“Unka Sankalp, Vipareet Bharat”
“Sab ka Naash, Sab ka Vinaash”
THE Modi-Shah duo seems to be at it again. The only way they can win elections is by resorting to communal polarization in areas where there is a substantial Muslim population, or by manipulating numbers with the help of the EVMs and the Election Commission, in areas with less Muslim population. The sting operation conducted by the Hindi daily “Bhaskar” exposed the dangerous modus-operandi of the BJP for triggering communal violence.
The recent violence in Bahraich in UP was the proof, if at all such a proof was waiting for a sting operation. Whether the violence organized in Bahraich was a part of the time-(dis)honored strategy of the BJP to trigger communal violence before every election, or whether it was an initiative of Yogi Adityanath to project himself as the main champion of aggressive Hindutva, is not yet clear.
BJPs strategists seem to have decided after June 4 this year, to revert to their aggressive Hindutva tactics. Mohan Yadav, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, in a speech on the “Krishna Janmashtami” day on August 26, 2024 called upon Muslims to chant Jai Shree Ram or Jai Shree Krishna if they wanted to live in India. Yogi Adityanath, the most vocal champion of aggressive Hindutva, called upon the Hindus of India to stand united if they didn’t want to be slaughtered: “Batenge toh katenge.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his election campaign in Thane in Maharashtra, reiterated the warning to Hindu voters to remain united and defeat the evil design of Opposition of dividing the country to rule over it.
The BJP government has not had the decennial population census which was due in 2021. Reasons for this failure to carry out the census are not known. As per the last Indian census 2011 and projections made by demographers, the current population of Muslims in India is estimated to be about 20 crore, forming about 14% of country’s total population. There are more Muslims in India than in Bangladesh or in most Muslim countries in the world, excepting in Indonesia and Pakistan.
Fifty-six percent (56%) of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) live and work in seven Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Twenty-five percent (25%) of overseas Indians live and work in these Gulf countries.
India has to import about 87% of its crude oil requirement from countries all over the world. The Gulf countries mentioned above supply about 50% of India’s crude oil requirements. With Iraq, Saudia Arabia and UAE being the most important suppliers from the Gulf area.
In today’s global village, we cannot afford to have domestic politics which works at cross-purposes with our foreign policy. We should not be surprised if Modi-Shah’s visceral hatred towards Muslims is well known and disliked in all Gulf countries. Stretching this hatred beyond a point will definitely attract protests and veiled threats of punitive action. This may happen through back-door diplomacy, not known to the world at large, but crucial for political course-correction. India’s decades-old policy towards Palestine, is a proof of the importance India attaches to its relations with Muslim countries.
Modi, Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Yadav and the RSS want the Hindus of India to stand united and protect themselves. Have you ever heard of a country in which 80% of its population is facing threat from the remaining 20%? The Hindutva brigade is trying to convince Hindus that they are facing such a threat. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections have given a loud and clear message to Modi and his brigade that no such threat exists and that our country’s secular fabric is here to stay.
WE, THE PEOPLE, have to work hard to keep our country the way it is, without allowing the Hindutva forces to divide it on communal lines. An immediate step WE, THE PEOPLE have to take is to ensure the victory of the Mahavikas Agadhi in Maharashtra and JMM-Congress combine in Jharkhand.
