As unpredictable as ever

In the past few days, there has been excited debate over the recently held elections. I purposely avoided much of the conversation involving predictions of results (including the exit polls). After all, if there is one thing that we learn from history, it is that no one can predict what button the common man will press in that brief moment of card-boarded seclusion. This has been reiterated by one of the most fruitful results for the Congress party. As for me, I was curious about two things, one, will the Narendra Modi-Varun Gandhi strong Hindutva undercurrents in the BJP campaign bear fruit, and two, how the Muslims, particularly in UP and some of the southern left strongholds, will vote.

I was quite sceptical about the secular credentials of the majority community, and had expected more Hindutva bi-polarisation. We were first served with the controversial Varun Gandhi Pilibhit speech, a smart political move in the micro battleground, but which took on new dimensions with the advent of the media. Whether it was meant to cater to a much larger audience, thus enhancing polarity and assuming representation of the hidden feelings of the majority, we will never know. But even if it was supposed to, the message is loud and clear. The fact the every seat outside Gujarat that Narendra Modi campaigned for ended in a loss for the BJP sends out a clear message against hard line and right wing ideology, particularly in the current political scenario. Calling this outcome a beginning of a gradual decline of religion based vote bank politics would undoubtedly be optimistic and idealistic. Some right wing parties may have done well. Maybe the ones that didn’t lacked strong leadership and a broad based political strategy. For all we know the next election might throw up a completely different picture.

But Gujarat has spoken. They continue to wallow in their blood soaked industrialisation and development. To them the balance weighs heavily towards the gain of one community at the expense of another and this indifferent attitude has been demonstrated time and again. A man clearly culpable of genocide, and who has not shown an iota of remorse (which seems to be a matter of pride for him), still remains the king of his Gujarati bastion. The logical inference would be that as long as a party (or person) does enough (infrastructure/development wise) for a majority community, then that majority will not only remain silent, but also vote that party to power repeatedly irrespective of suppression and oppression of any other minority community. Any man or woman capable of efficiently running a state and with good oratory skills can play this political move in a large number of states in this country.

The Muslim vote seems to have swung in favour of Congress even with increased availability of non-BJP (alliance) options. The general populace too seemed to find some solace and stability with the Congress party in the centre. The extent to which this feeling was a result of good campaigning by Congress party workers (including the Gandhi siblings), we will never know. One good move by the party was the removal of Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler from their respective seats in Delhi. What makes this move even smarter is that such a move hardly influences the indictment and punishment of ‘guilty’ individuals (after all Sajjan Kumar’s brother stood on his behalf), but still helps creat an image of a remorseful Congress which comes out stronger in the backdrop of Pilibhit & Ghodhra. Touche to the Indian politician.

Monmohan Singh’s character also plays a major role in influencing the psyche of the voter. An economist and educationist with a pleasing personality and a simple manner about him is the only prime minister, after Jawaharlal Nehru, to be re-elected after finishing a five year term. Does India want to be represented (even if only in name) by a man whose image still remains free from political dirt (Disregarding the recent hijack commotion)? Did India elect a man who showcases her intelligence, diversity and humility? I certainly think so.

The Swaying Tree

O what a joy it is to see

that sight of moving poetry

a breeze that nestles gleefully

in the open arms, of a swaying tree

With crowns of leaves and greenery

adorning all the scenery

with gifts of fruit and easing shade

those gems of generosity

Have we lost our aesthetic sense?

a bargain for convenience?

without a single caring thought

our printers whir incessantly

We selfishly pollute the air

that all the living creatures share

the air that trees so diligently

try to restore to purity

But hedonism makes us blind

and everywhere the axes grind

chopping and cutting to the ground

the protectors of tranquility

Still they stand, without lament

an embodiment of that quiet strength

if only human beings could learn

something from their humility

Why must they suffer such a fate

at the hands of a human race,

which sacrifices vehemently

for the sake of new technology

Lets hope it isn't much too late

to realise our gross mistake

and give utmost priority

to that selfless gentle swaying tree

Islam & the Beard

Today it is easy for people to “hate” Islam and Muslims in general. With the ever increasing influence of the media, and the actions of a few extremists representing the entire community, I do not blame the layman for falling prey to communal bias. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, and radical elements, regardless of region or religion, have always had a more action based approach than their moderate counterparts.

In the case of Islam, one of the primary side-effects of extremism involves facial hair. It is a highly painful decision for a Muslim to keep a beard these days (with or without moustache), without it having any religious connotation. To give a recent example, my cousin had recently graduated from high school and entered the realms of ‘college freedom’. Based on experience, I advised him to experiment with facial hair before he enters the real world of white collars and colourful ties. To my surprise, the idea faced a lot of resistance from some members of the family, particularly my aunt. “He will look like a terrorist, and you know the situation these days” she said. It was the perspective of a concerned mother who feared the social ostracising of her son by the increasingly communal public and an ever suspicious anti-Muslim government.

My cousin managed to sport a beard for a few months and also received some positive feedback about his newly acquired look. But this was the outcome in a reasonably well-off and influential Muslim family (elite?). I wonder what the conclusion would have been if he was living in Gujarat (the modern manifestation of hell for Indian Muslims) or belonged to a poverty stricken and uneducated Muslim family (the true majority), who face much greater risk should the government decide to label one of them as terrorists.

There is no doubt that society generally assumes a correlation between clean shaven individuals and decency, and that this debate has taken place, and will continue to do so, in a large number of households. But for Muslims this decision ceases to be a matter of simply looking proper, and becomes a fear factor. This fear has a negative influence on the psyche of the Muslim youth and helps breed the minority oppression ideology.

There maybe some who wrongly think that emulating a physical attribute of the prophet which was more of a norm at the time, rather than his attributes of justice, equality and peace, makes them endearing to God. But there are many good Muslims who follow the tenets of Islam and want to keep a beard simply for the love of the prophet. I see no fault in their ideology. Then there are others like me who hardly qualify as Muslims in the true sense and want to try out a beard. But who knows, it might catch the eye of a cop with a bias who may harass me unnecessarily. Is it worth the risk?

The day that Muslims lose all sense of victimisation by a "Hindu Raj" will be the day of a true victory for our secular democracy, but that day is far and there is a lot to be done, not only by the fractional secular share of the majority, but more importantly by the quiet eyewitnesses to an open onslaught of their own religion at the hands of people who call themselves Muslims. It is time for real Muslims to take a stand, to take action and to break this silence which allows mentally disturbed manipulators to contort a pure religion and teach violence and hate.

For the time being, the only advice to Muslims who want to experiment with facial hair without any social discomfort is to grow a moustache (no bar on style or size). For the more courageous souls, the moustache may be supplemented by a beard.

Warning: This advice is not applicable to Muslims seeking an easier access to heaven at the time of judgement by growing a beard, or those who want to strike fear in the hearts of non-believers.