December 06, one of the most horrible symbols of Indian secularism and democracy, cannot be forgotten by any right thinking person in India and outside for the horrendous act of vandalism and destruction of the Grand Babri Mosque in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh by the anti-anti Islamic terrorists operating in India under the full security from Indian military and other security services. Memory of Babri's destruction remains a milestone in the secular attitude of Indian government toward Muslims and will be remembered as long as the grand mosque once again is not rebuilt by the Government of India as it promised upon the tragic felling of the Mosque in 1992. On the eve of thee tragic December 06, Muslims across the nation are once again under the grip of tensions about a possible terror track by the government agencies across the nation so as to coerce them to shed their legitimate demand for the Mosque.
The destruction of Babri Mosque is being underplayed by the governments and their loyal media, obviously to block any move to the process of the construction activities of the mosque. India hopes that if years pass by like this, it could argue that thee was no Babri Mosque at Ayodhya at all and hence the construction of the said mosque does not arise at all. Judiciary, appointed and controlled by the State, also would shut its eyes on the fate of the Grand Mosque. It won't be a surprise, if some of the official Muslims also join the choir of the official politicians and bureaucrats in denouncing the demands for the Mosque.
India has very cleverly made use of all available opportunities to create rifts in the society particularly between Hindus and Muslims, on the one hand and among the Muslims themselves, on the other. Group politics, vote bank politics and even cricket have been effectively bought into play to turn the attention of the Muslims from their demands for Babri Mosque reconstruction. The Muslim political parties and other minor outfits have also been bought under the arena of State control in many wooing manners. And those who still claim Babri Mosque, are ill-treated and put into jails as potential or suspected terrorists. With the US playing its terror card in Islamic world, India would also have more of opportunities to tack the Muslims and refuse to rebuild the Mosque.
Cash and share of power can create wonders, as the Muslim League (IUML) has understood it while sharing power at the Centre now. Muslim League (IUML), the only national party for Muslims and which has pretensions of protecting and fighting for the cause of Muslim interests has been co-opted in the Central government when Congress-led UPA regime assumed office, defeating the BJP led anti-Muslim parties. Not only that. A Muslim League MP has been accommodated in the foreign ministry. And that party which used to organize occasionally protests for the Babri Mosque has been thus totally silenced. In fact there have not even feeble protests in the country for the restoration of the Mosque. The League leaders think that it is enough fighting for cause of Muslims and Islam and what they have got is a rare opportunity and they should not spoil it by unnecessarily rubbing shoulders with the Hindutva and secular forces in New Delhi. But they continue to use Islamic symbols in party structure including flag.
A faulty and corrupt leadership has harmed the cause of Muslims in a great way. Also, the Muslim leadership is controlled by the ruling parties both at the center and states and the Congress and other major parties oblige the Muslim leaders by meeting their personal demands. As a result, the Muslims are betrayed by the very leaders who claim to be protecting their interests. Not less corrupt and tricky than other political parties in India, Muslim League and Hyderabad based Muslim Majlis party (MIM) pretending to be the defenders of Indian Muslims, quietly take dictates from the Congress party, responsible for the destruction of Babri Mosque.
If the position of Indian Muslims is bad, the situation in Kashmir, occupied by India after its independence, is still far worse, indeed! New Delhi still perceives and views Kashmiris as troublesome, bad guys, --- only to be destroyed gradually. The over all scenario in the country explains why the Muslims in Kashmir are subjected to insults and harassment by those very personnel who are duty bound to protect them, apart from regular genocide and loss of properties inflicted upon them. Gulam Nabi Azad, the chief-minister of JK and the only Muslim chief-minister in "secular" India, like all other chief-ministers in the country do, pretends ignorance of what has been happening under his very nose.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
In the name of terrorism and suspicion, anybody could be put behind bars in the West and in countries like India today. The Muslims and others retained in jails without trial are too large and common to need illustrations. Usual contempt of law by Indian State could be seen by the way the Muslims are treated in the country after the destruction of the Mosque at Ayodhya. The Muslims, who are arrested before 6th Dec every year and tortured in jails across the country, are neither tried nor released because, according to the government, arrested persons are "terrorists" and so they deserve prolonged punishment in jails without trials, but quite scared of facing the legality of the matter involved. It is any one's guess as to what makes the government both at the Centre and in states not to produce the so-called suspected terrorists before the courts of law and let judiciary deliver judgments.
