Today, I received a heartfelt message from a friend in India that shed light on the emotions and concerns of the largest minority group in the country. The message reflects on the recent inauguration of a temple, contrasting the celebration with the tragic loss of lives and livelihoods over the past three decades. It’s a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by the Indian Muslim community.
“I am simply overcome with emotions since last night and am feeling terrible. I do not offer namaz, am not an observant Muslim, and have long ago taken KHIDMAT-E-KHALQ (service to humanity) as the essence of KHIDMAT-E-KHUDA (service to God). Yet, I had cried like a baby on 6th Dec 1992 as the goons were dancing on the tomb of the Babri masjid. Yes, I was in favor of handing over the mosque with dignity as a politico-religious strategy for peace and security. I was outraged by the hooliganism of mosque breakers and the collapse of law and order.
Today, they are inaugurating the temple that has claimed the lives of thousands of innocents and destroyed millions of livelihoods. And while the revelers are celebrating their ‘victory,’ no one remembers and mourns the terrible loss of innocent lives and livelihoods over these three decades. No homage or tribute to fallen heroes, and victims of this barbarism. This is how history is rewritten, and has always been written. Sorry for this emotional outburst. Just wanted to share my pain that only sincere and dard-mand (empathetic) friends like you can understand.”
India, with its diverse population of Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and others, has a rich history shaped by various invasions and influences. The current affairs must be viewed in the historical context, especially the conversion of millions to Islam during Arab and Persian rule and the introduction of Christianity during the British Raj. Indian Muslims today often feel marginalized and taunted, labeled as “Pakistani.” I must say that every time an Indian Muslim is told that he or she is a Pakistani and should go to Pakistan, divisiveness wins. The notion that India was never going to be able to protect the rights of its minorities is proven.
In light of the recent history, from the united salt march of our forefathers against the English oppression to arming and radicalizing the Pakistani army by the US waging four wars against India, losing its eastern half in 1971, we cannot have realistic hopes from the western governments to bring us peace or resolutions to our region. We are seeing that the American military-industrial complex thrives at the sales of its most deadly weapons to any part of the world that will pay for them. Both India and Pakistan today are nuclear powers owing to the paranoia and hate fueled by both internal and external factors.
The claim that the institutions or landmarks reminiscent of the Mughal empire should be erased, similar to the remains of the British empire from India, is false as I was born in a missionary Christian hospital and am a graduate of Saint Mary’s High School in Sind, Pakistan. These schools, churches, and hospitals exist to this day, and Modi’s India needs to be honest that it has created the low caste out of its Muslim populace to crucify for political gains.
I am grateful for the healthcare that my mother was able to receive and for the modern education that I was able to receive in these very catholic institutions. We are all human beings who need the same things. We must learn to be positive and giving. We must overcome the lust for blood and power and not heed the calls for violence against our countrymen.
The Hindus or Buddhists in India are not a monolithic group and are known to worship over 3 million deities. As a person born in Pakistan to an immigrant Muslim family from India facing the horrors of the partition, I can attest to the fact that nationalizing a religion brings adversity to citizens. For any country to prosper in the world, all its citizens must have equal rights, safety, and freedom. Indian Hindus, Muslims, and Christians are the children of the same people, sharing 98% of their genes, and our forefathers sacrificed so much for us to enjoy freedom.
The current situation is not good for India as it contradicts its values and the soft face it is trying to show the world. In 2023, the Indian diaspora sent 125 billion dollars back to the home country, the largest sum of money compared to any other nation in the world. For India to continue to have legitimacy and respect among other nations, it must face injustice and inequality back home. The Christian, Jewish, or Muslim population in the country is not a liability but an opportunity for India to have cultural and business ties with other Christian, Jewish, and Muslim nations or institutions.
India is a democracy with a secular constitution. As a member of the United Nations, she must abide by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A person in India is a free and equal citizen of the country. Minority rights must be protected in India if India wishes to remain a great nation. It is not appropriate for India to demolish the places of worship or create a hostile and unsafe environment for its citizens. Is the Indian government going to be a tyrant exactly like the ones who came through its corridors trampling over the locals, murdering and converting scores of them, or is it a modern secular democracy with equal rights and responsibilities for its citizens?
My grandfather, Mirza Inayat Baig from Qasba Sikandra Rao near Ali Garh in India, wrote to a Muslim scholar in 1915 asking for their opinion about the objection of local Muslims to give monies from the sacrifice to his madrasa where he taught Quran, Urdu, and English. Muslims rejected all things British, which coincided with the beginning of their sociopolitical decline. There is no question that Indian Muslims have fallen behind in the areas of health, women’s rights, and education.
Due to the hostile and hateful environment with shrinking political power, Indian Muslims do not venture far from communities for safety reasons. The reform must happen from both ends. The imams in villages should be given computers and modern education to catch up with the current knowledge so they can contribute to the growth and development of India. On the other hand, minority groups and women should have dedicated seats for representation in the government.
For every mosque, church, or synagogue that will be demolished and converted to a temple, we demand that the government will pay monies and provide alternate land for the development of a mosque (or other places of worship) with a madrasa (school) for both women and men with modern equipment and will be responsible for securing the premises. I highly encourage the minority groups to stay calm and use these monies to develop inclusive places of worship, universities, and hospitals to bring progress to communities.
The Indian government is a democratic government, and Prime Minister Modi is responsible for the safety and security of all of its citizens, regardless of their faith.
In conclusion, we urge India to uphold its democratic values, secular constitution, and international obligations to protect minority rights. We encourage positive dialogue, equality, and harmony for the nation’s prosperity.
