‘Sell your vote to those who promise education, especially to girls’
Veteran journalist M.J. Akbar has questioned the minority status of Muslims, saying they had ruled India for decades and Brahmins were a bigger minority. He called upon Muslims to unshackle themselves from the “politics of fear” and adopt the “politics of development.”
Muslims had become a minority when their hands turned to the government for help and not to Allah. And it was true that though Muslims were in a minority, they had ruled India for centuries. Muslims constituted roughly 20 per cent of the population during the time of eminent saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer in the 12th century, and even now they accounted for the same percentage.
Mr. Akbar said, “The word ‘minority’ is not associated with numbers but with power.” Brahmins did not consider themselves a minority. Only Dalits should be considered a minority as they had never ruled the country.
He was speaking on Sunday at the fifth annual convention of Muslim Writers Academy, only one of its kind for Gujarat-based Muslim writers and journalists.
The former Congress MP said it was time for the community to introspect. The need of the hour was to change the attitude and mindset. “Changing attitude and mindset is not easy but when the time demands a change, a change should be ushered in, for power flows not from a sword but power flows from education.”
Muslims should start regaining their self-confidence and shed the “politics of begging.” “Indian Muslims should consider themselves fortunate since India is a democratic country and communities here are empowered.”
Muslims should not just cast their votes but sell them. “Sell it to the bidder who promises education and especially to that bidder who promises education to the girls,” he said.
Keywords: M.J. Akbar, Muslim Writers Academy, minority politics, Indian muslims
Sir MJ Akbar, Its a fact that Muslims are 15-20% of this country's
population (I don't know if it justifies the title of minority or
not). They have been marginalised in education, jobs and
systematically butchered with state sponsored terrorism since 1947.
Current mullah mindset , that gripped the masses minds, may be waiting
for some mahdi to arrive and set affair straight but God does not
change condition of people, if they don't change themselves is
essential teaching of Qur'an, thats ignored.
The work around is simple. Help self (and others). Wherever sizable
majority, come up with a party that actually implements that
education. Eat meat in moderation (not daily). Give equal and separate
opportunity for all boys and girls (including the ones went through
madrassa) to study (both secular and Qur'anic education) and earn an
living skill. And most importantly teach them sense of responsibility,
respect and equity.
Remove their 2nd class citizen treatment in India.
God bless India
What more religiousness can one ask for than universal tolerance and
brotherhood.We are but different waves of the same sea struggling to
reach the same shore.Togetherness with harmony saves a lot of
struggle.Let there be just one religion;humanity with truth alone the
practice of it.
Mr. Akbar's comments are nothing but bourgeois rhetoric. Political bargaining,
demanding rights and entitlements and articulating the marginalisation, human
rights violations and exclusion being faced is not "politics of begging" or attitude of
minorityism. There are some hard facts which Mr. Akbar is ignoring. He is being
pompous about the notion of "democracy" and "empowered communities", the
concepts which are very much under question given the current political and social
climate in India.
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