An open letter to Shekhar Gupta;Re:“Khan saheb in Kashi

via Amithab Tripathi published on August 26, 2006

Respected Shekhar Gupta,

 




      I have lot of respect for your caliber and acumen but could not stop myself from expressing my views on your article titled “Khan saheb in Kashi”(http://www.indianexpress.com/story/11414.html)  which published today ( 26 August, 2006) in Indian Express. In this article you had showered lot of praise for late Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan which he deserve, but your attempt to portray Ustad as spokesperson of Muslim society in India is difficult to digest. Ustad Bismillah Khan was not the first Muslim artist or literary person to get influenced with Hindu ethos and values, we have examples of Raskhan, Rahim, Darashikoh  before us who composed poems in the name of  Krishna or other Hindu deities but they do not represent their mainstream society. Mainstream Muslim society follows dictum of Muslim personal law board and Shahi Imam of Bukhari who pronounce national song as anti-Islamic.

 


            In your words “That’s why India’s view of the war against terrorism has to be entirely different from the western world”, I am totally agree with this intelligent conclusion and due to this difference America was able to avoid any big terrorist attack on their soil for more than six years and India witnessed major terrorist attacks in every three months in last one year- July 2005, Terrorists targeted Ram Temple in Ayodhya but attaempt was foiled with out any causality  ( so it will not counted attack in  secularist definition), Before Diwali festive in October 2005, four serial blasts took place in which more than two dozen people  lost their lives and more than 50 people were injured , In December Bangalore based Indian institute of sciences was targeted , In March 2006 before Hindu festival Holi another holiest place of Hindus Varansi was attacked with causality of 20 odd  people, and finally in month of  July 2006, Mumbai commuters become target of Islamic terrorists.

 


        In last one year we have lost more than 300 people between us but intellectuals in this country still feel proud to declare themselves as different from others in tackling terrorism, yes we are different because our heart never bleeds for Hindus. They have destiny to be killed as they were butchered in Kashmir and still being slaughtered by followers of religion of peace.

 


      I am sorry to say but our political establishment and intelligentsia  behaves  like ostrich on this very issue of Islamic terrorism. Either they try  to evade  reality or they are hard headed realistic and afraid to speak the truth. How long this theory of “some angry Indians “will work. 17 years back our intelligentsia befooled us in Kashmiri terrorism as those incidents were handy work of some frustrated and misguided youths but  now these youths have come out of valley with their ammunitions to kill innocent Hindus in temples, railways, Buses and Shopping malls. What could be  motive behind these perpetrators, why Madrassa teacher of Baghpat  Md Zubair  along with Imam of Phulpur Waliullah killed innocent Hindus in Varansi . Why Engineers, doctors of Muslim community lend their support to those terrorists who planted bombs in Mumbai commuters.

 


       I know you are atheist people and do not have any fear to almighty  but  spare some time to stand before mirror and ask yourself how honest and unbiased you people are in your approach. This is not question of hostility with any fellow community it is question of national security. You people know very well what you doing and what will be consequences of this.

 


         I want to remind your interview with  Sharad Pawar in “Walk the talk” in which you tried to put your words in Pawar’s mouth that attack on Mumbai commuters was targeted to Gujratis only  but on  both of occasions he did not oblige you and confessed those attacks were well planned and deigned  to target one community and spare other. How shameful to read that an editor has no hesitation in glorifying a lie of Sharad Pawar in name of Muslim interest, is it do not reflect dual character of English media  to dig everything in Gujrat riots to punish Hindus and hide facts in other cases to save Muslim mafias. It reflects the nature of our media people for whom India is country of  only one community.

 


    The most disturbing and dismaying part of this article  is this para, “—-Even by angry Indian Muslims, are not directed against some evil global power or symbols. Nor are they meant to support some pan-Islamic cause, Palestine or even for that matter, Kashmir.”

