The Prime Minister of a nation with 172 million Muslims citizens did not mention the festival of Eid, which is in August, in his address to the nation Tuesday. Narendra Modi rattled off the names of all upcoming festivals such as Guru Purnima, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Durga Puja, Chhath Puja, and Kati Bihu. He even announced an extension of the Centre’s free-ration scheme till the end of November, and detailed how much wheat, rice and chana families would get.
But there was no mention of Eid.
“From July onwards, the atmosphere of festivals begins to develop. Now see, we have Guru Purnima on 5 July. Then Saawan (month of Hindu calendar) will start. We will then have 15 August, Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam. If you move further ahead, we have Bihu, Navaratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath Puja,” he said in his 15-minute address.
Guru Purnima is the closest upcoming festival, followed by Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Janmashtami, all of which fall in the month of August. But Modi decided to take a convenient leap till Diwali, Durga Puja and Kati Bihu, completely skipping Bakri Eid, which will be on 31 July – 1 August.
This is new India where Muslim festivals can be ignored. But is this an act of omission or commission?
Also read: No hug, handshake, namaz at mosque: Muslim scholars urge community to celebrate Eid at home
A deliberate slip-up
Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMM president, pointed out that Modi made it a point to mention chana in his address, but failed to mention Eid. Nonetheless, Owaisi wished the PM Eid Mubarak. Activist-scholar Umar Khalid questioned Modi’s popular claim of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.
.@PMOIndia aaj China par bolna tha, bol gaye CHANA par. Which was also necessary since your unplanned lockdown had left many working people without food.
Also noticed that you listed many festivals in coming months but missed Baqr Eid? Chaliye, phir bhi aapko peshgi Eid Mubarak
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) June 30, 2020
Did you miss out on Eid in the list of upcoming festivals? Sabka Saath?
— Umar Khalid (@UmarKhalidJNU) June 30, 2020
Modi, however, is not someone to miss such details. He often extols the fabric of India. He is well aware that his words, or his omissions, will be noted and analysed — and he wants them to be. It was nothing less than a deliberate skip, a design to hurt Muslim sentiments, and invisibilise them.
Some will say that he tweets on Eid. But that he does because not doing so would invite direct questioning and international attention.
Pick up any of Modi’s addresses, he rarely includes Muslims or Christians. This is a strong signalling to his core constituency that dreams of a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.
Also read: Indians who made Covid ‘Muslim virus’ after Tablighi Jamaat are cheering Odisha’s Rath Yatra
Only apathy
Many years ago, Modi refused to wear a skull cap during his sadbhavana fast in Gujarat. Today, he ignores a Muslim festival, even in such grim times of unemployment and widespread morbidity caused by a pandemic.
The only time Modi notices Muslims is when there is a protest on the streets. He recognises them by their clothes, and then his supporters spread Islamophobia identifying Muslims on the basis of their names, beards and burqas.
A Prime Minister who espouses slogans such as ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ would have at least shown the humility of acknowledging Muslims, who followed his lockdown call to stay indoors during Ramzan, while mosques remained shut. But Modi only has apathy to show for the community. Clearly, the idea of diversity is just a diplomatic postcard for Prime Minister Modi.
Views are personal.
Also read: PM Modi will lose over 2 lakh Chinese followers with Weibo ban
Thanks full to modi ji not mentioning some communities feativals n walking tribes during lockdown…. helpless people who left metropolit city to village where there is humanity supporting each other… during lockdown mota bhai n chchota bhai locked himself n enjoy ludo when poor people serviving life on road n donating plazma … not mentioned any bhasan who died in notbandy que not mentioned any of his bhashan during lockdown poor people bitten by polic not mentioned raising prices diesel petro not mentioned who lost jobe n many of them lost his life to reach village pm ji addressing only how to be continue on kursi how collect his own voter n supporter pm ji knows very well how to deal dreamles n illitrate people …………..once again thanks modi ji to not addressed us modi ji addressed his voter n supporter its provoke us (sc/st/obc)to educate ourselves jo karna hai khud karna hoga…..jo padhega woh badhega. deshvashi jagruk hojao khud bacho desh aur deshvashi ko bachao..hum aur hamare desh par vipda hai
When pandemic is still to peak, he is addressing 130 cr, with China flexing muscles, why people want to think communal. Is covid patients treatment, or any benefit scheme being done on communal lines. All community covid warriors r on job. Then why such unnecessary provoking devide
Then why he deliberately skipped the Muslim holidays. Any reason other than anti Muslim bias and hatred
Eid is for self enjoyment
Don’t care and don’t be sad
Eid is for self enjoyment
Don’t care .
