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Why Muslims will gain more from Modi than Congress
by Rishi Mon Sep 16, 2013 8:06 am
http://www.firstpost.com/india/why-muslims-will-gain-more-from-modi-than-congress-1111333.htm
First, let me outline a short history of Muslim political history in India to give you the backdrop. Muslims in pre-partition India were the strongest supporters of Jinnah and the idea of Pakistan. But the logic of demography left Jinnah with a “moth-eaten” Pakistan, and orphaned most of his ardent supporters in post-partition India. This Muslim mass then latched on to Nehru and the Congress as their best hope of safety, and every Congress leader worth his salt has since reminded Muslims (usually by scaremongering about the Sangh Parivar) that they should be grateful for protection of life and limb. Muslims had no option but to accept this rotten deal. Whenever they looked at alternatives, it suited the Congress to have a little riot to remind them it was their only protector. After the fall of the Babri Masjid, Muslims saw that the Congress could not honour even this rotten deal. They then went in search of other protection racketeers and found them aplenty in regional parties such as Mulayam Singh’s SP, Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Left Front. Nandigram and Muzaffarnagar have shattered even this illusion. They now know that it is foolish to rely on even so-called “secular” leaders. The point is, at the end of the day, the likes of Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad need a significant chunk of Hindu/caste votes to come to power. They, too, effectively have to posture as secularists to get the Muslim vote while, in practice, having to appease caste or Hindu constituencies.
First, let me outline a short history of Muslim political history in India to give you the backdrop. Muslims in pre-partition India were the strongest supporters of Jinnah and the idea of Pakistan. But the logic of demography left Jinnah with a “moth-eaten” Pakistan, and orphaned most of his ardent supporters in post-partition India. This Muslim mass then latched on to Nehru and the Congress as their best hope of safety, and every Congress leader worth his salt has since reminded Muslims (usually by scaremongering about the Sangh Parivar) that they should be grateful for protection of life and limb. Muslims had no option but to accept this rotten deal. Whenever they looked at alternatives, it suited the Congress to have a little riot to remind them it was their only protector. After the fall of the Babri Masjid, Muslims saw that the Congress could not honour even this rotten deal. They then went in search of other protection racketeers and found them aplenty in regional parties such as Mulayam Singh’s SP, Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Left Front. Nandigram and Muzaffarnagar have shattered even this illusion. They now know that it is foolish to rely on even so-called “secular” leaders. The point is, at the end of the day, the likes of Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad need a significant chunk of Hindu/caste votes to come to power. They, too, effectively have to posture as secularists to get the Muslim vote while, in practice, having to appease caste or Hindu constituencies.
Rishi- Posts : 5129
Join date : 2011-09-02
Re: Why Muslims will gain more from Modi than Congress
by Rishi Mon Sep 16, 2013 8:17 am
In a country where identities do matter, power sharing on the basis of community identity is likely to be a better guarantor of secular politics in the short run – at least till we grow out of the need for narrow identities. Secular politics has not matured to the point where it is actually non-communal. This is why we had a Rajiv Gandhi reversing a Shah Bano judgement and allowing the Shilanyas ceremony of the VHP. When a party claims to represent everybody it effectively panders to narrow interests. Those who claim to represent everybody may end up representing nobody.
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/why-muslims-will-gain-more-from-modi-than-congress-1111333.html?utm_source=ref_article
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/why-muslims-will-gain-more-from-modi-than-congress-1111333.html?utm_source=ref_article
Rishi- Posts : 5129
Join date : 2011-09-02
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