At Jama Masjid, Muslims pronounced they are Indians first, rejecting the idea that someone can reimagine the basis of the Republic, just because he has majority.
Thursday saw lakhs of protesters across the country raise their voice against the Citizenship Act. And they did so with some on-point slogans and songs.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee hints at BJP 'conspiracy' to malign Muslims and the state, by making party workers participate in CAA protests wearing skull caps.
HRD ministry asks educational institutions to keep tab on social media accounts of students and teachers to ensure incidents like Jamia violence is not repeated.
Anti-citizenship act protests in parts of UP, Maharashtra, and Karnataka also saw sporadic violence. Internet in UP and Karnataka was shut down in areas to maintain law and order.
The team visited the library, where police allegedly barged in looking for 'outsiders' who indulged in violence and arson during last Sunday's anti-citizenship law protests.
Karnataka's minister for Tourism and Kannada Culture C.T. Ravi also said patience of the majority 'is not our weakness' in backdrop of citizenship law protests.
Naidu attempts to shield aqua farmers after Trump’s tariff hits the shrimp farming sector in Andhra Pradesh, leading to the cancellation of 50% of the state's exports.
Company builds microsatellites that are smaller, faster, cheaper to produce. ICEYE will develop & launch micro-satellites, hand them over to India, which will have full control & sovereignty.
What Munir has achieved with Trump is a return to normal, ironing out the post-Abbottabad crease. The White House picture gives us insight into how Pakistan survives, occasionally thrives and thinks.
JUDGING FROM THE COMMENTS HERE, HINDU SOCIETY HAS BEEN THROUGHLY COMMUNALISED, CONSUMED BY HATRED
But why this intense hatred?
This is the work of the drip drip of poison fed to the populace by the BJP.
This is the result of the distortion of Indian history by RSS historians
This is the result of the cult of the followers of Savakar who amongst other things advocated the rape of Muslim women.
Well two hundred million Indian Muslims are not going to lie down and just die.
We will fight alongside our Hindu secular brothers, to uphold the constitution and make India a secular country where a persons merit matters, not his caste, ethnicity or religion
Nor is the time for all Indians to come together to save India from the evil fascist forces
Silent majority is just watching what is happening around them. All this flaunting tricolour and singing national anthem is only facade behind saving illegal migrants. Muslims are isolating themselves from their behaviour. It is in their own interest allow NRC and CAA. As usual Shekhar Gupta write these kind of articles not many buy it. They read and laugh.
From where this sudden patriotism sprouted among them ????? They all the while lived here with their souls in Pakistan and today sudden change in tricolor. ???
This bill gives rights to religiously persecuted minorities, many of whom are basically now in India living a measurable life, due to partition based on religious lines. Now of late Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh ( driven by economic interest and weak Congress party) entered India in large numbers. These Muslims are not persecuted, they had moved to Pakistan and Bangladesh as their country. Why India should give them citizenship. ?
1- Please note that Myanmar is not a single religion country and also Rohingya are traveling into India through Bangladesh, why?.
2- Srilanka is also not a Single religion country hence Hindus are excluded
3- Shia and Ahmedias are recent trouble but are very much part of Islam, and hence India can not consider them persecuted.
If Muslims are seeking equal rights and citizenship of India then we should blur the boundaries of Pakistan and merge it back. There is no other way we can accommodate those illegals who migrated to these countries in name of religion
Indian Muslims want all illegal Bangladeshi Muslims to be citizens of India and they are protesting everywhere and in some places they are destroying government properties. By doing so, they are doing a big favour to BJP. Hindus are far more polarised today than they had ever been.
Hindus in territories that make W Pakistan
1931 : 15%
1941 : 14%
1951 : 01.3% — Genocide completed by muslims in West Pakistan.
Same for Sikhs
1931 : 6%
1941: 7%
1951: 0.5% – Genocide of Sikhs in W Pakistan completed.
We need to acknowledge the truth and learn the correct lesson if we want to survive.
Anyone quoting 1951 as starting point is deliberately misleading and wants to mask the truth.
I IMAGINED THAT IN 1941 WHAT IS TODAY PAKISTAN( WEST PAKISTAN) WAS A PART OF UNITED INDIA OF THE BRITISH. THANKS FOR CORRECTING THAT PAKISTAN WAS IN EXISTENCE IN 1941 ITSELF. HAVE WE NOT HEARD OF HOARDES OF BIHARIS, UPIANS EXIT GUJARAT AND MAHARSHTRA WHEN AGITATION FOR JOBS FOR LOCALS STARTED ? WHAT IS THE PROVENANCE OF THESE FIGURES , WHICH HAD NOT BEEN HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER?
If bhanu makes us believe that ram mandir judgement is because of bjp government then nobody can stop us to believe that in the last 70 years the verdicts delivered by sc in favour of congress govt are also tainted. Is he ready to this proposition.
Sor are never Incorporated in the act , increase you awareness.
The synonymn of polarisation is unity. Unity of hindus is not acceptable to liberals. If hindus unite irrespective of caste ,creed, region, faith then rest shall fall in.
Shakerji, by your name “GUPTA” it means you are a Baniya and Baniyas are full of brain . We wonder where is yours or you have sold your soul to the Devil
interesting how Gupta-ji manages to attract hoards of probably paid trolls who have nothing to say of substance but do make a lot of nonsensical noise- you should all thank him for generating so much work for you.
The article tries to hide the truth under the comfortable over of sounding morally correct…I think As a true secular Indian Shekher Gupta has written a very good article. We all want peace and India can’t progress without the progress of Muslims. But I think deep inside even Shekher ji knows that he is only partially true. …the unfortunate stereotypes of Muslims are there for a reason… I have no idea & I don’t understand why are Muslims always unhappy with others in whichever country they are living. Something to think about?