Compulsorily arrests are made of Muslims on the eve of December 06. In Tamil Nadu alone, for instance, over 350 Muslims were reportedly arrested between 22nd Nov and 06 Dec 1998 as suspected terrorists and their fate was sealed in Coimbatore and other central jails in the state without any trial, before some of them were tired last month. The One of the detainees held in jails without any crime, Abdul Nasser Madani, a popular political leader in Kerala State who had lost his leg in a bomb blast in Kerala state way back by the anti-Islamic forces operating in the country and shielded by the State, and was later arrested by implicating him in a bomb blast case was in Coimbatore jail for over ten long years, before the governments decided to release this year. Now no proper compensation is granted to him and others for being tortured in jails for over a decade. Premier Man Mohan Singh has not yet revealed the date about the Muslim detainees in the country.
No point in talking about the plight of Muslims in government as well private jobs and institutions in India. According to the Sachar Committee report the most distressing fact about the state of Muslims in India is in sharp contrast to educational and job sectors, where their share is way below their share in the population, they have a disproportionately high representation when it comes to being in prison. In many states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala, the Muslim detainees are twice or thrice as much as their share of the population. No educated and well-placed Hindu friend thinks this as a shameful fact in a democracy.
Yet, no one can state exactly how many Muslims have been killed in jails of "democratic" India and else where. Emboldened by the on-going terror wars waged by the USA in the Arab world on the Muslims, India does not care for legality of the issue of state sponsored crime on the strength of the US support for killing or torturing the Muslims anywhere in the world. The Muslim League, a coalition partner in the present Central government has not bothered about the securing the fast Justice to the Muslim terrorist detainees either and are contented with the pleasures of power sharing with the Congress Party.
Neither the Human Rights activists nor such organizations have taken up the matter seriously enough to halt the inhuman treatment meted out to the Muslims. Hypocrisy knows no shame or limits and has percolated through every section of the society and effectively controls it. The Prime minister and the state chief ministers, if committed to welfare of all citizens of the country, should come out with detailed reports about the of Muslims without trials held in Indian lock-ups as well as the general position of the Muslim detainees in the country in general.
The mysterious death of a former Russian intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko abroad and the killing of a Russian journalist Politkovkaya in Russia have caught the attention of the Western media mainly because the victims were not Muslims and had not been pro-Putin government, but also pro-West persons. Muslims are also killed and tortured by the US led forces worldwide but the global media refuse to highlight the facts as they have done it in Russia's case, for Russia is criticized for its lack of democratic traditions. Human rights record of India is known to be very low and the media efficiently hide the facts of torture if the victims are Muslims.
MEDIAS NEGATIVE ROLE
India is hailed as a country where democracy flourishes on large scale. December 06, the date the Indian history would remember forever as on that date in 1992 democracy was finally assassinated in India with the destruction of Babri Mosque and follow-up torture of the Muslims all over the country, is fast approaching. Upon the destruction of the Mosque, the then ruling Congress government had pledged to reconstruct the mosque at the very site where it existed, but till date the construction has not even started. In order to suppress the Muslims who demand the reconstruction of the Mosque the Indian state has only terrorized them through various nefarious actions harmful to and undermining the Muslims.
Media, the fourth estate charged with the task of defending the genuine interests of minorities as well, plays in India enough mischief in the breakdown in the society and country. They consider the Muslims are no-entity and therefore to be ignored and subjugated. No one needs a special course to understand the fact that US-led terror strategy has been very aptly utilized by India to target the Muslims in and outside the country. And Media are never tired of branding the Muslims as suspected terrorists and useless burden-some, problematic people. Media have converted the Hindu masses into behaving like a shield to cultivate ill-feelings towards fellow Muslims.
