How Modi's finally learning to embrace Muslims
On June 15, for anyone who has followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trajectory in politics over the last two decades or so, the unthinkable happened. Speaking at a function to launch the book, Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education - Indian Context, edited by JS Rajput, the prime minister not only stressed the need of education, but also referred to how in Quran, after "Allah" (Almighty), the word "ilm" (knowledge) has been used for the maximum number (800) of times.
Modi also pointed out how it was the "good fortune of the people living in India that we have the opportunity to follow, understand and learn so many different religions and strands of thought at one place".
Stressing on unity and harmony among people, he said: "When we were open [towards each other] and shared harmonious relations, we were very powerful. But when we got divided into small factions and got confined to ourselves, stopped seeing, knowing, understanding anything beyond self; we got lost in ourselves; we obstructed your own progress."
Later during the event, he also cited from the emblem of Gujarat Vidyapeeth that curiously has a line in Arabic, a purported saying of Prophet Muhammad (though classified as "unauthentic" by many scholars), that translates into: "The wise statement is the lost property of the believer, so wherever he finds it, he is more worthy of it."
He also said that in our country, almost all communities stressed on education, which has been dubbed as "Brahma Jyoti" in Brahma Sutra, "Divya Jyoti" in Bhagwad Gita, "Chandana" in Guru Granth Sahib, "divine light" in Bible and "Khuda ka Nor" in Quran. He said that the common thread in all was that light emanated from knowledge.
Now this coming from a swayam sevak, who in his earlier avatar as the chief minister of Gujarat was accused of behaving like a "modern day Nero" when Gujarat burned in 2002; a man who sort of justified the 2002 pogrom by an "action-reaction" theory; or from a man who in subsequent Assembly elections simply ignored the Muslim voters in the state", shows that Prime Minister Modi has certainly come a long way.
As the new government had assumed office last year, there were apprehensions among the Muslims. By continuing with the "welfare" projects - rebranding in some cases - Modi certainly ignited some hope. In the last couple of months, he has shown some gestures towards the Muslims and other minorities although most of them have so far been mere photo-ops.
Of course as the prime minister, Modi has reiterated that for him the Constitution was supreme and he would not let anyone disturb the communal harmony of the state. He has issued official statements wishing Muslims on Eid, and in the last few weeks has met two delegations of Muslims, although mostly comprising clerics from the Barelvi sect. Economists and political commentators have written about Modi's new avatar: is he changing his heart as a statesman vis-a-vis Muslims too?
Prime Minister Modi talks of communal harmony, but his ministers and fellow parliamentarians - and more importantly the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindutva leaders - speak of Love Jihad and threatening to dispatch detractors to Pakistan, whether it is on the issue of eating beef, or performing yoga. More importantly, there is extreme communal polarisation at every level - to be fair, it has always been so; but the gap is deepening more than ever as ground reports suggest. Thus while photo-ops continue, in Atali, Ballabgarh; Muslims are not only being obstructed from expanding a mosque at a Waqf land, but there is now social and economic boycott.
Many thus would see the recent overtures by Modi in context of the coming Assembly elections in Bihar which has only become more difficult after an alliance between Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar.
Politics vis-a-vis the Muslims has largely remained symbolic in this country. So in continuation of the trend, will he also offer an iftar party, or attend one given by the vice president or his minority ministers? Or will the otherwise self-proclaimed man of action also walk the talk on his promise of "Quran in one hand, computer in another" for one of the most downtrodden communities in the country?
Moreover, while there must be some sort of engagement between the government and the Muslims as a whole, it should be transparent and through proper channels and not via people with dubious credentials who seem to be working only for their own narrow gains.
At the book launch, praising the book and its editor, the prime minister said such books could act as "bridge at the meeting point" and appreciated "an attempt" of the author to know and better understand what "they" believe in and are thinking. But can a man practically "hated" within the Muslim community as a swyam sevak redeem himself in his next avatar to emerge as a "bridge"?
It must be appreciated that Prime Minister Modi has made a few symbolic gestures towards the Muslims, after years of neglect, but unless there is a real change of heart and the government acts against the hate mongers, these initiatives would appear hollow and offer occasions for mere photo-ops.