In a otherwise brilliant article I was a bit saddened by cheap-shots at the “left-liberal”… why divide again? We are all in this together: Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs and Christians AND Lefties and even those in BJP who believe in the constitution. Yes, today we are all Indians first and Hindu/Muslim or Left/Right next. That is what is needed to save India.
I’m shocked and embarrassed to read some of the comments from my fellow Indians. I’m proud that India is a secular country and I’ve had enough of this govt hijacking it with their hinduvta agenda, instead of taking the country forward. I regret voting BJP and wont again! Indian muslims are proud Indians, they chose to stay here instead of going to Pakistan. BJP is making India into a Pakistan, it must STOP!
sick you are – not the journalists nor the Muslims. perhaps you are a paid troll, in which case you are forgiven since this is your job. but you know what? after work you can join us to protect our constitution 🙂
As long as people like you and your masters are around, we will have a gala friendship!!
LOL!!! Nice one!
Not too sure what prompted Mr Gupta to come out with this Muslim piece suddenly now. Whilst I have no evidence not to support Mr Gupta’s view that Indian Muslims swear by their Indian identity, world over Muslims do believe in their ‘Ummah’. In doing so, it’s their religion that acts as the glue. So, when it comes Indian Muslims, it’s hard to accept that, their allegiance or otherwise to an Indian identity would run roughshod over such a strong belief system particularly when it’s rooted in their religion.
A hindu has no right to look like a Hindu in India but a muslim has every right to look like muslim, if journalists and likes of manmohan singh do not assauge then they can easily turn to terror as an option so liberals and politicians need to appease them always and give them untold benefits like free haj trip, reservations, madrasa education, turn a blind eye if they shout allahu akbar, praise mappila riots, throw stones on police and even lynch police. What a useless democracy we are where majority needs to appease the minority else minority is nuisance.
Hindus can and do look like “hindus” – but that does not protect them from hindutva thugs: see what happened to Swami Agnivesh.
Nobody needs to be assuaged nor threatened or targeted. Everyone one is equal citizen with the same identical rights. That’s what needs to be understood.
The so called experts, pseudo intellectuals and charter members of ‘Lutyens Lobby’ will pronounce on the ‘Mindset of Muslims’ without an iota of understanding of the reality. From their multi crore homes, air conditioned offices and usually smug surroundings with several past ‘luxurious trips to Pakistan ‘ arrange by fronts funded by ISI; they are the befooled ‘useful idiots’ tasked to lull their country- men.
Muslims, everywhere in the world, maintain their separate identity and never accept to live in peace and harmony with non muslim milieu unless they are in tiny minority . As soon as their number reaches even six to seven percent they demand separate facilities and start asserting their ‘Rights.’
In India there are already calls for a ‘Second Partition’ and any one who dismisses these early signs will regret to relive the experiences of ‘First Partition’!
Ah Canadian, keep your divisive ideology for Canada (and get soundly thrashed by your fellow country men for it). In India we know how to unite!
Sometimes, ‘Truth’ is bitter and so is the medicine prescribed to cure sickness !
Sometimes, “TRUTH” is bitter and so is the medicine prescribed to cure sickness !
it looks you have never lived in the western countries.
The Tiranga replacing PAk and ISIS flag is not Modi- Shah’s doing. It is the worldwide fear and shame of being associated with those flags. The Arab white robe, Dishdash or Kandura was a common sight on all international Airports across the world, today you need to search for one and still you will not find one that is a change Post 9/11. Events bring about the change not individuals.
Anyway the is step in the right direction, hope the other steps will follow. Nationally irrelevant parties will try to make a come back one way or the other by instigating the uneducated and very well educated as well.
Anything that does not change with the times is doomed to perish. The RSS did go from shorts to fullpants, and did not keep reading Guruji in the 21st Century.
Shekhar might have forgotten the days when a victory for Pakistan cricket team over India would spark fire cracker celebration by Indian Muslims. New generation Indian may be unaware of this but it’s a fact. There is a growing demand in Pakistan that Indian Muslims and Dalits should come together to increase their votes share. Anybody reading Pakistan newspaper knows this. The Muslims will flutter Tiranga as long as they are less than 35 % ( with Dalits). After that they will first flatten People like Shekhar Gupta and then remaining. This has happened all over world.
4) Finally, I and most people like me read the Print and follow Cut the Clutter because you seem to be objective and balanced, unlike ‘journalists’ like Siddharth Varadarajan, Raghav Bahl, Rajdeep Sardesai, Swati Chaturvedi on the one side, and Arnab Goswami and Madhu Kishwar on the other. We like neither side. We want raw news and honest, balanced opinion.
In this article, you have lost that balance. If you continue to do so, you will be just another journalist.
You may have your views on Narendra Modi, but please don’t let them influence your journalism.
3) If Manmohan Singh had really spoken those words, “hat anyone complaining about special facilities for the Muslims should be aware that even if 1 per cent of India’s Muslims (about 20 crore now) decided that that there was no future for them in India, the country would become ungovernable”, then he was not fit to be the Prime Minister. What is he saying? That he will allow himself and the govt of India be blackmailed by 1 per cent of Muslims into giving them special facilities (which has anyway never helped them)? It is another matter if Manmohan Singh had said that Muslims are still backward and they deserve, need to be supported–which is fine. But to say that we give them special facilities because otherwise they will become unruly, is unbecoming of a Prime Ministery.
And here you are, celebrating that stupid statement!