The attitude that Indian is our country and we decide what to do with Muslims is not a good approach at all. Since the media play havoc in the perceptive domains of majority of Indian, a few lines would help these self proclaimed patriots" to understand the factual position. Muslims lead a pathetic and strained life as offered to them by the governments of India and states. The role of the Muslims in India's independence, wherein many of them lost lives for the country's sake as well as their positive contributions to country's development are totally ignored by State as well as media. Instead, issues like Pakistan and terrorism are cleverly brought in to play a destructive role in the lives of Muslims. While focusing on Muslims in India, the media and politicians encouraged by the bureaucrats make it appear that Muslims are a burden and a lot of resources are spent on them unnecessarily. Wonderfully, even by keeping a Muslim as President, India keeps doing what the USA does to Muslims all over the world. Insulting and bashing the Muslims is routine event in the country, including New Delhi.
Media hide the fact that every year many Muslims are rounded up on the eve of December-6 anniversary and not many from the detainees return home quite safe. Till date no one knows how many Muslims are in Jails for what crime! Hatred is generated even from those wealthy Indians, particularly those settled down comfortably abroad, mainly in the West, and are both proud of and obsessed with the so-called Indian democratic values and feel happy to see the Muslims in India are painted in dirty colors and portrayed as bad guys deserving death and severely, but they are perhaps unaware of the fact that this country is contempt with legal aspects of the retaining detainees without trails. Of those who have detained and tortured in Indian jails for over a decade, only few are released and some others are tried to punish.
Media cannot afford to conveniently forget the fact Babri Mosque, pulled down during the Congress rule at the centre, and with its support, by the anti-Islamic terrorists and other state-sponsored forces led by the BJP and the UP state then ruled by the BJP, is a glaring example of how the Muslims and Islamic institutions are treated in India. With advent of US sponsored war on the so-called terrorism, India has been ably using the terrorism plank to deny what is legitimately due to Muslims. Like the USA and the West, India too describes and views the Muslims as suspected terrorists. All Muslims thus are potential terrorists, if not real or suspected ones.
All these years since Independence, the print media, English as well vernaculars, have faithfully portrayed Muslims as evils and unwanted elements that need to be eliminated at all costs, secretly or, if that is not possible, openly. The majorities Hindus are projected as the "tolerant ones" and "sufferers" and badly hit people by the "onslaught" of the Muslims, whereas the truth suggests to the contrast. Of late, however, Indian media, under the prevailing circumstances, seem to have been caught between its 'duty' to go all out for shielding the majority and advancing the so-called national interest and the need to project India as the largest democracy, at the same time. The media that are used to paint the Muslim in India in dirty colors of their choice, find it extremely difficult now to change their anti-Muslim format.
Media successfully fueled the anti-Muslim tragedy and promoted the anti-Islamic propaganda. The ugly depictions of Muslims, where the Muslims are shown as villains and ugly guys, have caused tensions in the society that led to the slow annihilation of the Muslims. The media that are so used to paint the Muslim in India in dirty colors of their choice, now would find it extremely difficult to change their anti-Muslim format for fear of angry reaction from the special sections that fomented friction in the society, apart from from the worry about a possible slash in daily circulation affecting the profits of the media magnets controlling politics in the country.
More Indian Muslims are employed outside India than in the country, as India refuses to ensure their involvement in jobs and education. Neither the media not the governments, both the central and the states, seems to be ashamed of the fact that Muslims have look outside India for a lively-hood, if they want to live some how Muslims deprived of any dependable leadership and resources to face the challenge from the media. While criticizing the Muslims for what they may or may not be responsible, the media refuse to give due credit to the hard work the Indian Muslims do not just at home but in the Middle East and contribute immensely to the upsurge of Indian economy during the past 20 years with their regular bank remittances. But for the Gulf countries the plight of Muslims in "democratic" India would have been indescribable in a normal language. It is too difficult now, or at a later stage, to remold the mind of the people by giving real facts, even if the media want to set the record straight. More so, those Hindus who enjoy a fine life abroad.
The crux of the issue is how to reset the mind-set of the readers who were made to believe as facts the fiction presented to them, even if the media want undertake that. Indian newspaper readers and media viewers were earlier told that Muslims are bad lots, terrorists and suspected fellows and that they shouldn't be entertained in societies at all. Muslims, deprived of any dependable leadership and resources to face the challenge from the media, are used as mere vote bank. The majority might question the veracity and reliability of the "new" material if supplied to them as new facts about Muslims. To accept the Muslims as fellow travelers, after targeting them thus far for no fault of them, is difficult and the readers would be required to treat the Muslims as humans, which would indeed be a difficult proposition. That would mean that democracy is farce.