No wonder there. The PM is pursuing his agenda of humiliating and isolating Muslims in letter and spirit. But he should know it well that for his known inherent dislike for Muslims, now the Muslims too do not die to hear words from him vis a vis anything that is Muslim related. So he can relish his base pleasure as much as he wants and get exposed to the world in the process. The Eid that is approaching in about a month’s time is very grand and is of utmost importance in the religion of Islam. In a way, it is good that this word is not uttered by those who are known haters of Islam. Good riddance.
The most saught after persons are the ones who are abused the most. We are most fortunate that we are enjoying freedom in democratic India. That’s why people can easily abuse even the PM with impunity otherwise had they been in CPC, China, they would have enjoying the luxury of being in lock up with merciless blow up.
Mr DK Pandey. You proclaim with the usual shaka instilled jingoistic fervour:
“ .. We are most fortunate that we are enjoying freedom in democratic India ..”
Nonsense Mr Pandey !
The bulk of Indian media is forced by the ruling BJP government to either toe the Hindutva line of the BJP or face trouble. Trouble such as loss revenue from government sources, getting suspended (as the Malayalam channel Asianet did), facing death threats as some journalists do or be at the receiving side of abuse from the hordes of semi-literate, itchy scrotummed North Indian trolls employed by the BJP IT cell.
Indeed, in the World Press Freedom Index ranking compiled by Reporters without Borders (Ref: bit.ly/3giAOAr) places India at an abysmal 142 out of the 180 odd countries surveyed. But then, blinkered, blind jingoists like you should be happy that India is better than Pakistan and China which are ranked at 145 and 177 respectively.
Pathetic Mr DK Pandey that you call the BJP’s naked fascism as democracy.
PM of India is unaware about Indian festivals or he is only addressing few communities in India and then he says”sabka sath sabka vikas” without any vikas
Mr/Ms KH: The practice of Hinduism varies from region to region within India. For instance, in Kashmir, meat is offered by Hindus. Lamb sacrifices are done for the deity Kali in Bengal and so on.
You want the BJP & PM Modi to ban festivals where animals are slaughtered. Apart from the fact that such a ban is bound to alienate Muslims, tribals and much of North-east India where offerings of slaughtered animals are the norm, you also forget that such ritual slaughter is but a drop in the ocean. 70% of Indians are meat eaters and that fact alone should tell you that animals are slaughtered in India on a daily basis. And the bulk of these meat eaters are Hindus. Which begs the question:
If ocassional slaughtering of animals for religious festivals is bad and should be banned, why not ban the more frequent and daily slaughtering of animals?
Let me know how you plan to resolve the inherent hypocrisy in your stance.
Its a big shame for india ..instead of developing the countries infrastructure,healthy environment and standard of living etc, people still fighting for relegion which will gain nothing but only hatred..really sad. Please live happily
See dont want any1 wishes, we only need Allah wth us …dnt create any issue on ths topic . Thy do all this purposely to provoke us ….he have ruined the country
The minorities have been given a unduly long rope till now. Taking advantage of that, the minorities have not improved their lot, instead propogated the religion to the detriment of majority religion. So, the minorities appeasement should stop somewhere and good sign that the PM himself started. Hail NAMO!!!
Mr Subbiah: In your infinite wisdom, you pontificate:
“.. minorities have been given a unduly long rope till now .. minorities appeasement should stop .. ”
Fine. But then, why appease Sikhs? After all, in the Khalistan struggles, weren’t Hindus massacred by Sikh extremists? And yet, the PM refused a Muslim skull cap but had no issues wearing a Sikh turban did he not Mr Subbiah ? So wasn’t PM Modi appeasing Sikhs ? And after all, unlike Muslims or Christians, Sikhs wanted to break away from India didn’t they ? And Sikhs are ostensibly far more powerful in India than Muslims and hence must be appeased right?
And lest you get any ideas that I am advocating discrimination against Sikhs, well, the answer certainly not. I merely being sarcastic and just want to ensure that shakha groomed intellectuals like you don’t get the wrong idea that I am encouraging discrimination. Far from it.
Finally, I could not but help notice your last phrase “Hail NAMO”. Well, it might interest you to know that the RSS where PM Modi received his ideological training and shakha experience was based on Adolf Hitler’s Nazi ideology. Combined duly with Mussolini’s fascism. And of course, Hitler was always saluted with “Hail Hitler”. But then I forget that Hitler is a popular figure in middle class India.
Ominous indeed Mr Subbiah.
Talking only about EID missed by our PM,
What about sikh’Gurupurb, dont unnecessary point out
Well said Mr Surjit Singh !
Sikhs, like the majority of Hindus eat meat and there are just a few restrictions on the consumption of meat. Sikhs are prohibited from eating “kutha meat” i.e. ritually slaughtered meat such as Jewish Kosher meat or Muslim halal meat.