 


  It surprise me a lot how an Editor of stature of Shekhar Gupta can float some generic idea. If Indian Muslims anger is  not directed to any evil global power (read it America), how Left and Samajwadi party were able to mobilize thousands of Muslims on streets against journey of American president to India. If Muslims in India do not support Pan-Islamic cause, Palestine or even for that matter Kashmir , how come Left parties were able to garner immense support in Kerala in last assembly elections with their campaign totally based on communal foreign policy. And not only even present Indian government has taken some minor decisions on  this front to appease its constituencies which want government to be soft for Palestinian cause, as per example  Prime minister declared he will attend NAM meet in coming September to support Iranian nuke programme instead UN summit. Indian delegation in Human rights council in UN condemned Israel after its attack on Palestine in retaliation to kidnapping of its two soldiers; Indian parliament was quick to condemn Israel on its war against Lebanon which was provoked by Lebanon himself. Indian defence minister postponed his visit of Israel in month of June and after publication of caricature of Prophet in some European magazine and demonstration of Muslims worldwide on this issue, Indian government did not allow Danish prime minister to come to India on his official visit. These decisions indicate how global Islamic politics has say in key policy matters.

 


      Several other things do not come out in open because our media has imposed a volunteer censorship on itself in Muslim matters, we read every day in newspapers that terrorists are being arrested from every part of nation but we are unable to know about their motive, preparations and ideology thanks to our media which translate political correctness in true spirit of words.

 


    How Indian Muslims are Islamic seminaries in India could be given  clean chit in background of  revelation of  plot to attack transatlantic air lines , during investigation British authorities have confirmed 6 out of 23 conspirators were followers of Tablighi Jamat a fundamentalist Islamic sect whose roots come to India. This sect was founded by Mohammad Ilyasi in 1927 to indoctrinate converted Hindus in radical Islam and now it headquartered in Nizamuddin in national capital Delhi.   

 


    Indian people have several examples when Muslims in India has shown their adherence to Islamic ummah or Islamic teachings rather than national spirit. Our political establishment never tries to read this mentality of Muslims instead they were pampered with more privilege which ultimately resulted in alienation of this community.

 


        Respected Shekhar Gupta your article is one episode in that series. If any Muslim in India shows some symptoms of patriotism he was portrayed as he has obliged to this nation, we have lot of classical Hindu artist but none of them become part of your story but Ustad becomes headline ,  because you also counted him as Muslim first  and  Indian after that who obliged this nation by singing Rag bhairvi for Allah, it was a news because he was not follower of Hindu ethos and values. This school of thought has damaged Muslims and alienated them.

 


  I still have in my mind one editorial of one of English news paper after Indian victory on English cricket team in Natwest trophy in 2001. In final of this tournament India got victory with glorious performance of Md Kaif and Yuvraj Singh after top order batsman collapsed on modest total.  On other day of this match that news paper questioned now what Hindu fundamentalist will say after victorious performance of Md Kaif.  This editorial was clear indicator that who divide celebrities or icons in name of religion.   This is not solution of any problem. Every Indian knows, it is not Md Kaif, Ustad Bismillah khan, Azim Prem ji , President Abdul Kalam who are fighting for Jihad they are followers of Islamic preachers and Islamic  intellectuals who indoctrinate them with theory of atrocity on Muslims and false propaganda of Islam in danger.  Islamic terrorism is nourished by this false propaganda and every person who supports this theory indirectly lends its support to terrorism.

 


     Indian express has declared “journalism of courage” as its motto but it seems its editor is highly influenced with those Ulemas who declared Indian media as spies of America and Israel and want to dissociate himself with rest of media of India. The most striking feature of this article is writer’s emphasis on evolution of new idiom and strategy to fight against terrorism , this idea is in consonance to idea of Mahesh Bhatt which he floated in a seminar organized by Jamait-Ulema-Hind in parliament annexie on 20and 21 of August. This seminar will be remembered for media bashing and could prove to be starting point for regime of Muslim censorship in Media. 

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