Mubarak Ali Baloch
Not unexpectedly the hard-line Hindu extremists have now aimed their guns at Indian Muslim film stars and artists. Hardliners’ this deed is not startling due to the fact that their activities are reflective of BJP led government’s nod to go whole hog. Yesteryears India was different from what it is witnessed now. Secular India propounded by Gandhi’s and Nehru’s is dying a painful death at the hands of extremist Hindus. Indian society already divided and further sub-divided into upper and lower castes entitled to varying status in social milieu; is now seen with sharp emerging divides on creed and religious line. It is in fact now Hindutva with its all vigor bulldozing the moderate voices to go silent. Religious extremism once proliferated is unlikely to give up the ghost easily. Most of the victims of this extremism are Muslims, Christians and low caste Hindus.
Currently, Muslim film stars and artists are under the cloud. A couple of weeks back Emraan Hashmi with other colleagues was all set to shoot for his film on life of Muhammad Azharrdin, a former Indian Cricketer within the premises of Hyderabad’s Osmania University when a bunch of students belonging to Akhil Bhartiya Vidarthi Parishad and students of other Hindu outfits came in droves and hounded Emraan forcing his colleagues to take him to a room and lock him out with an aim to keep him safe. Subsequently, the shooting was cancelled despite having all the necessary permission from university authorities. Police was called in who rescued Emraan Hashmi.
Shahrukh Khan a leading Bollywood’s mega star on the eve of his 50th birthday celebrations said, “Religion cannot be defined by our meat-eating habits. Whoever takes a stand against creative people will face a huge backlash”. Earlier Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistani cricketers had to cut short their stay in India and returned to Pakistan amid Shiv Sena threats. We have taken a stand not to allow any Pakistani actor, cricketer, or performer to step on Maharashtra soil, Akshay Bardapurkar, a top Shiv Sena leader said. Aamir Khan another film star voiced his grave concerns over the wave of growing intolerance and said his spouse is much perturbed and suggests leaving India. His such statement caused strong reaction form Munna Kumar Sharma, General Secretary Hindu Mahasabha. Munna Kumar said, “Aamir Khan should either indulge in ‘Ghar Wapsi’ convert to Hinduism’ which will help him getting free of crimes of love Jehad of his previous as well as his present wife Kiran Rao or go to Pakistan for the benefit of India”. Such statements have badly shaken the Indian Muslim film stars and artists. Shahrukh Khan has rightly said, “It is very degrading and humiliating to have to prove my patriotism”. The rationalists and moderate voices expressed their concern and demanded of BJP led government to douse the embers of Hindu extremism hounding out the liberal and broad-minded segment of the society.
During the first week of last September scores of people from various walks of life gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi not away from Indian parliament and staged a protest demonstration against rising intolerance and mindless atrocities committed by Hindu extremists against the minority population. Academics, students, journalistic community and members of civil society joined by many moderate minds woke up after a 76 years old rationalist thinker and writer named Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalbugri (famous M.M Kalbugri) was shot dead infront of his home by two motorcyclists associated with Hindu radical groups. He was critic of blind religiosity. Earlier in 2013 Narendra Dabholkar an anti-superstition activist and champion of rationalism was gunned down in Pune. Govind Pansare, a rationalist thinker also fell prey to Hindu extremists attack.
The spate of extremism has opened its wings wide and the ultimate victim is the India’s diversity and pluralism. Majoritarian extremism is much disturbing. Nathuram Vinayak Godse was the assassin of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Recently, RSS, Shiv Sena and other extremist outfits including members of Hindu Mahasaba reverently observed 15 November as death anniversary of Nathuram Vinayak Godse. Observing death anniversary of Ghandhi’s assassin is reflective of the disservice to the benign sermons of Ghandhi and demise of secularism preached by early leadership of India. Hindu fundamentalism taking birth today in India would proliferate further and later it would be difficult to make it disappear. These medieval forces must be bridled so that secular identity of India is preserved in pristine shape. Muslim population and other minority segments are presently feeling threatened amid the wave of extremism. Space for them is shrinking and it would keep on shrinking unless Hindu extremists are controlled and moderate voices are encouraged to assert themselves. A country boasting of its loftiness in promoting democracy and secularism now stands badly bogged down. Muffling the din of extremism appears to be unbeatable challenge to Indian leadership. Modi led BJP government should pay more attention to maintain communal peace and harmony instead of wasting time in sabre-rattling against neighboring countries.