The main worry of the media magnets and their political bosses seems to be economic advancement of Muslims which they dont wish for them. By re-projecting Muslims as humans now, the media indirectly try to make room for advancement of Muslims in the society. Because the governments by taking cue from the media suggestions would be compelled to pass necessary laws to uplift the Muslims as well. But the readers are well equipped to receive the supposedly change in mind of the journalistic justice. This is the real dilemma that media, like the bureaucracy and politicians, face today .Hence the reluctance on the part of the media to present facts as facts and turn away from fictional portrayal of Muslims as unwanted ones coming in the way of the majority sharing all resources by themselves, just as the war booty is being shared by the US-led forces in the Middle East.
BABRI MOSQUE AND RAM
It is an established fact that since its independence India has longed for disgracing Muslims and, therefore, supported furious anti-Islamic researchers with anti-Islamic bent who want to some how prove the existence of Ram and his domicile. Countrywide distortions went on as a serious business. There have been attempts by them also to some how prove that the world monument Taj Mahal, commissioned by Moguls as part of establishing Islamic cultural edifices in the country, was constructed by Hindus. And, recently, as part of US terror agenda Indian higher learning institutions in the country have spent billions of dollars on books and other trash on the so-called theme terrorism. Insanity has not proper description of its own, indeed. With the destruction o Grand Babri Mosque, these researchers have gone ashtray in furnishing evidence about Ram having lived in Uttar Pradesh. Any one who questioned the existence of Ram is being targeted for concerted attacks. Not only Indian missions abroad harp on anti-Islamism and Hindutva moorings, they misuse he media for their personal advantages of making wealth. Claiming to be secular nation, India should have propagated a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-language state, but unfortunately, it is bothered only abut its narrow interests every where.
The majority India is fond of creating controversies so as to deny the Muslims their legitimate due. With a view to appeasing the majority Hindu sentiment across the country that are the life line to both Congress and BJP parties, the government of India has taken yet another bold step in defending Rams existence. The government sponsored agencies have made latest discoveries about the existence of Lord Ram. Now a Chennai-based NGO, funded by the government, lavishly funded by the governments and engaged in research on India's traditions and culture, has produced a report which states that Lord Ram did indeed exist, and even put a date on his birth: January 10, 5114 BCE (Before the Christian Era). The NGO says it arrived at the conclusion by using a relatively new method -- archaeoastronomy, which combines astronomical with archaeological data.
Indian politicians supported by some anti-Islamic researchers are bent upon using religion for political purposes. Babri Mosque was unnecessarily linked to Ram, the national hero. TV serials on Ravana and Mahabharata were misused to generate pseudo-emotions across the nation and engineered hatred against Muslims. The NGO unveiled the research findings at a presentation in Mumbai very recently. "We can say with confidence and pride that Ram existed historically," the researcher told the gathering. "The most authentic text on Rama is Valmiki's Ramayana since it was written by Valmiki as a contemporary text. We have collaborated different aspects of Rama's life as mentioned in the Ramayana with scientific methodologies." It has been conducting research on traditional Indian knowledge for the past six years, talks about the authenticity of his report, the reliability of archaeoastronomy and other issues. The research shows that Ram was a mortal, but how would it go down in a culture that worships him as God? Ram was a human being and also a king. It is any body's personal choice to attribute divinity to him. We worship our parents and teachers as God. So why not Ram? He was a noble soul. It has relied on several others to come to a conclusion through scientific eliminations.
Indian civilization is characterized by being embedded with night sky observations. Feeding the observations of the planetary configurations into the planetarium software gives us the English calendar dates for when these configurations could have occurred in the past. When these dates are logically arranged along with the events, it helps us to scientifically assign dates to events mentioned in Indian legends and historical texts and validate them.