2) SECONDLY, you seem to be at pains to underline that Muslims are patriotic. Who said anything otherwise? Of course, a very big majority of Indian Muslims are patriotic. We have an excellent example in Lt Gen Syed Hasnain, and there are millions of them. What you are mischievously trying to insinuate is that the BJP and their friends are saying that Muslims are unpatriotic and the protesting Muslims in Jama Masjid are proving them wrong. It is really YOU who is seeing ghosts when there is none.
You are probably thinking of some comments asking Muslims to go to Pakistan. While they are wrong, it is necessary to see the context in which they were made. I read about a Muslim student who is reported to have said “Pakistan has beauty, what does India have?”. The response to that can only be, “well, in that case, why don’t you go to Pakistan”. It does not mean that everybody is calling all Muslims to go to Pakistan.
Well, there might be some odd nut who may have actually called upon all Muslims to get out. He is a nut, the equivalent of a Muslim who is setting fire to a railway coach. These people have to be dealt with appropriately. But for you to imply that the patriotism of Muslims is generally questioned and that they are proving it by carrying the tricolor in Jama Masjid is, well, poor journalism.
1). Your line “our prime minister just indicated that the clothes people wear signal their intentions” is, to use a kind word, mischievous. Modi said nothing of that kind. To quote Modi verbatim, “ye aag lagane wale koun hai, yeh unke kapdo se pata chal jata hai”. Literal translation is, “who these people who are setting fire, is something you can tell by their dresses”. Now first of all, he NEVER said or meant that all Muslims are fire-setters–as you imply. That comment was in the narrow context of those who were doing that particular act. Now, if a mob is setting fire to a train and you see them all dressed as Muslims, wearing skull caps and beards (I mean, if that is true), then what do you expect any one to say. Won’t you say “those people who were setting fire to the coach, or at least a majority of them, were Muslims? Won’t you say that? Won’t anybody? Now, this is not to insinuate that all Muslims are like that–which is absurd, because that is not true at all.
Hindus where they are in a minority in a Muslim majority country cannot, must not protest their persecution.
Where Hindus are in majority, there too THE MUSSULMAN MUST HAVE THE FIRST SHARE OF THE NATION’S RESOURCES. That is the MMS principle (note Manmohan Singh pleading for CAA in Parliament in 2003– awesome video you can find on youtube).
Gupta and allied commentariat reflects typical COWARDICE of Hindus. Gandhi had after all advised Hindus to bear all the violence and depredations against them by Muslims in silence.
The usual trope from a hack always pretending to be astute, but getting sillier day by day.
Congress and other pseudo seculars have treated Muslims as their votebank, believing Hindu vote will always he splintered. Now blowback from Hindus.
35 years of continuous Left rule in Bengal — what have the Muslims there, Bangladeshis included— got to show for it? Yechury, Karat et al we are waiting to know.
Sachar committee report = bogus, burn it!
Muslims have been willing accomplices for their alleged socioeconomic plight by hankering for issues totally unrelated to their socioeconomic well-being: Shah Bano, Ram temple, Rushdie affair, events in their Ummah having no immediate concern, etc. On triple talaq, burqua, uniform civil code = obtuse as ever.
And in all this the CONSTANT DESIRE TO MULTIPLY, believing the neighbourhood cleric that it is God’s will (and this desire remains even when in Europe and America). What could be the motive — that one day we will have the numbers and we will prevail?
Why only Muslims are targetted? In past there have been Muslims who have been wrongly accused of being terrorist or anti national, wrong evidences have been produced in order to put them in jail and torture them. People behind this have never thought for a second that whether they are actually guilty or not. It is the names that just echoes in there head ( muslim names) and they are just punished for being a muslim. Why aren’t these people questioned or targetted for there malice practices may be because they are so called powerfull or may be we are scared of them. Why are we as a Muslim questioned about our nationalism . Why can’t you people see that a muslim is firm in his faith and still he is loyal to his country? Why people who are weak have to show there loyalty card whether they are muslims or Dalits or Adivasis. People who torture us, discriminate us are not frequently questioned the way we are? Just because we are oppressed or we are not in power or just because there voices can be heard and ours crushed or just because they can scream Jai Hind and we feel Jai Hind? Our faith and our Indian constitution teaches us humanity before any thing else and we the Muslims of India live by it (see again i have to prove my self) . Last but not the least TRUTH prevails over falsehood.
There is no question of any Islamist tendencies, nor there woul;d ever be any Hindu counter mobilization. Just relax!
Thanks to Modi and Shah.At least the Indian muslims held the tricolour and proclaimed themselves Indians. something their forefathers failed to do in 1947. As we all remember, during elections in 1947, 90% muslims had voted for Jinnah who campained on the slogan of separate state for muslim population in Indian subcontinent.
These are mere gimmicks or as they say Taqiya and 90% of muslims believe in the ummah and do not recognize India as a nation state.
Only 14 % of Indian Muslims were allowed to vote for partition in the 1940s. It isn’t clear how they would have voted, if all were allowed to vote.
Exactly the same way as they did as 14% or they will as 28% or 50% or 70%. Muslims are homogenous in the sense that they all have hatred towards people of other faiths and a general urge to persecute them and force their religion (which is actually a disease) on others.
thus speaks a tolerant Hindu, is it? wonder whose interest you serve trying to incite hatred among Indians!
“if 1 per cent of India’s Muslims (about 20 crore now) decided that that there was no future for them in India, the country would become ungovernable.” In 1947, 22% of current Pakistan was non-Muslim. Why did 98% of them flee to India? By your logic, if even 1 percent of them …, then Pakistan would have become ungovernable. Same about Bangladesh. If 1 per cent of Bangladeshi Hindus … Can you argue that Muslims in India are being treated worse than Hindus in Bangladesh? Then why are you portraying all of Indian Muslims being oppressed . Is expelling illegal Bengali Muslims same as oppressing legal Indian Muslims?
