It’s a fact that since the terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York on 11 September 2001, in most of the terrorist attacks the world over, the main accused/culprit happened to be a Muslim. But that doesn’t mean all
Muslims are terrorists. The title of Shahrukh Khan dialogue in the movie My Name is Khan: My name is Khan but I am not a terrorist beautifully and thought-provokingly conveyed this truism.
History books are full of accounts of how millions of innocent people perished in the religious crusades undertaken for the spread of Christianity or Islam. Conversion of hundreds of churches into mosques and mosques into churches, during these crusades, in different countries, was a given thing. There are countless records of how thousands of people were converted to Islam and Christianity in defeated countries. Ferocious invaders like Chengiz Khan, Ahmad Shah Abdali, and Nadir Shah and their armies didn’t cover thousands of miles on the back of galloping horses to spread democracy or human rights; they conquered territories, plundered wealth and executed hundreds who resisted their invasions. Where is the peacock throne of India today? If we had taken to heart what invaders from Afghanistan and Persia did to us centuries ago, will we have the kind of relations we have with Afghanistan and Iran today?
What about the British empire in which the sun never set? Who took away lakhs of Indians to work as indentured labourers in the Caribbean’s and Africa? Have we forgotten 1857 and the Jallainwala Bagh tragedies? Where is the famous Kohinoor diamond? If the Punjabis, especially the Sikhs, held the British people at large responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, will they have set up the South Hall in London and lakhs of Sikhs be living in Birmingham and other cities of Great Britain? And if the British people of today distrusted their former subjects’ children; could Priti Patel and Rishi Sunak ever be appointed, respectively, as the Home Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Britain?
Adolf Hitler’s decision to send six million Jews to gas chambers was the worst cruelty ever by any European leader. The numbing scenes of the Hollywood film: Sophie’s Choice convey the pain and horrors of his devilish decision. But as civilised nations of modern times, without forgetting the Holocaust, Israel maintains diplomatic relations with Germany.
From 1963-1973, the US is believed to have dropped 388,000 tons of napalm bombs in Vietnam which was twice the quantity used in WWI and WWII. The picture of the “Napalm Girl” evocatively summed up the horrors of these attacks. They also used “Agent Orange” which not only destroyed forest cover and caused enormous environmental hazards but caused serious illness to over three million Vietnamese people. My Lai massacre epitomises the kind of war crimes the American troops Committed in Vietnam. However, the brave Vietnamese soldiers sent back 58000 American soldiers in body bags; their names are written on the wall in the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial in Washington. Amazingly, today, the US is one of the largest trading partners of Vietnam. Two counties enjoy close relations with each other notwithstanding their recent bitter past. Evidently, the leadership in the US and Vietnam hasn’t allowed their countries to remain prisoners of their past but move on with changing times and benefit from friendship and cooperation.
If we take an objective and dispassionate historical look at the foreign invasions of India since the 7th century AD and the loot, plunder, massacre, enslavement and conversion of people and destruction of Indian Hindu temples that accompanied them, we would realise that they weren’t much different from invasions in other parts of the world in those times and death and destructions that followed there. Whether the Hindu temples were destroyed and mosques built over them during Babar’s rule or Aurangzeb’s rule or under any other Muslim ruler, these were, undoubtedly, the most deplorable and objectionable acts which deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Hindus. But this happened, long ago. Does it make sense to cling to that bitter past? We can’t nurse and sharpen the feelings of injustices forever and foolishly hold the present generation responsible for the wrongdoings of their forefathers! To do so, will not only be irrational but also shortsighted and foolhardy.
Why not remember Emperor Akbar who tried to build bridges of friendship and got the Ramayana and the Mahabharata translated from Sanskrit into Persian, the court language. His Navratnas (Nine main advisers) included four Hindus. Abdul Rahim Khan- i- Khana wrote Dohes (two-line couplets) which are still taught in Hindi classes in primary schools. He paid the highest tributes to Lord Krishna in his poetry. Fatehpur Sikri represents a beautiful synthesis of Indian and Islamic architecture. Akbar’s great-grandson Dara Shikoh also showed great respect and admiration for Indian culture and translated 50 Upanishads called Sirr-i-Akbar. Had he had succeeded Shah Jahan instead of Aurangzeb; the history of India would have been different.
Can we forget Amir Khusro? Didn’t Raskhan present the fragrance of Brij Boomi in his poetry about Lord Krishna? Didn’t Ghalib pay glowing tribute to the eternal city Varanasi? Recently, in his speech, PM Modi reminisced about the spirit of 1857. The septuagenarian Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar led the first war of independence and paid the highest price, he was exiled to Burma and lies buried in Rangoon (Yangon). Like Zafar, the Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, an accomplished Kathak dancer and playwright, credited with Bhairavi thumri: Babul mora naihar ..is believed to send offerings to Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi on Shivaratri. In the twilight of his life, Allama Iqbal might have been reluctant to claim credit but his Qaumi Tarana: sare jehan se achha hindostan hamara remains the highest tribute paid to India in the 20th century. Yes, Jinnah paid a major role in the partition of India with his two-nation theory. But it’s debatable if the partition would have happened without the dirty designs of the British Raj executed by Lord Mountbatten and the acquiescence of the top Congress leaders of that time.
On 15 August 1947, it was Ustad Bismillah Khan who welcomed the dawn of independent India with his Shehnai recital at the Red Fort in Delhi. Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar’s guru was the Baba of Maihar, Ustad Allauddin Khan who used to play Brahma Naad reportedly never began his evening riyaz without climbing 80 steps and seeking the blessing of maa Kali. The spheres of arts, dance, music, painting, literature, poetry, academia, science, civil services, sports and Bollywood will be poorer without the enormous contribution of the Muslim population of India. Many of them took part in the freedom struggle of India and have acquitted themselves with honour defending independent India. Roughly, 185 million Muslims of India are successors of their grandparents who willfully opted to stay in India at the time of partition; they have made invaluable contributions in the making of modern India in every field.
Therefore, recent toxic, and despicable hate speeches made by some speakers at the Dharma Sansad in Haridwar must be totally rejected. The guilty must be punished in an exemplary manner to act as a deterrent. Alienating a vast population will pose the most serious risk to India’s national security.
If even 5% of the Muslim youth is nudged towards radicalisation on account of insults and vitriolic hurled at their community, it will push India to a precipice.
Let us not commit social hara-kiri! The state and the central government must stop agent provocateurs lest it‘s too late.
Surendra Kumar is a former Indian ambassador. The views expressed are personal.
If even 5% of the Muslim youth is nudged towards radicalisation on account of insults and vitriolic hurled at their community, it will push India to a precipice. Let us not commit social hara-kiri! The state and the Central governments must stop agent provocateurs lest it‘s too late.