MAY 25
New Decision
Moradabad, an industrial township of Western UP, has a sizeable Muslim population. Recently, during a two-day visit to the town, an incident was brought to my notice which has a great lesson for us when we compare it to a similar incident back in August 13, 1990. That day, the city became the scene of a communal riot. On August 13, the day of the Id festival, Muslims had gathered at the Idgah to say their prayer, for which purpose they had spread some sheets on the grounds. After the prayers were over, the sermon began. It was at that point that a pig entered the Idgah (since Moradabad’s Idgah is situated on the bank of a stream, pigs are to be found in the vicinity.) Thanks to this pig, some of the sheets were soiled, which, of course, enraged the Muslims. This incident subsequently assumed the proportions of a full-scale, Hindu-Muslim riot, resulting in great loss of lives and property. The city remained under curfew for a period of four months, as a result of which its export business was completely destroyed (the market was captured by countries like Taiwan). It took five years to re-establish it.
Now sixteen years after this incident, the same city of Moradabad witnessed another such incident, but with an entirely different reaction. March 4, 1996, was the day of the Holi festival. In a market in a locality where there are shops of both communities, a Hindu threw a bucketful of coloured water into a Muslim shop.
By the logic of the old Muslim mentality, this was a provocative act. But Muslim shopkeepers remained unprovoked. What they did was simply to down their shutters and go home. Then the floor of the shop which had been spoiled by the colour was reconstructed. Going by past happenings such an incident ought to have been enough to spark off a communal riot. Yet it passed off peacefully. No one was harmed, nor were the activities of the market disrupted.
This is no solitary incident. Such incidents are taking place everywhere. They tell us the changed mood of the Muslims. The same incidents which used to be provocative to Muslims no longer agitate them. They have learned the art of avoidance on such occasions. And this is indeed an extremely beneficial sign for the country as a whole.
After independence, Muslims in this country failed to make the desired progress. The only reason for this was the prevailing atmosphere of insecurity in which they continually found themselves. Being misled by their incompetent leaders and intellectuals, they had come to regard the country’s administration as being prejudiced as far Muslims were concerned. Since the Muslims saw that the administration was fulfilling their worst expectations, they began protesting against it, and when their protests and demands did not work they fell a prey to frustration.
But this thinking was erroneous in itself. For just like any other sphere, those of the police and administration have their limitations. They can function only where individuals are concerned. In the case of public issues, the police and administration find it impossible to transgress their limits.
Owing to the two-nation theory, and for several other reasons, Muslims and Hindus in this country have been divided psychologically into two combatant groups. Our incompetent leaders, through their continuous misguidance, have highly increased their sensitivity in this respect. That is why, whenever any friction arises between a Hindu and a Muslim, it immediately escalates into a communal issue. It is this imbalanced state of affairs which has rendered the police and administration helpless. When friction between individuals or families remains restricted as such, this poses no difficulty for the police or the administration. They can deal with such matters quite successfully. But in a sensitive atmosphere where any such friction is blown out of all proportion and becomes a communal issue, it goes beyond the control of the police or the administration. This is the principle reason, despite all protests and complaints on the part of Muslims, for the failure of the administration to be really effective.
The happening at Moradabad as well as other such happenings show us that now Muslims have discovered that the solution to this problem lies in their own hands. That is, by adopting the way of patience and avoidance in all such controversial matters, they should nip the matter in the bud to prevent it from becoming magnified into a communal issue.
Controversial matters surface in every society. This happens due to the system of nature itself rather than because of any plot or conspiracy. That is why such happenings cannot be altogether prevented. But what is perfectly possible is for Muslims to refrain from allowing themselves to be provoked. In this way, the flicker will be extinguished in the first stage itself and, as we find from the incident during Holi in Moradabad, will no longer turn into a devastating problem for both the communities.
Peace is essential to progress. Since Muslims had always reacted to provocation, the atmosphere of peace was repeatedly disrupted, resulting in communal riots. As a result, it was impossible to engage in any constructive work which would promote their progress. Now the changed situation, providing a normal atmosphere, an atmosphere of peace, has made it possible for Muslims to engage themselves in such tasks as education and commerce, business, leading to their progress and uplift. During the last few years, while travelling in various regions of the country, I have found distinct changes in the attitude of the Muslims. By adopting the principle of avoidance, they are actively engaging themselves—and very rapidly—in constructive fields.
In this way, a new start has definitely been made by Indian Muslims and, undoubtedly, a proper beginning must lead on to a proper conclusion. It is certain that the Muslims will make rapid progress in this country, and their progress will contribute to the advancement of the country as a whole. Then the day will dawn when it will be felt expressly that Muslims are no liability in this country, rather an asset, being a creative instead of a stagnant part of the total population.