Absolutely. Typical rant of sickulars. That Hindus dare not say anything when they are persecuted.
In 1947, 22% of East AND West Pakistan was non-muslim. Then East Pakistan became Bangladesh. Bangladesh had 20% of the muslims and Pakistan was left with 2%. You can ask why has Bangladesh’s muslim population come down to half of that in the years since 1971, but Pakistan has actually maintained a stable population of hindus since the beginning.
Correction: Bangladesh had 20% of NON-MUSLIMS.
Mr Ghosh, don’t get taken in by propaganda. The population of the minorities in the then Pakistan (newly independent) was about 22% but the bulk of that was in East Pakistan. West Pakistan had a small remnant after partition, about three odd percent. While reliable census figures are not available, the population of minorities in today’s Pakistan, erstwhile West Pakistan, continues to be around three odd percent..
It is matter of relief that demonstration against CAA and NRC ( a process whose details are not yet announced), though initially violent, have been broadly peaceful. However, as it is crystal clear, CAA and NRC are not against any Indian citizen at all. They are in favor of minorities from 3 neighboring countries in so far as granting speedier and preferential citizenship rights to them but not for Muslims from these countries who are illegal migrants in India. But Indian citizenship is open to anyone under usual rules and procedures as per the Citizenship Act. This fine line should not be missed out by anyone.
Once can even accept that this is done for entirely political reasons by BJP ( and conversely, the opposite actions by congress and TMC). But that does not give rights to a group of Indian citizens as a community to protest against it violently or otherwise. If this is to be accepted, one has to grant majority community from Indian citizens to demand and go on agitation for citizenship rights for such persecuted minorities from other other countries who are refugees here. This would certainly lead to chaos.
Hence, principally, such protest against CAA and NRC as Indian Muslim as a group are not acceptable, whether they are peaceful or with National Anthem in hand or otherwise. But any one can be politically against it and voice his opinion, demonstrate, go to SC, vote BJP out etc.. That is usual political course for which no one can have any issue. Imam Bukhari is was forthright in issuing a clear statement on CAA and NRC and he should be applauded for it, even if he could come out of the mosque during the demonstration there.
In the National Interest, Shekhar should be careful not to play underhand or bowl a ‘doosra’ just because as a sickular, he is viscerally anti Modi and anti-BJP. Instead, why not Shekhar ask Mamata to go for flash elections in West Bengal ( to have a ‘referendum’ on this issue there under Election Commission!) or ask Congress and opposition parties to come out clearly and say that they will offer citizenship to all illegal migrants as of 31st Dec 2014 as a one time measure (just like political parties regularize unauthorized slums just before every elections!). Modi and BJP are solving a long pending issue but one cannot just oppose it and create atmosphere of violence and lawlessness but offer alternative solution. Else, as in 2019, Modi and BJP will ultimately benefit from all this in 2024!
I am Hindu, and we are angry now, so we demand the govt to treat us specially. Else, it would be bad right, if even 0.5% out of 80% Hindus feel they don’t have anything left in this country, and turn radical. So, if not BJP govt., at least Congress when it comes to power, should do the good work of introducing
affirmative actions for Hindus, to assuage our worries and our hurt souls. We, Hindus also vow to assert ourselves by tattooing ourselves with pictures of Constitution and protesting on the steps of Tirupati temple, wearing dhoti and carrying thrishuls, with vibhuti on forehead. After all, we are only pleading for affirmative actions like reservations for almost 80% hindus in areas of education, jobs, policies and henceforth, so that we don’t turn radical and feel lost in this country. I am not against reservations to Muslims and other minorities, since they r hurt and persecuted & looked down upon in India, they should DEFINITELY be protected by special & affirmative actions. BUT, we, Hindus only have great expectations from the congress govt(which gave us our freedom from british rule) to ALSO provide affirmative action & special treatment to Hindus. All should be happy in this country, only then its integrity can be sustained right.
Flaunting one’s religious identity – whether Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, anybody- is a fundamental right. What is not right is when a section of thee majority religion claims only they can be ‘true Indians’ and everyone else will remain at their mercy. This is like the claim of upper caste Hindus to be custodians of their religion, with the rest confined to being supplicants and ‘followers’.
n 1947, Muslims who were 30% of the population of British India, forced division of India over objections of 70% non-muslims through sheer violence and riots. The majority accepted minority demands for division of India along religious lines. Pakistan ( West and East, now called Bangladesh ) was thus created as homeland for Indian sub-continents muslims.
After division and creation of Pakistan ( East and West ) on Indian muslim demand ,Muslims have no moral right in what remained of India after division. Period.
Now they are abusing Hindu tolerance and kindness.
85% of Indian muslims in 1945-46 provincial elections voted for Muslim League demand for division of India along religious lines. That vote and choice has consequences.
Pakistan/Bangladesh is homeland of sub-continent muslims.
India homeland of ALL else.
Any other argument is a lie and travesty of justice.
Even all this could have been forgiven by Hindus, if Muslims did not subsequently perpetrate GENOCIDE of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, east and west.
Noble sentiments, but this is Delhi-centric. Am in Kerala, which has a substantial number of Muslims who are different in many ways from North Indian Muslims. Gupta (and his millionaire friends) often seems quite short-sighted.
to hell with that shayar, who said it. HIndustan bilkul mere baap ka hai. Now muslims get out.
