Questioning is a Crime Now

by: Shabnam Hashmi


Nisar main teri galiyonn pe aye watan ke jahan
Chali hai rasm ke koye na sar utha ke chale ( Faiz Ahmad Faiz)

India is at peace and all the jubilations are coming from those quarters that otherwise shed tears relentlessly for Muslim Women. For them India is a tolerant nation now, no vehemence, no contempt, no hatred. They have suddenly remembered that poor Muslim whose only struggle in life is to get a square meal for his children. They are cherishing the verdict, admiring the government, and few have gone to the extent of recommending ‘Bharat Ratna’ to all the three judges.
Like the marginalized Indian Muslim woman who has herself started believing that wearing “Burkha” is a duty and her role is to serve her husband and remain confined to the four walls, an ordinary Muslim has very cleverly and cunningly been reduced to a second class citizen that he is standing with his hands joined to say in gratitude my lord you are so benevolent that you have given the verdict in favour of the Hindutva brigade and our houses have been saved from being attacked and charred.
The drama which was mounted for the past two months terrorized the Muslims across the country. In UP parents called back their children from hostels, villages after villages were deserted by people in Gujarat; from Bihar they were making calls for the safety of their children who were studying in Madhya Pradesh and asking to find out a secure place for them; tribals in Rajasthan were instigated to attack Muslims; Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa… which place was left from where consistently news were not pouring in? The five star journalists of corporate media of course never get this news.
To maintain law and order is the primary duty of State and Government. But alas! The party that considers itself to be champion of upholding and safeguarding the rights of Muslims as a minority, and which very cleverly hid the Liberhan Commission’s report from public purview found this new formula in connivance with RSS to maintain peace. What else the terrorized Muslim community would have done if not be thankful that its homes were not being attacked and children not being killed?
Had the verdict been reverse, would the same peace have prevailed? Would this government have carried out its duty with utmost alacrity and sincerity to maintain peace? Which peace is being talked about now? Has the Muslim community in the life of these journalists been on the streets holding Tridents and Swords?
Peace reigns in Gujarat now. After 2002, those who wanted peace and wanted to return to their villages had to withdraw all legal cases. Many people are living this peace. Every day they see the rapists and murderers of their own daughters. “But why this rhetoric about Gujarat? How many times friends in media have told us they are tired of Gujarat stories.
In our country, “honour killing” is a faith, “sati” is also a belief and to bear a “male child” too is a matter of faith. How many faiths would be upheld and safeguarded at the cost of peace and what price will our next generation pay for it?
Constitution of India has been sacrificed to faith.
There is peace here. May the journalists, many secular friends and UPA rejoice in this peace.
Remember it is a crime to ask questions now. If you dare talk about the constitution and law you will be accused of being a “Fundamentalist Muslim” instead of an Activist.
Sirf hungama khada karna mera maqsad nahin
Meri koshish hai ki yeh surat badalni chaahiye ( Dushyant Kumar)



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