(The researchers used Archaeoastronomy, a technique of charting the past or the future sky using a scientific tool. They think this tool helps to arrive at planetary positions given a date in the past or the future and vice verse -- given a set of planetary configurations, arrive at the date either in the past or in the future. Such tools are collectively called planetarium software. There are probably over 50 such different software available. Each software can be use specifically for a particular application, like plotting the current night sky chart, predicting eclipses and the like)
Thus, the astronomical remains left behind in our literature can be analyzed scientifically to arrive at historic dates for various events. This approach is parallel to archeology where physical remains are analyzed to arrive at historic dates and hence, gives rise to a new branch of scientific dating which may be called archaeoastronomy. It deciphered the Ramayana using archaeoastronomy. They relied upon several reports and mainly the configurations available in the Ramayana. The dates mentioned in the earlier texts including the Ramayana were tallied, entered into the software as mentioned above and a conclusion was drawn. They state there was always this aspect that the issue was sensitive. They also claim the study being as accurate as possible.
The findings must be the toast of Hindu outfits. With the central government defending Ram and, conversely, justifying the destruction of Grand Babri Mosque, the anti-Muslim. Hindutva outfits operating indoors and abroad would have an additional tooth to vehemently unleash anti-Islamic rhetoric and assault on Muslims and Islamic institutions in India. Only hope for Indian Muslims seems to be protecting each every Muslims living in the country at any cost. The fact, however, remains that human beings cannot prove the existence of God, no matter how so ever they attempt at that, but they might be able only to disprove the existence. That is level of people who try to prove one religious god against others in a multi-gods society. Hence no research on God could be infallible either as an academic or religious exercise.
The media has also taken a fascination to Ram. But nothing is wrong to find out truth about Ram. Ram, according to the media, is an international hero and every one ought to be proud of him as Indians. More one strives for proving the existence of God, the more confused they would become and more importantly more certain they would end up disproving God. One does not know if globalization has pushed the human being to search for existenceand not very Godof god/s.
The dichotomy of attributing variables of God and the divinity conferred on God dos not allow anybody to prove or disprove the existence of God in a practical way. The research seems to attach significant importance to the Ram Sethu, suggesting that it should be looked into deeper for evidence of Ram. But the Archaeological Survey of India has concluded that it is nothing but a natural formation. The ASI had not done any digging around the Ram Sethu. In fact they do not have any knowledge on this. This is not what I am saying. They themselves have said so. Even their affidavit before the Supreme Court said so.
The search story goes that as per the dates charted in the Ramayana, Ram was almost 39 years old when he killed Ravana, not such a young man. He must have then set out on vanvaas at the age of 25. Isn't that too old for those times? Ram took over as king at the right age and at 25 he set out on vanvaas and at the age of 39 he defeated Ravana. This can be proved through scientific methods. No person should unnecessarily deny the findings in our report The researchers have not given any end date to Ram. The problem here is that there is no text available anywhere which could give us a configuration regarding the end of Ram. Hence, it is not possible to find out the exact dates unless the configurations are made available.
This report is supposed to create awareness among the majority people. Let people discuss, debate it, but truth should be hidden from the debating clubs. The NGO wants the media to side with the research outcomes as much as the government that is supposed uphold Hinduistic tenets in all possible ways while pursuing at the same time a so-called secular format.. The fascination for truth with proving the existence of Ram and other gods cannot be truthful, either.
Religious politics has been extended to judiciary too. ASI has earlier approached the Apex court stating that Ram Sethu has got nothing to do with Ram and Ram never lived any where in the country. And Sethu was only man-made and Sethu Samudram project should be allowed to be cast. Later, however, government changed its version saying it should a national monument. Recently, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court the Union government recently said the Ram Sethu was a natural formation, and in passing also questioned the existence of Lord Ram. The affidavit was retracted following widespread protests.
The fantastic dates attributed to pre-history make mockery of existence of God per se and they only essentially state that only human beings existed. But human beings are not God/s, the creator/s or of the universe. Falsehood cannot be justified as being the truth and fight politics accordingly to harm the legitimate interests of hapless Muslims.
SOME OBSERVATIONS
Of course, displaying cricket skills on thieve of anniversary of fall of Babri Mosque is not a bad strategic idea, but delaying the construction of Babri Mosque is not in the good interests of Indian Muslims. India has conveniently capitalized the fact that the Arabs, supporting the Indian government for trade gains, dont seem to appreciate the problems of Indian Muslims and, therefore, dont insist on the rebuilding the Babri Mosque for enhanced cooperation. Another December 06 is fast approaching the governments across India would begin yet another crackdown operation as before in line with its pet strategy of terrorizing the helpless Muslims, surrounded by their Hindus neighbors.