“Devil can also quote scriptures!”
2 Questions
How does one show nationalism?
Who are fringe religion suprematists?
JUDGING FROM THE COMMENTS HERE, HINDU SOCIETY HAS BEEN THROUGHLY COMMUNALISED, CONSUMED BY HATRED
But why this intense hatred?
This is the work of the drip drip of poison fed to the populace by the BJP.
This is the result of the distortion of Indian history by RSS historians
This is the result of the cult of the followers of Savakar who amongst other things advocated the rape of Muslim women.
Well two hundred million Indian Muslims are not going to lie down and just die.
We will fight alongside our Hindu secular brothers, to uphold the constitution and make India a secular country where a persons merit matters, not his caste, ethnicity or religion
Nor is the time for all Indians to come together to save India from the evil fascist forces
Sekhar Gupta, Did they tell u that they flaunt tricolor and sing Vande Mataram?
Too low on ur IQ and Too high on ur puesdo secularism…hahahaha
Infact present anarchy is venting out anger against ayodhya judgement , caa is an excuse.
Wait and see ,They shall sing even vande matram
Silent majority is just watching what is happening around them. All this flaunting tricolour and singing national anthem is only facade behind saving illegal migrants. Muslims are isolating themselves from their behaviour. It is in their own interest allow NRC and CAA. As usual Shekhar Gupta write these kind of articles not many buy it. They read and laugh.
From where this sudden patriotism sprouted among them ????? They all the while lived here with their souls in Pakistan and today sudden change in tricolor. ???
Rightly said boss.
This bill gives rights to religiously persecuted minorities, many of whom are basically now in India living a measurable life, due to partition based on religious lines. Now of late Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh ( driven by economic interest and weak Congress party) entered India in large numbers. These Muslims are not persecuted, they had moved to Pakistan and Bangladesh as their country. Why India should give them citizenship. ?
1- Please note that Myanmar is not a single religion country and also Rohingya are traveling into India through Bangladesh, why?.
2- Srilanka is also not a Single religion country hence Hindus are excluded
3- Shia and Ahmedias are recent trouble but are very much part of Islam, and hence India can not consider them persecuted.
If Muslims are seeking equal rights and citizenship of India then we should blur the boundaries of Pakistan and merge it back. There is no other way we can accommodate those illegals who migrated to these countries in name of religion
Indian Muslims want all illegal Bangladeshi Muslims to be citizens of India and they are protesting everywhere and in some places they are destroying government properties. By doing so, they are doing a big favour to BJP. Hindus are far more polarised today than they had ever been.
Hindus in territories that make W Pakistan
1931 : 15%
1941 : 14%
1951 : 01.3% — Genocide completed by muslims in West Pakistan.
Same for Sikhs
1931 : 6%
1941: 7%
1951: 0.5% – Genocide of Sikhs in W Pakistan completed.
We need to acknowledge the truth and learn the correct lesson if we want to survive.
Anyone quoting 1951 as starting point is deliberately misleading and wants to mask the truth.
I IMAGINED THAT IN 1941 WHAT IS TODAY PAKISTAN( WEST PAKISTAN) WAS A PART OF UNITED INDIA OF THE BRITISH. THANKS FOR CORRECTING THAT PAKISTAN WAS IN EXISTENCE IN 1941 ITSELF. HAVE WE NOT HEARD OF HOARDES OF BIHARIS, UPIANS EXIT GUJARAT AND MAHARSHTRA WHEN AGITATION FOR JOBS FOR LOCALS STARTED ? WHAT IS THE PROVENANCE OF THESE FIGURES , WHICH HAD NOT BEEN HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER?
A fantastic read.
I’d like to share an article I wrote on the topic too. However, the context is how the nature of government made the liberals lose faith in institutions.
https://armchairjournal.com/caa-the-final-nail-in-the-liberal-coffin/
Thank you for sharing.
If bhanu makes us believe that ram mandir judgement is because of bjp government then nobody can stop us to believe that in the last 70 years the verdicts delivered by sc in favour of congress govt are also tainted. Is he ready to this proposition.
Sor are never Incorporated in the act , increase you awareness.
The synonymn of polarisation is unity. Unity of hindus is not acceptable to liberals. If hindus unite irrespective of caste ,creed, region, faith then rest shall fall in.
Shakerji, by your name “GUPTA” it means you are a Baniya and Baniyas are full of brain . We wonder where is yours or you have sold your soul to the Devil
interesting how Gupta-ji manages to attract hoards of probably paid trolls who have nothing to say of substance but do make a lot of nonsensical noise- you should all thank him for generating so much work for you.
The article tries to hide the truth under the comfortable over of sounding morally correct…I think As a true secular Indian Shekher Gupta has written a very good article. We all want peace and India can’t progress without the progress of Muslims. But I think deep inside even Shekher ji knows that he is only partially true. …the unfortunate stereotypes of Muslims are there for a reason… I have no idea & I don’t understand why are Muslims always unhappy with others in whichever country they are living. Something to think about?
Muslims are Muslims first and religion is their first priority.
WE MUSLMS ARE THANKFUL TO AMITHSHA ANDMODI THAT THEY MORE ABIDING AND FOLLOWING INDIAN CONSTITUTION, UNLIKE THESE TWO GENTLEMEN
In a otherwise brilliant article I was a bit saddened by cheap-shots at the “left-liberal”… why divide again? We are all in this together: Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs and Christians AND Lefties and even those in BJP who believe in the constitution. Yes, today we are all Indians first and Hindu/Muslim or Left/Right next. That is what is needed to save India.
