Indian Express, Ahmedabad, 7/9/07
CM’S RECENT DIATRIBE AGAINST MUSLIMS & CHRISTIANS IS AIMED AT POLARISING SOCIETY AHEAD OF POLLS, SAY OBSERVERS
Syed Khalique Ahmed
Ahmedabad, September 6: IS Narendra Modi reverting back to “politics of hate’’? That is what political observers and human rights activists feel given the chief minister’s recent diatribe against Muslims and Christians. They say Modi wants to polarise the civil society again ahead of the Assembly polls.
In two recent public meetings _ at Khedbrahma and Randhikpur, Modi delivered highly provocative speeches, trying to stir the sentiments of about 75-lakh strong tribals against the Muslims and Christians. According to political watchers, Modi is focussing on tribals because they play a decisive role in the outcome of poll results in as many as 49 of 182 constituencies.
In 2002 Assembly elections, fought in an atmosphere of communal tension and polarisation, the BJP had won a majority of the seats in the tribal belt, which had always been the stronghold of the Congress. But after five years down the line, tribals seem to have given up the love they had developed for the BJP. When the Congress recently organised public meetings and took out ‘yatras’ to mobilise public opinion in its favour, there was an overwhelming response from tribals. This seems to have upset Modi and his colleagues in the BJP, more so as the Modi group is facing a strong rebellion from some MLAs and senior leaders of the party.
Even the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other saffron outfits, including Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), are reported to be not willing to work for the BJP with Modi.
So, when Modi addressed his a public meeting at Khedbrahma to “market’’ his Van Vandhu scheme, he targeted Muslims. Referring to the Sachar Committee report, he said that the Central government was planning to give job reservation to Muslims at the expense of tribals. “The Central government is all set to give a share of your job quota to Muslims,’’ he pointed out, thus trying to pit tribals against Muslims. The next day at Randhikpur, he told the audience that the UPA government led by the Congress wanted to encourage conversion of tribals to Christianity by continuing with job reservation for neo-converts. “Your (tribal) population will go down by this policy of the UPA government,’’ Modi had said.
This fresh demagogy of Modi has become a cause of concern for the minorities. Well-known human right activist and president of the Gujarat unit of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Juzair S Bandukwala feels that Modi is returning to his Muslim hate. “A ruthless political operator, Modi knows he has to win the Gujarat elections at all costs. Once he realises power slipping from his hand, he may try to engineer a major riot as he feels that the development plank may not work,’’ Bandukwala, himself a victim of 2002 riots, said.
But, at the same time, he says: “The people of Gujarat, both Hindus and Muslims, have become wiser and mature after 2002 and will say no to Modi’s hate politics.’’
ANHAD’s (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy) Shabnam Hashmi says Modi appears to be pitting tribals against Muslims and Christians by indulging in demagogy.
Catholic priest Fr. Xaviers Manjooran working among tribals for over two decades says: “Modi is only bluffing the poor, innocent tribals, with his eyes fixed on the elections. He is using a ‘divide and rule’ policy to ensure the votes of the majority community, including tribals.’’
According to Fr. Cedric Prakash, of NGO Prashant, “Modi’s accusations are ridiculous.’’Dr G N Devy, noted tribal rights activist and chairman of Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, pointed out that Modi was promoting bigotry and animosity against minorities through his public meetings. “If tribals converting to Buddhism in Maharashtra can continue to get job reservation benefits, how can Modi or anyone else object to the continuation of job reservation benefits to tribals embracing Christianity in Gujarat?’’ he asked. In 2006, over one lakh tribals in Maharashtra had converted to Buddhism.However, Modi enjoys strong support on the issue from his party leaders. Defending Modi’s diatribe against minorities, BJP’s State unit president Purushottam Rupala said what Modi spoke at the two public meetings was nothing new for the party. “Opposition to conversion and religion-based job reservation is our party’s well-known policy... Let me tell you that we are going to make it a poll issue,’’ he said.
BJP spokesman Vijay Rupani said : “Whatever terminology some people may invent for Modi’s comments, what Modi spoke at the two meetings is very much a part of our party policy.’’
‘’We will also take these issues to people’s court in the forthcoming elections in the State and tell Dalits and tribals how UPA government is trying to curtail their rights,’’ he proclaimed.
While Muslims account for about 10 per cent of Gujarat’s five and a half crore population, Christians account for merely one per cent.
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