Indeed, during Hola Mohalla and other festivals, Nihang Sikhs slaughter and eat meat from various animals. However, given the somewhat higher political power wielded by Sikhs, the presence of a large number of Sikhs in the Forces and also the history of violent struggles from the Khalistan era, the PM dare not provoke Sikhs.
Hypocrisy writ large.
Public se ab kuchh chhupa nahin hai , sab achchhi tarah se jaante hain. Magar ab koi bhi NAFRAT PHAILANE ki chaal kamiyab nahin hogi. Bihar’s people will give befitting answer. HINDU muslim sikh isai and Jain Parsi unity ZINDABAD Bhaichara BANAYE RAKHIYE please. Ham saath the, saath hain aur SAATH MILJUL KAR RAHEN GE. Aspas mein confusion BILKUL NAHIN. Jai Hind.
Modi hai to Mumkeen hai
Mr Motabhai: I guess the Chinese PM Xi Jinping must be the one saying – with a lot of glee:
“Modi hai to Mumkeen hai”
Meanwhile, blinkered blind bhakths like you forget the fact that India has lost territory and lost lives. Thanks in no small measure to Amit Shah’s banging of his war drum about recovering Aksai Chin.
Pathetic that people like you cannot read the writing on the wall.
Illiterate P.M know what
It wouldn’t hurt the commands they follow literally from scripture
the book which they want to follow literally is silent about festival.
Hindus have joyful festival where all are welcome to participate but this particular day have full of restrictions. Commands from above is key.
Is Telegraph upset that PM Modi is not promoting slaughter of thousands of innocent animals on one single day? Does Telegram support animal rights or not! It’s not the normal Eid it’s a literally a bloody Eid where animals in Lakhs are slaughtered in a single day. Streams of blood flow in your local canals. No one should support this festival. Slaughter your vice on Bakr Eid and not innocent animals in millions on a single day. I am glad he is not supporting a festival that truly overlooks animal rights. Foreign media had trouble with Indian bull festival where the animal is not attacked or even slaughtered. But they want leaders of the world to promote animal genocide in the name of minority festival.
Ms Ananya: Now that comment of yours is one solid paragraph of hypocrisy, ignorance and a tunnel vision worsened by your saffron spectacles.
In India, dietary practices as well as religious rituals depend upon religion, region, caste and often class i.e. the economic stratum to which you belong. Hindus in Kashmir offer mutton as an offering to the deity; Bengali Hindus offer animal sacrifices to Lord Kali; Nihang Sikhs slaughter during the Hola Mohalla festival; Muslims slaughter goats during Bakr Eid and so on. And then you have the whole range of tribal worship practices that entail ritual slaughters of various animals. Indeed, in very Hindu Nepal, the Gadhimai Hindu festival is reputedly the world’s largest animal slaughter, see ref: bit.ly/3eW6Zp0. I guess you did not protest against the Gadhimai Festival where Hindus mercilessly slaughtered cattle in front of their calves did you Ms Ananya? Or is it that your animal rights only come to the fore when it involves curbing the rights of Muslims and when told to do so by your 56 inch chested Gujarati mentor?
But, I have another more direct question that concerns you Ms Ananya. Do you use leather products Ms Ananya? Leather handbags, sandals, shoes, purses and so forth ? So doesn’t your demand for leather not cause the slaughter of cows? See the hypocrisy?
The article writer, the publisher and all people raising this issue belong to the same category who derailed the lockdown benefits by inciting pity labor class to move out to streets. It is another example of diverting attention from main topic i.e. the extension of benefits to poor which will be given to all irrespective of any religion. And here lies the essence of SABKA VIKAS, not in not mentioning name of any festival. Do not try to divide the country by raising such non- issues.
Reality check. This is India, comparatively when Muslims living in India speaks up for our Indian brothers living in Pakistan and other Muslim countries and let them celebrate our rituals and religious with dignity, respect and freedom like you enjoy in India. You will then have all our respect here in India too..
Mr Sunil: Care to clarify who you refer to when you write:
“.. our Indian brothers living in Pakistan and other Muslim countries ..” ?
And then, should not all Indian citizens, regardless of religion be respected in India? Or does the Constitution say something else Mr Sunil?
in short time I think muddy are destroy India are सिस्टमैटिक and we poor people fight ich other
देखते रहिये
Why not BAN all sort of non-veg in India ?
Mr Kamran: Then India would starve and go bankrupt. ! That won’t happen.
Salo hum to zabah krty ha tareqy sy tum to khary janwar ko kat dety ho. Lakh d lanat twady jaman alya ty