By Syed Rizwan
Hon’able MPs & MLAs,
Come elections and the fever is on to outstrip each other in vile nonsense by politicians of various hues, and over the past few decades, the intransigent jargon, more often than not, degenerates to expand the Hindu-Muslim divide so that the voters gets polarised on communal lines. Each time the Muslim community has to face the denouement and humiliation with a straight face and are given to understand that the vilification is a passing phase and will get over soon after the election results are out. But the fact is that the effects of the Muslim-bashing by the radicalized rogues, by the fanatical rabble-rousers, and by the odious politicians remain. The horrid combination of these disgusting elements can no longer be taken as fringe because their numbers far exceed the limits of patience and fortitude. Moreover, the vilification and humiliation of an entire community is no longer a temporary game-plan as there are no doubts left that society is being deliberately bifurcated into earmarking the minorities to be at the receiving end of both abuse and intimidation, while what’s left of the sacred majority gets away with the disgusting and the genocidal.
If this was not enough balderdash, the fringe-on-way-to-mainstream elements have stooped deeper in the muck to target Muslim women (read girls mainly). Elements of this latent fetish were first observed when Article 370 was withdrawn from Kashmir and the lumpen perverts immediately made plans of going to Kashmir to get the fair and lovely girls from there. Ostensibly their guts gave way and they stayed home to create sickening apps like Sulli Deals and Bulli Bai where photographs of Muslim girls are traded for virtual gratification. Nothing could be more deplorable and disgraceful of a group of the society that feels no shame and sees no harm in projecting itself as a morally and sexually depraved lot. However, it was expected of a radicalized section of the society to stoop to such pitiable level, but it was not expected of the politicians, especially the women politicians of the opposition parties, to keep mum over their country-cousins, if not sisters, getting figuratively disrobed and molested over the internet. So far only the lone voice of Priyanka Chaturvedi, MP, has been heard, while others have kept quiet. I want to ask the Members of Parliament and Assemblies, as well as the civilized society, can this obnoxious campaign be dubbed just as a wicked attempt to polarise? Will keeping quiet over this issue bring the communities together? Is safeguarding a cushy seat more important than honouring the dignity and respect of the womenfolk of the nation, no matter if they are good-looking?
Ladies and gentlemen of the Parliament and Assemblies, we, the office-bearers and members of Indian Muslims for Progress and Reform (IMPAR) seek your intervention and humbly request you to rise for the unsavoury occasion and raise your voices in the halls of the legislature so that the rapidly deteriorating standards of a civilised society are arrested in time. An old saying is those who do not speak against atrocity and slander are an accomplice to the crime.
May I also remind, whenever elections are on, some parties bank upon getting a major share of the Muslim vote bank to win seats, but at times of crisis, they are often left high and dry. As such, the community is increasingly feeling alienated in everyday affairs and is getting wary of the bogey of elections. Dread a time when the entire community boycotts all types of elections and the political parties play it out without the trump card. At a time when the Muslims of India have nothing left to lose, for sure, democracy would be hit hardest.
Syed Rizwan, Advisor, Media & Communication, IMPAR
Views expressed are personal
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