By Saem Hashmi:
Mr. Prime Minister, you should know that we as Indians have never been ashamed of being Indian at any point in our lives. I have been a proud Indian throughout my life, even after being targeted time and again for being a Muslim.
What we as Indians are ashamed of, is the political state of affairs in this country. Corruption was an epidemic in the UPA government. Please don’t be under the impression that BJP doesn’t humiliate me with its corruption and misuse of power. Corruption isn’t about money alone but of the very moral, ethical, religious, sentimental and human core values that your government has turned a blind eye to, causing grievances to the minority and to the larger population.
I have been ashamed of mockery disguised as sympathy that the government has offered as a response to farmer suicides. Untimely rains and weather may hold the blame, but as a central government, it was your duty to limit and contain the unprecedented rise in the suicides among the farmers; people who have made sure that this nation of a billion doesn’t go hungry.
Every time I hear some of your BJP MLA’s say something provocative, I feel ashamed. I wonder why aren’t they booked for inciting hatred towards a particular community in India which may lead to rioting. I also wonder what happens to all those who have successfully managed to deface properties and areas named after Muslims in Delhi and no actions has been done.
I feel ashamed every time a girl is raped. I have a girlfriend. Every time she is out partying, I worry for her safety. What has been done to control rape besides small naïve steps by your government or the one previous to it? Perhaps it is against Indian culture for girls to be out late night, but raping is a part of it.
My head hangs in shame over atrocities towards the lower caste people. Newspapers have been plagued by this. You say we are a developing nation with immense growth and promote bilateral affairs with other nations. Have you for once thought of promoting bilateral ties between different religion, caste, creed, sect and sex for harmony?
Why is it that the law bows when a high profile person is charged with murder, or rash driving or amassing wealth or inciting violence or rioting? Why is it that the rich get away with all the impunity while the poor and the middle class people are the ones to suffer the wrath of the justice system?
I feel ashamed of the atrocities that the people of Kashmir and Nagaland have to face time and again at the hands of the institutions of the government and are protected with such impunity that no one till date has been charged with human right violations in spite of great coverage by Indians as well as foreigners.
I feel ashamed every time a mob has burned down a place of worship, and slaughtered people on the line of Hindutva, ghar wapsi and ethnic cleansing. Why is there a creation of Islamophobia in the society by certain elements? Why has your silence lingered?
I feel ashamed of the fact that you regarded me to be ashamed of being an Indian ever.In words of Rabindra Nath Tagore:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth…..
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit…
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake
B
“I feel ashamed every time a girl is raped. I have a girlfriend. Every time she is out partying, I worry for her safety.”
I feel ashamed everytime I read about the rape hysteria, while 75% of rape cases happen to be false, with thousands of innocent men rotting in jail, and even when those who manage to prove their innocence lose their jobs and reputation. I feel ashamed that every 3 minutes, a man is arrested in a false case of dowry, and people don’t raise their voice against it. I feel ashamed that 2,22.091 people were arrested in 2013 alone. I feel ashamed that more than 3 times as many men commit suicide due to dowry harassment by women, and yet dowry remains a women’s issue.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Harassed-over-dowry-men-demand-fair-play/articleshow/5241108.cms
Madhur Goyal
An article by a muslim… typical anti modi and to some extent anti national… and btw.. if you weren’t taught this in your dearest madrasa education.. you need to hear what was said and in what context.. rather then jumping onto your communal propaganda band wagon as usual…
rocky
Mr madhur don’t be offeneded with the truth
“Agar modi ka chatkey hogaya toh mooh saaf karley”
#me
from angle is this aricle anti national ?? can you please explain
B
While no one questions how many men Mr. Modi has murdered to climb the ladder in the political arena, questions, however, are raised about how 4,000 Gujarati Muslims lost their lives in the 2002 Gujarat riots, with brutal killings of men, women’s wombs cut open with trishuls, children burnt alive, girls raped in front of their families, homes torched down, shops looted, livelihood destroyed – just to shed a little light on the heinous terror inflicted on innocent Muslims by Bajrang Dal, formed largely by Mr. Modi’s goons. 26th May should have been a day of mourning in India, as an uneducated, illiterate, mass murderer and rapist was elected to lead the largest democracy in the world. If India had to select a tea vendor to run the country, at least they could have chosen one who did not perpetrate crime in the most horrendous fashion.
David
hey just a minor correction, number of people who died in gujrat riots is not 4000, it is actually 40000000000000 . just putting it in there
B
Looking at how good Modi is at hiding the unofficial figure, don’t be surprised how at how high the figure is.
Saem Hashmi
Well, to all the [people who have taken tim out for reading the article and commenting thank you. Is personal targeting the best you have got? On my religion, my past, my life.
Mr. David which I presume was a non-existential entity in LV hostel life has its up’s and downs and I came out of it strong. Its sad to see the immaturity that you have potrayed of your mind here. But it is fine.
As far as I am concerned of being a Muslim, then one thing I shall proudly say is I am as proud as an Indian Muslim from the day I was born in this country. I stand for what is right and have at least consciously not forsaken my ethics, culture, humanity and mind.
Feel fre to comment more on your ‘personal’ targeting as it is a mockery to your thinking levels. Cheers. 🙂
Jahan
I agree that many people have attacked you on this article with unjustified and personal slander. Yet, I would ask you to reconsider this article as I feel your source material is inaccurate and compromised. The original quote and what has become a sensation on twitter are very different in their content and context. But an article like this will either feed these false flames, or have extreme supporters attack you as they have already been doing so.
Once again, would expect this ignorance from the mainstream media, not from ‘Youth Ki Awaaz’.
Jahan
This is what he actually said in Shanghai:
“1 year earlier there was a environment of pessimism, when you said that you were from India nobody paid heed as everybody had lost hope in India(He says much of it through his actions). Isn’t it right, isn’t it how it used to be ? People shout yes, yes. Now after one year aren’t you proud of the progress India has made ? People shout yes, yes. Now you look people in the eye and say with confidence that I am from India.”
Now while I’m not a fan of the Modi bandwagon, all I can see in this article is a list of evils about our country that you’ve very passionately stated, many of which existed before the Modi government and are not sourced from it. And while I felt that ‘Youth Ki Awaaz’ normally tries to be as impartial as possible, you’ve clearly gone on the offense using tweets that have arisen from the same confusion and ignorance. And while this ignorance is expected from everyday citizens, I’d hope that a “journalist” would have done the required research.
Nabila Kidwai
Well, amongst all of you only he had the guts to follow his dreams. Break free from the system and achieve miraculous heights which I guess you are not aware of! I think the system and institution under which you got trained didn’t teach you basic manners and ethics and how proudly you tarnish a mans image so easily,without knowing present facts. Mr Reader, plz be polite in your comments next time and respect the fact that Mr Saem Hashmi is one of the best writers any platform could get Or I shall just wait for a thought provoking article from your side to prove this guy wrong. I havd been following him on this platform since two years. Respect!
Jahan
The irony is that he’s doing the same thing you’re accusing us of: he’s tarnishing a man’s image without knowing all the facts.
Jahan
And “one of the best writers any platform could get” ? That is a bit rich.
mohanraj
Haaaha saw ur profile u have put deep in thoughts, but unfortunately didn’t see in your write up. this is yet another right up putting words like hindutuva, minority, rapes, which attracts viewers and the likes from so called seculars (reality hurts).
sorry man looks very close minded…… atleast please dont promote hatred like this, because already media is doing lot to grab attention.
try to support support and stand by which ever government rules the country, because country is first. provide constructive views or thoughts, something like this again by youth hurts and makes future bleak…………..