nowhere have I mentioned that khaki chaddi bhagwat was, as you assumed, “Sarsanghchalak”. I just implied that he sprouted venom against muslims before the u know what.
PS: reading your previous comments with this one, you seem to be quite well versed with whos when who regarding the khaki chaddis. Do you by any chance follow them on twitter. Please do share their handle with us.
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LOL – Savarkar divided India along with Jinnah! Height of WTF-ness!
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Hello, the poverty of India is because of underdevelopment, resulting largely from colonialism. There’s no majority Hindu community deliberately keeping a whole section of people malnourished and deprived; that condition is a universal ‘third world’ one. You snidely refer to Buddhism; it was far more the culpability of the Islamic invaders of medieval India, that caused Buddhism almost vanish. Hindus still revere the personage of Buddha as an avatar.
Do you have a problem with movies, books or plays that have an enlightened message or philosophy. If even one rigid, small minded person in the world is changed by a movie like ‘Life of Pi”, it would be wonderful. Yes, the movie is fictional, but rest assured there are many people in India( and probably in other open societies) that resemble ‘Pi’ in their spiritual stances. In Saudi Arabia and under the Taliban, a character like Pi would be dead or under sentence of death.
Interesting that you mention Junagadh and Manipur. Those are very much integral parts of India’s democratic, federal system. Are you questioning their inclusion within India? For what reason or purpose? The Razakars may have long departed, but their mentality is still alive in people like you.
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I have taken the pains to respond to each and every point of yours. Would really appreciate if you could do the same and not suffer from selective amnesia so typical of the khaki chaddi waalas. Then, I will surely respond to your points.
PS: all this lecturing and no payment. I should probably start writing and get paid in kind and social status like this blog’s authors :P
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That was an awesome speech. It outspoken the immense aggression of every Indian against Akbaruddin, irrespective of their religion. I agree being calling this as “Hate Speech” as it bounced back on Owaisi, resulting to hatred for him in the hearts of many.
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When Jinnah issued the demand for Pakistan, Mr, Abul Kalam Azad issued an article against this demand which talked about why the division of the country was not good for Muslims in either India or Pakistan. From that perspective I think this article is bang on. I am however concerned about the communal ism that is evident in the comments that belong to this article. If commenting on an article itself can incite communal passions in our citizens then we are making the job of Owaisis and Thackerays all the more easier.
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I did respond to your points. And I will also add, that many Indians do go to different places of reverence, without any apprehension or self consciousness. It doesn’t mean that they are necessarily ‘practising’ multiple religions. It may be just a question of taking in the atmosphere and appreciating the ambience of a spiritual place; it’s also possible that they don’t see ‘God’ as being confined within the walls of a particular denominational faith. Japan is also a country where people are ‘followers’ of more than one religion.
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I hope the medical test was conducted by a Psychiatric. Because after reading his thoughts about India and Hindus, i think he really needed the one. People like this and same kind of people from RSS/VHP will never let the India to progress. There is only one place for these kind of mentally ill “Animals”, a bullet in the head.
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For the author and translator, the communal-secular dukaan won’t be open for long. Its time to shift gears!
“To the Mohammedan Rule we owe that great blessing, the destruction of exclusive privilege. That Rule was, after all, not all bad; nothing is all bad, and nothing is all good. The Mohammedan conquest of India came as a salvation to the downtrodden, to the poor. That is why one-fifth of our people have become Mohammedans. It was not the sword that did it all. It would be the height of madness to think it was all the work of sword and fire.”
-Vivekananda, in a lecture he delivered in 1897. Don’t like him but you guys do, so wth!
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@Islamist!
You are the most illogical, ill informed, self proclaimed learned man.
And if you are true islamist, go to one of ‘muslim land’ and show your wisdom there..
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hi boys cool down bear this in mind
tu hindu banega na musalmaan banega insan ki aulaad hai tu insan banega. we have to practice insaniat ( human values) before our religions.
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Well, I’m an Indian first…!! Also I’m Muslim..!! How can I convince RSS?? any one has idea?? as only RSS has the right to certified Indian that one is true patriot or not…Poor Muslim!!!
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hi yes i agree with you. but can you tell me why modi or any other vhp person was not hanged for 2002 gujrat genocide?they killed more than 3000 and brutally raped woman and children.Yet india is secular…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….only for majoriy population
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I have only single question : Why u hindu and muslim put India into a clear division by only their religion? You both created nuisance several time and disturbed others. And simultaneously who said that SC/ ST will follow Hindu, I think that will not happen thats why Hindus are not as big as 100 cr. They may be as same as muslim. Basically Togaria and Owasi all are right because they simultaneously lived in same India. FUNNY INDIAN CIRCUS.
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Akbaruddin owaisi was right because any one are here who can fight muslim support.
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A killer is just a killer, they are neither hindu or a muslim. They are nothing but a disgrace to humanity. One who associates a killer to any religion is doing nothing, but disgracing his own religion. None of the religion teaches to kill innocent people.
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hai, iam an indian. meara sawall hai ke hamare govt he paas insaaf nahi hai jaisa ke gujraat me 2002 me jo musulman mare gaye unke khatill abibhi ghumm rahe hai unke khilaf koi karwai nahi ki jarahi hai kyon ke o hindu hai? jo mumbai me bomb blast hua unn khatilo ko to phansi hogayee kyon ke musulman hai?(aisemusulmano pe lanat hai jo dusron ko bewaja martein hai)kya yahi insaaf hai is INDIA me…………………………………………..
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I know this is a very old blog. but not once is the content of the speech discussed here and why the author thinks its anything but factual. As a Muslim who is also Indian, I ask anyone Muslim or non-Muslim to say one thing that is not correct about the speech. If you analyse every bit of his speech, you will see despite the incorrect way it was delivered and some biting remarks, none of it is not truth. Without any derogatory remarks and in a calm manor, I am willing to debate about this.
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