Bazeecha-e-itfal hai duniya meray aage
Hota hai shab-o-roz tamasha meray aage
(The world is a children’s playground before me
Night and Day, this theatre is enacted before me)
The above couplet, written by famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, makes me feel how much he was tired of experiencing the things he wanted to experience.
I grew up in the small villages of Ghazipur and Ballia District of Uttar Pradesh, spending entire days with my friends out in the Shivalaya (Shiva temple), trying to get prasada (offerings) twice after the evening Arti (prayer) – which was probably the most adventurous thing a young boy could have done at that time. In the morning Bhajans (devotional song) were played, and the melodious voice of Anup Jalota is still as fresh as it was then.
However, these things are my memories only. And upcoming generations might never experience these kinds of love and affection. The reason is obvious.
In recent years, the regular hunting of unarmed, solitary and poor Muslims by so-called Hindus (I can bet these goons have no idea about the world’s oldest religion, neither can they recite a single mantra from any of the Holy Books if they are asked) is becoming part and parcel of the life of a Muslim in India. Religion is like opium and the present government is serving it well.
I must say that if these incidents are dangerous for a minority community, it will indeed harm those who witnessed the killing of a young boy on a train and did nothing. Those who witnessed could not do anything, whatever may be the reasons, will be mentally ill for a lifetime. From that incident onward they expect any Muslim to protect their sons and daughter because they know that did not do when they got a chance to do the same. Being neutral this time by Hindus who really do not want these crimes to be committed in their names might be termed as an act of impotency in upcoming years. There arises a certain time when we have to take a side- either Pro or against.
The current BJP government which came to power with the agenda of “VIKAS” have lost in the labyrinth of politics and religion. I remember the day of the Judgement of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on “Triple Talaq.” The Pro-active user of Social Media Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi hailed the Supreme Court judgement on triple talaq as “historic” and said it grants equality to Muslim women. He said the judgement will serve as a powerful measure of women empowerment. However, he kept his mouth closed when a Muslim woman was asked to remove her burqa at a rally attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia for the reason that there were instructions” that no one should “show black cloth.” I cannot accept the fact that Police officers don’t know the difference between “showing black cloth” and “wearing black cloth.”
As Lok Sabha election of 2019 is near so many dramas are still awaited.
Jai Hind!