I’m shocked and embarrassed to read some of the comments from my fellow Indians. I’m proud that India is a secular country and I’ve had enough of this govt hijacking it with their hinduvta agenda, instead of taking the country forward. I regret voting BJP and wont again! Indian muslims are proud Indians, they chose to stay here instead of going to Pakistan. BJP is making India into a Pakistan, it must STOP!
Good riddance. Go vote Italian.
you mean Golwarkar’s Italian connections?
When will this love affair between sickular journalists and Muslims end?
sick you are – not the journalists nor the Muslims. perhaps you are a paid troll, in which case you are forgiven since this is your job. but you know what? after work you can join us to protect our constitution 🙂
As long as people like you and your masters are around, we will have a gala friendship!!
LOL!!! Nice one!
Not too sure what prompted Mr Gupta to come out with this Muslim piece suddenly now. Whilst I have no evidence not to support Mr Gupta’s view that Indian Muslims swear by their Indian identity, world over Muslims do believe in their ‘Ummah’. In doing so, it’s their religion that acts as the glue. So, when it comes Indian Muslims, it’s hard to accept that, their allegiance or otherwise to an Indian identity would run roughshod over such a strong belief system particularly when it’s rooted in their religion.
A hindu has no right to look like a Hindu in India but a muslim has every right to look like muslim, if journalists and likes of manmohan singh do not assauge then they can easily turn to terror as an option so liberals and politicians need to appease them always and give them untold benefits like free haj trip, reservations, madrasa education, turn a blind eye if they shout allahu akbar, praise mappila riots, throw stones on police and even lynch police. What a useless democracy we are where majority needs to appease the minority else minority is nuisance.
Hindus can and do look like “hindus” – but that does not protect them from hindutva thugs: see what happened to Swami Agnivesh.
Nobody needs to be assuaged nor threatened or targeted. Everyone one is equal citizen with the same identical rights. That’s what needs to be understood.
The so called experts, pseudo intellectuals and charter members of ‘Lutyens Lobby’ will pronounce on the ‘Mindset of Muslims’ without an iota of understanding of the reality. From their multi crore homes, air conditioned offices and usually smug surroundings with several past ‘luxurious trips to Pakistan ‘ arrange by fronts funded by ISI; they are the befooled ‘useful idiots’ tasked to lull their country- men.
Muslims, everywhere in the world, maintain their separate identity and never accept to live in peace and harmony with non muslim milieu unless they are in tiny minority . As soon as their number reaches even six to seven percent they demand separate facilities and start asserting their ‘Rights.’
In India there are already calls for a ‘Second Partition’ and any one who dismisses these early signs will regret to relive the experiences of ‘First Partition’!
Ah Canadian, keep your divisive ideology for Canada (and get soundly thrashed by your fellow country men for it). In India we know how to unite!
Sometimes, ‘Truth’ is bitter and so is the medicine prescribed to cure sickness !
Sometimes, “TRUTH” is bitter and so is the medicine prescribed to cure sickness !
it looks you have never lived in the western countries.
The Tiranga replacing PAk and ISIS flag is not Modi- Shah’s doing. It is the worldwide fear and shame of being associated with those flags. The Arab white robe, Dishdash or Kandura was a common sight on all international Airports across the world, today you need to search for one and still you will not find one that is a change Post 9/11. Events bring about the change not individuals.
Anyway the is step in the right direction, hope the other steps will follow. Nationally irrelevant parties will try to make a come back one way or the other by instigating the uneducated and very well educated as well.
Anything that does not change with the times is doomed to perish. The RSS did go from shorts to fullpants, and did not keep reading Guruji in the 21st Century.
Shekhar might have forgotten the days when a victory for Pakistan cricket team over India would spark fire cracker celebration by Indian Muslims. New generation Indian may be unaware of this but it’s a fact. There is a growing demand in Pakistan that Indian Muslims and Dalits should come together to increase their votes share. Anybody reading Pakistan newspaper knows this. The Muslims will flutter Tiranga as long as they are less than 35 % ( with Dalits). After that they will first flatten People like Shekhar Gupta and then remaining. This has happened all over world.
4) Finally, I and most people like me read the Print and follow Cut the Clutter because you seem to be objective and balanced, unlike ‘journalists’ like Siddharth Varadarajan, Raghav Bahl, Rajdeep Sardesai, Swati Chaturvedi on the one side, and Arnab Goswami and Madhu Kishwar on the other. We like neither side. We want raw news and honest, balanced opinion.
In this article, you have lost that balance. If you continue to do so, you will be just another journalist.
You may have your views on Narendra Modi, but please don’t let them influence your journalism.
3) If Manmohan Singh had really spoken those words, “hat anyone complaining about special facilities for the Muslims should be aware that even if 1 per cent of India’s Muslims (about 20 crore now) decided that that there was no future for them in India, the country would become ungovernable”, then he was not fit to be the Prime Minister. What is he saying? That he will allow himself and the govt of India be blackmailed by 1 per cent of Muslims into giving them special facilities (which has anyway never helped them)? It is another matter if Manmohan Singh had said that Muslims are still backward and they deserve, need to be supported–which is fine. But to say that we give them special facilities because otherwise they will become unruly, is unbecoming of a Prime Ministery.
And here you are, celebrating that stupid statement!
2) SECONDLY, you seem to be at pains to underline that Muslims are patriotic. Who said anything otherwise? Of course, a very big majority of Indian Muslims are patriotic. We have an excellent example in Lt Gen Syed Hasnain, and there are millions of them. What you are mischievously trying to insinuate is that the BJP and their friends are saying that Muslims are unpatriotic and the protesting Muslims in Jama Masjid are proving them wrong. It is really YOU who is seeing ghosts when there is none.
