Cow Slaughter - 'Voluntary' Ban
The 2 nd February issue of the English daily 'The Telegraph' carried a report in its first page under a banner heading of "Voluntary moratorium on cow killing" The report stated that on the eve of the Bakri Id, Mufti Habib-ur Rahman, the head of the fatwa bench of the Dar-ul Uloom of Deoband issued a fatwa asking the Muslims of the country not to sacrifice cows and to sacrifice sheep, goat, camel instead, in states where cow slaughter had been banned. The Dar-ul Uloom is located in western Uttar Pradesh and according to the report, is the largest theological school in the subcontinent. The RSS and VHP came out with expected reactions. The RSS said that this fatwa would pave the way for Hindu- Muslim harmony. Praveen Togadia, the general secretary of VHP hailed it as a 'historic milestone" and added that the Muslims should now withdraw the Ram Mandir case unconditionally. Even the report, as presented in the daily, carried distinct signs of glee. In the opening paragraph of the report the 'special correspondent' of the daily specially commented that this step had been taken "to revive a goodwill gesture of the Khalifat era". The correspondent was apprehensive that we might miss the point. So we are again reminded in the last paragraph that during the Khalifat movement of the 1920s " the minority community leaders had on their own passed a resolution advising against cow slaughter" to cement the unity between Hindus and Muslims developed during the course of the movement
'The Telegraph' deserves special thanks from us for the importance given to the report and more specially for the 'special' comments. Public memory is short. So we tend to forget that during the long course of history of the conflict and amity between Hindus and Muslims in this soil always it had been the sole responsibility of the leaders of the Muslim community to find out and take suitable steps to 'pave the way for Hindu- Muslim harmony'. It had been the case in the 1920s. And it is the case now. To be truthful we have to say that it is more so now. Because now Togadia-s, Narendra Modi-s, Advani-s, Vajpayee-s have risen in the Indian sky. They are doing their utmost to remind the leaders of the Muslim community of their 'special responsibility' and not only to remind and also to force them to discharge their responsibility. It appears that these leaders of the Hinduvta have advanced a long way towards fulfilling their 'sacred' mission. May be one or two Gujarat phenomenon is necessary for completing the journey! If in the process of creating 'historical milestones' to pave the way for Hindu-Muslim harmony the Muslims as a community have to bow down to the demands of the leaders of the Hindu community, give up their food habits for no reasons and compromise their self- respect, then it is their destiny in India! The minority community must respect the dictates of the leaders of the majority community! These are the 'homely truths' that the Togadia-s are hammering, day in and day out, both in words and in actions. Why the leaders of the Muslim community withdraw the Ram Mandir case? Because Togadia wants it and that is everything.
Not only this report, but also there are also other clear signs which brings out the truth that there is a growing trend among the leaders of the Muslim community who are more and more feeling that the pressure of the situation is too much and are ready to compromise their positions to buy peace at any cost. This section has been affectionately given the name of 'moderate section' by the Hinduvta ideologues and the Indian big press. This report clearly brings out the atmosphere of fear and insecurity, which is suffocating the vast majority of the Muslim community of this country. They are more and more feeling that are up against a force, which is far more superior in force than them and is ruthless. Moreover, this force is getting all the help, backing and active co-operation from the governmental power. A sense of hopelessness has invaded them and so they are going overboard to buy peace. The Gujarat carnage has been able to hammer this truth into their heads.
The real unity and harmony between the Hindu and Muslim community can never be achieved through this process of negotiations and bargain between these self-imposed leaders of these two religious communities and forced surrender of one section. This will be and can only be achieved in the course of the struggles of the vast majority of the toiling and downtrodden masses of both the communities against deprivations and exploitations in their daily lives.
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