Of course, it is not very bad, if Indians living abroad and leading a comfortable life do often enjoy "patriotic" rhymes and rejoice at praising India by saying that their country is the best secular, democratic country in the world, but trumpeting around saying that the Muslims are appeased and better" placed than Hindus in India and that the Muslims live quite comfortably in this paradise and that they are bad guys is indeed an international joke and fraud played on the world. They are in no way different from those in India who enjoy the fruits of development all by themselves, leaving almost nothing to Muslims. The global Hindus, in order to cover up their individual motives and strategy, they insult and commit crime against Muslims. Hypocrisy and shame know no limits, of course.
Of course, India has been successful in evading tow most important responsibilities: granting independence to Kashmir that has been demanding it since the time it was tactfully annexed by India and reconstruction of Babri Mosque, even though the government of India has pledged before the nation to do so immediately upon ht felling the grand Mosque and the present ruling UPA combine does not seem to be totally averse to fulfilling these vital commitments. India should show resolve to accomplishing these human feats and establish cordial relations with the Muslims in the country and Kashmiris. It is already late to shed hatred politics and concentrate on mutual relationships.
Of course, enough of the so-called terrorism, as this plan has harmed the Muslims more than any other section in the society in terms of living and advancement. A better future for the Muslims would be possible only if the media change their mind-set in favor of uplifting the Muslims. It is time, therefore, now after six decades of Indian independence, for the governments, both the central and the regional, to formulate afresh the media rules of portrayal of Indian reality in the context of the growing "popularity" of anti-Muslim journalistic format in the country and in keeping with the growing urgency for a new face of journalism which should be against anti-Muslim but reflect an all-people theme.
Of course, the Indian majority population as well as those well-settled abroad with the help of Indian government agencies, does have a right to appreciate reality correctly, view their Muslim brethren correctly and not to insult, thrash or kill them just for sadistic pleasures or for no reasons. Media have to play a constructive role in India already polluted by dirty religious and anti-Muslim politics. Will the Indian State and media magnets cooperate at least now to create a genuinely conducive media atmosphere promoting mutual respect across all sections of the people in India and thereby serve the national interest better? Or, is nurturing that kind of an idea of real secularism still a utopia? A particular section of population cannot be considered as anti-national, ill-treated badly and denied, on some pretexts, their due share in national development of the so-called largest democracy. It would be nothing but a national shame!
Of course, it is not to deny the fact that Indian Muslims are not conscious enough to understand the undercurrents going on behind the poetical theatre. Since they also, like their Hindu brethren do to them, cheat, insult and would not even hesitate to kill each other, if the network asks them to do. Mischief and distrust characterize the intra-relationship among the Muslims not only in Muslim dominated areas, but even in localities where there are hardly much Muslims living. Torture, physical as well as mental, inflicted by the state agencies upon the Muslims has driven them away from seeking any justice from the government agencies and seeking any share in the national development or resources. One does not know if that would be a victory for the State and the loyal media. Unhealthy attitude of the Muslims itself has to be blamed for what the government is doing to them.
Of course, Ramayana is one of the best epics with well-nit magic plots and moral tales, but calling the hero of the great epic, righteous Ram who retrieved his wife Sita after a long haul and suffering, only to be lost for ever, does not make any sense. Refusal to admit farce might make the researchers to discover many more such gods. Unable to see comprehend God without proper form, people visualized God in their own creative manner depending on the stage of development of society and human mind. A formless, genderless, colorless, speechless, but omnipotent God was the final stage in the development of understanding and realization of God in modern times. Illegal and immoral destruction of Babri Mosque has reactivated the theme of Ram in India. Whether or not Ram existed at any point of time, lived like any other human being, or he was also a prophet, or the Ramayana was only the fruits of the best possible human imagination of the distant past, the researchers can continue to research if they have the energy for that, but search for facts abut existence of gods is vaguer than the very search for God. However, the Babri Mosque was a reality and it existed before the eyes of millions of human beings before it was pulled down in a terrorist method. Babri Mosque must be rebuilt.India should confuse Babri Mosque commitment with its anti-Pakistan policy. The Central and state governments ought to exercise their obligation and responsibilities before the Muslim population in the country.
