:BJP’s
Election-Victory
Anti-Muslim and Anti-Pakistan Slogans
Sajjad ShaukatI
The Indian fundamentalist Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) has won a landslide victory in the elections 2014 by
defeating the Congress. It is the first time that BJP has won simple majority
in the last three decades. Its leader Narendra Modi who himself is follower of
the Hindu extremism has become prime minister of India which claims to be a
secular country, as stated in the Indian constitution.
But
Hindu politics and culture, dominated by the fundamentalist parties such as
BJP, RSS, VHP, Shiv Sena and other similar groups which have been propagating
Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) are feeling pleasure, because Indian elections
based on media campaign against Islam and Muslims in general and Pakistan in
particular enabled BJP hardliner Narendra Modi to get a land sliding triumph.
Whereas the Indian Hindus celebrated Modi’s victory, the Muslim community in
India felt alienated, frightened and perturbed, as most of them believed that
they have been effectively disenfranchised.
Undoubtedly, Muslims aware of Narendra
Modi’s agenda to reduce the Muslim community in India to second class citizens,
feel nervous and gloomy. Muslim anxiety in India is multiplying due the fact
that during the election campaign, Hindu majority was mobilized on ‘hate
Muslim’ slogans and ‘anti Pakistan’ jargons. Hence, Modi regime is likely to target
and persecute Muslims in India. Whereas Muslim dilemma in India is justified,
while the incessant and unjust Indian propaganda against Pakistan is beyond
anybody’s cognition. It simply speaks of Hindu deep seated animosity against
Pakistan and Pakistani public.
Anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan approach
of the BJP and Indian new Prime Minister Narendar Modi could be judged from two
developments. Encouraged by the election-victory of the BJP, on May 28, this
year, in a provocative act to disturb communal harmony among different
religious communities in India, Rashtriya Hindu Andolan, a little known
Mangalore-based Hindutva outfit and activists from various right wing groups
organized a protest in Mangalore in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner
by demanding the authorities to ban the morning Muslim call to prayer (Azan)
across the country. On May 27, during his meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Nawaz
Sharif who went to New Delhi to participate in the oath-taking ceremony of the
India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi proved faultless, because Modi raised
baseless issues of terrorism as pre-conditions to advance the Pak-India
dialogue to resolve various disputes including the core issue of Kashmir. He
said that slow pace of trial of against the terrorists regarding the Mumbai
26/11 terror case, being held in Pakistan—Islamabad should take action against
the culprits in this respect, and should stop cross-border terrorism in India.
While showing unrealistic approach,
and talking in the terms of Hindu religious extremism, Indian new prime
minister ignored the fact that on July 19, 2013 the Indian former home ministry
and ex-investigating officer Satish Verma disclosed that terror-attacks in
Mumbai in November 26, 2008 and assault on Indian Parliament in January 12,
2001 were carried out by the Indian government to strengthen anti-terrorism
laws. Similarly, Modi also neglected the statement of Indian ex-Home minister
Sushil Kumar Shinde who revealed on January 20, 2013 that organized training
camps run by the fundamentalist parties, RSS and BJP were promoting Hindu
Terrorism. He also explained that these extremist parties were behind the
Samjhauta Express, Meccca Masjid and Malegaon blasts.
Earlier, New Delhi has been blaming
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) for these terror attacks,
while Indian new prime minister is again accusing Pakistan about the Mumbai
carnage. As regards cross-border terrorism, former Indian Army Chief Gen. VK
Singh openly confessed in September 2013 that special intelligence unit like
Technical Services Division were raised by him to operate inside Pakistan,
particularly in Balochistan and Azad Kashmir to conduct terrorism and to bribe
the politicians in the Indian-occupied Kashmir. Notably, The Times of India had
reported on December 17, 2010 that Congress Party’s heir, Rahul Gandhi feels
that “the bigger threat to India may be the growth of radicalized Hindu groups
which create religious tension and political confrontation with the Muslim
community.” In fact, the ideology of Hindutva which was already being
encouraged by the BJP and its leader
Narendra Modi who won the elections on the basis of anti-Muslim and
anti-Pakistan agenda is, now, alarming. However, Indian propaganda against
Pakistan goes on without any pause as Indian media propagate against Pakistan,
its Armed Forces and intelligence agencies, especially ISI under all
circumstances and during all seasons. In this context, Indian Express on M ay
9, 2014 published a baseless article titled, ‘Pak Official Named in FIR on
Zakir’ alleging that Tamil Nadu police arrested an agent of ISI, sent to India
to collect details of Indian establishment, whom ISI wanted to target. In this
regard, Amir Zubair Siddiqui, Counselor (Visa) at Pakistan High Commission in
Colombo, Sri Lanka, has also been included as second accused in the case,
alleging that Pakistani backed extremists were being trained in Sri Lanka. The
article further suggested that arrest of Pakistani spy in India and visa
Counselor in Sri Lanka could trigger a diplomatic wrangle between India and
Pakistan. No doubt, Indian propagandists succeeded in upping the ante, but,
owing to Sri Lankan Military’s timely response—rejecting baseless accusations
of Tamil Nadu BJP leader L. Ganesan, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka—the
situation has been saved from further flare-up. It, however, uncovered the real
face of Indian propaganda and their evil designs.
Nevertheless, our own political
leadership and media must give a matching response to the BJP-led new
government. In this regard, they must make it clear that Modi’s victory in
Indian elections is a source of concern not only for Muslim community in India,
but also for the regional neighbors, particularly Pakistan. His election
campaign was based on negative emotional appeal in which, he used Pakistan as
enemy, while tipping-off Muslims to go to Pakistan. In this connection,
exploiting emotions negatively will have serious repercussions for both the
nuclear countries in particular and South Asia in general. Our internal entities must point out that
Indian media already toes Hindu mindset and conducts propaganda against our
country. That is why, Hindus hate Muslims in India and Pakistan. In this
respect, Indian false accusations through print media have been refuted by Islamabad
and Colombo, clearly rejecting Indian contentions that Pakistan-backed
extremists were being trained in Sri Lanka.
Own media response must also explain
to the audience that there are broader designs of building narratives against
ISI and Pak Army, as Indian establishment desired to restrict space for new
government led by Prime Minister Modi by prohibiting any positive overtures
towards Pakistan. Hence, such propaganda is aimed at accentuating the
perceptions of civil military divide in Pakistan. By speaking in positive tone,
especially own electronic media response must counter Indian propaganda, and
suggest to the new leadership in New Delhi to avoid playing with the fire,
otherwise, the consequences would become disastrous. Nonetheless, Prime Minister
Modi must understand that every action has its own opposite and equal reaction,
as experienced in the demolition of Babari Mosque and subsequent burning of
Hindu Manders (Places of Hindu worships) in Pakistan. Therefore, let us give
peace a chance, before the propagandists spoil the issue to a point of no
return. In order to settle all the issues including the thorny dispute of
Kashmir with Pakistan, which are essential for peace of the region, BJP and
Prime Minister Modi must forget that they won the elections on the basis of
anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan slogans.
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