You are probably thinking of some comments asking Muslims to go to Pakistan. While they are wrong, it is necessary to see the context in which they were made. I read about a Muslim student who is reported to have said “Pakistan has beauty, what does India have?”. The response to that can only be, “well, in that case, why don’t you go to Pakistan”. It does not mean that everybody is calling all Muslims to go to Pakistan.
Well, there might be some odd nut who may have actually called upon all Muslims to get out. He is a nut, the equivalent of a Muslim who is setting fire to a railway coach. These people have to be dealt with appropriately. But for you to imply that the patriotism of Muslims is generally questioned and that they are proving it by carrying the tricolor in Jama Masjid is, well, poor journalism.
1). Your line “our prime minister just indicated that the clothes people wear signal their intentions” is, to use a kind word, mischievous. Modi said nothing of that kind. To quote Modi verbatim, “ye aag lagane wale koun hai, yeh unke kapdo se pata chal jata hai”. Literal translation is, “who these people who are setting fire, is something you can tell by their dresses”. Now first of all, he NEVER said or meant that all Muslims are fire-setters–as you imply. That comment was in the narrow context of those who were doing that particular act. Now, if a mob is setting fire to a train and you see them all dressed as Muslims, wearing skull caps and beards (I mean, if that is true), then what do you expect any one to say. Won’t you say “those people who were setting fire to the coach, or at least a majority of them, were Muslims? Won’t you say that? Won’t anybody? Now, this is not to insinuate that all Muslims are like that–which is absurd, because that is not true at all.
Wow. The SHEKHAR SICKULAR PRINCIPLE:
Hindus where they are in a minority in a Muslim majority country cannot, must not protest their persecution.
Where Hindus are in majority, there too THE MUSSULMAN MUST HAVE THE FIRST SHARE OF THE NATION’S RESOURCES. That is the MMS principle (note Manmohan Singh pleading for CAA in Parliament in 2003– awesome video you can find on youtube).
Gupta and allied commentariat reflects typical COWARDICE of Hindus. Gandhi had after all advised Hindus to bear all the violence and depredations against them by Muslims in silence.
The usual trope from a hack always pretending to be astute, but getting sillier day by day.
Congress and other pseudo seculars have treated Muslims as their votebank, believing Hindu vote will always he splintered. Now blowback from Hindus.
35 years of continuous Left rule in Bengal — what have the Muslims there, Bangladeshis included— got to show for it? Yechury, Karat et al we are waiting to know.
Sachar committee report = bogus, burn it!
Muslims have been willing accomplices for their alleged socioeconomic plight by hankering for issues totally unrelated to their socioeconomic well-being: Shah Bano, Ram temple, Rushdie affair, events in their Ummah having no immediate concern, etc. On triple talaq, burqua, uniform civil code = obtuse as ever.
And in all this the CONSTANT DESIRE TO MULTIPLY, believing the neighbourhood cleric that it is God’s will (and this desire remains even when in Europe and America). What could be the motive — that one day we will have the numbers and we will prevail?
Why only Muslims are targetted? In past there have been Muslims who have been wrongly accused of being terrorist or anti national, wrong evidences have been produced in order to put them in jail and torture them. People behind this have never thought for a second that whether they are actually guilty or not. It is the names that just echoes in there head ( muslim names) and they are just punished for being a muslim. Why aren’t these people questioned or targetted for there malice practices may be because they are so called powerfull or may be we are scared of them. Why are we as a Muslim questioned about our nationalism . Why can’t you people see that a muslim is firm in his faith and still he is loyal to his country? Why people who are weak have to show there loyalty card whether they are muslims or Dalits or Adivasis. People who torture us, discriminate us are not frequently questioned the way we are? Just because we are oppressed or we are not in power or just because there voices can be heard and ours crushed or just because they can scream Jai Hind and we feel Jai Hind? Our faith and our Indian constitution teaches us humanity before any thing else and we the Muslims of India live by it (see again i have to prove my self) . Last but not the least TRUTH prevails over falsehood.
Shekharji, your drama want help to camouflage islamist tendencies, this will have counter mobilization from Hindus very soon.
There is no question of any Islamist tendencies, nor there woul;d ever be any Hindu counter mobilization. Just relax!
Thanks to Modi and Shah.At least the Indian muslims held the tricolour and proclaimed themselves Indians. something their forefathers failed to do in 1947. As we all remember, during elections in 1947, 90% muslims had voted for Jinnah who campained on the slogan of separate state for muslim population in Indian subcontinent.
These are mere gimmicks or as they say Taqiya and 90% of muslims believe in the ummah and do not recognize India as a nation state.
Only 14 % of Indian Muslims were allowed to vote for partition in the 1940s. It isn’t clear how they would have voted, if all were allowed to vote.
Exactly the same way as they did as 14% or they will as 28% or 50% or 70%. Muslims are homogenous in the sense that they all have hatred towards people of other faiths and a general urge to persecute them and force their religion (which is actually a disease) on others.
thus speaks a tolerant Hindu, is it? wonder whose interest you serve trying to incite hatred among Indians!
“if 1 per cent of India’s Muslims (about 20 crore now) decided that that there was no future for them in India, the country would become ungovernable.” In 1947, 22% of current Pakistan was non-Muslim. Why did 98% of them flee to India? By your logic, if even 1 percent of them …, then Pakistan would have become ungovernable. Same about Bangladesh. If 1 per cent of Bangladeshi Hindus … Can you argue that Muslims in India are being treated worse than Hindus in Bangladesh? Then why are you portraying all of Indian Muslims being oppressed . Is expelling illegal Bengali Muslims same as oppressing legal Indian Muslims?
Absolutely. Typical rant of sickulars. That Hindus dare not say anything when they are persecuted.
In 1947, 22% of East AND West Pakistan was non-muslim. Then East Pakistan became Bangladesh. Bangladesh had 20% of the muslims and Pakistan was left with 2%. You can ask why has Bangladesh’s muslim population come down to half of that in the years since 1971, but Pakistan has actually maintained a stable population of hindus since the beginning.
Correction: Bangladesh had 20% of NON-MUSLIMS.
Mr Ghosh, don’t get taken in by propaganda. The population of the minorities in the then Pakistan (newly independent) was about 22% but the bulk of that was in East Pakistan. West Pakistan had a small remnant after partition, about three odd percent. While reliable census figures are not available, the population of minorities in today’s Pakistan, erstwhile West Pakistan, continues to be around three odd percent..
Shekhar ji
Their cry earlier was Allaho Akbar. Now it too changed to Jai Hind ? Please explain
Good for them . All along they considered themselves to be Muslims First and superior to Hindus.Modi changed that it appears
It is matter of relief that demonstration against CAA and NRC ( a process whose details are not yet announced), though initially violent, have been broadly peaceful. However, as it is crystal clear, CAA and NRC are not against any Indian citizen at all. They are in favor of minorities from 3 neighboring countries in so far as granting speedier and preferential citizenship rights to them but not for Muslims from these countries who are illegal migrants in India. But Indian citizenship is open to anyone under usual rules and procedures as per the Citizenship Act. This fine line should not be missed out by anyone.
Once can even accept that this is done for entirely political reasons by BJP ( and conversely, the opposite actions by congress and TMC). But that does not give rights to a group of Indian citizens as a community to protest against it violently or otherwise. If this is to be accepted, one has to grant majority community from Indian citizens to demand and go on agitation for citizenship rights for such persecuted minorities from other other countries who are refugees here. This would certainly lead to chaos.
Hence, principally, such protest against CAA and NRC as Indian Muslim as a group are not acceptable, whether they are peaceful or with National Anthem in hand or otherwise. But any one can be politically against it and voice his opinion, demonstrate, go to SC, vote BJP out etc.. That is usual political course for which no one can have any issue. Imam Bukhari is was forthright in issuing a clear statement on CAA and NRC and he should be applauded for it, even if he could come out of the mosque during the demonstration there.
In the National Interest, Shekhar should be careful not to play underhand or bowl a ‘doosra’ just because as a sickular, he is viscerally anti Modi and anti-BJP. Instead, why not Shekhar ask Mamata to go for flash elections in West Bengal ( to have a ‘referendum’ on this issue there under Election Commission!) or ask Congress and opposition parties to come out clearly and say that they will offer citizenship to all illegal migrants as of 31st Dec 2014 as a one time measure (just like political parties regularize unauthorized slums just before every elections!). Modi and BJP are solving a long pending issue but one cannot just oppose it and create atmosphere of violence and lawlessness but offer alternative solution. Else, as in 2019, Modi and BJP will ultimately benefit from all this in 2024!
Shekhar ji,
I am Hindu, and we are angry now, so we demand the govt to treat us specially. Else, it would be bad right, if even 0.5% out of 80% Hindus feel they don’t have anything left in this country, and turn radical. So, if not BJP govt., at least Congress when it comes to power, should do the good work of introducing
affirmative actions for Hindus, to assuage our worries and our hurt souls. We, Hindus also vow to assert ourselves by tattooing ourselves with pictures of Constitution and protesting on the steps of Tirupati temple, wearing dhoti and carrying thrishuls, with vibhuti on forehead. After all, we are only pleading for affirmative actions like reservations for almost 80% hindus in areas of education, jobs, policies and henceforth, so that we don’t turn radical and feel lost in this country. I am not against reservations to Muslims and other minorities, since they r hurt and persecuted & looked down upon in India, they should DEFINITELY be protected by special & affirmative actions. BUT, we, Hindus only have great expectations from the congress govt(which gave us our freedom from british rule) to ALSO provide affirmative action & special treatment to Hindus. All should be happy in this country, only then its integrity can be sustained right.
Flaunting one’s religious identity – whether Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, anybody- is a fundamental right. What is not right is when a section of thee majority religion claims only they can be ‘true Indians’ and everyone else will remain at their mercy. This is like the claim of upper caste Hindus to be custodians of their religion, with the rest confined to being supplicants and ‘followers’.
n 1947, Muslims who were 30% of the population of British India, forced division of India over objections of 70% non-muslims through sheer violence and riots. The majority accepted minority demands for division of India along religious lines. Pakistan ( West and East, now called Bangladesh ) was thus created as homeland for Indian sub-continents muslims.
After division and creation of Pakistan ( East and West ) on Indian muslim demand ,Muslims have no moral right in what remained of India after division. Period.
Now they are abusing Hindu tolerance and kindness.
85% of Indian muslims in 1945-46 provincial elections voted for Muslim League demand for division of India along religious lines. That vote and choice has consequences.
Pakistan/Bangladesh is homeland of sub-continent muslims.
India homeland of ALL else.
Any other argument is a lie and travesty of justice.
Even all this could have been forgiven by Hindus, if Muslims did not subsequently perpetrate GENOCIDE of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, east and west.
Noble sentiments, but this is Delhi-centric. Am in Kerala, which has a substantial number of Muslims who are different in many ways from North Indian Muslims. Gupta (and his millionaire friends) often seems quite short-sighted.
The day majority Muslims show guts to show their nationalism and disown fringe religion supremacists, the country would change for better for them.