We, the reviewers, have faced this observation often enough over the years. Implicit in this statement is an assumption about what constitutes a ‘Bihari’. He (mostly ‘he’ and rarely ‘she’) has to be wild, uneducated, ill-mannered, least likely to be law-abiding, in constant pursuit of shortcuts, and forever wedded to the idea of jugaad.

While the observation might come as a compliment, it distresses us nonetheless. Being born and brought up in Bihar during a time of great political and social transformation, we rarely came across any fellow Bihari who fit this assumed definition. Yet, the assumption has persisted for years, in Delhi and elsewhere in India.

Having interacted with countless Biharis, we know – to use Hilal Ahmed’s distinction between discursive and substantive aspects of an identity – that a whole host of factors contribute to the making of a Bihari. An imagined discourse is an additional burden for every Bihari to deal with. The factors contributing to the making of a Bihari include caste, religion, region, educational background, place of residence, and many others.

Who Are Indian Muslims?

The same assumption versus reality rule applies when describing a group of nearly 20 crore people known as Indian Muslims. Hilal Ahmed writes, “History of the present is perhaps a provocative title, especially when it is employed in relation to Muslims of India. It is a well-known fact that Islam is the second-largest Indian religion, and Muslims constitute almost 14% of the country’s population. This ‘community of believers’ is highly diversified-they are divided on caste, class, region, and even sub-religious lines.”

Yet, as he further notes, “Their classification as a religious minority in purely statistical terms, the description of medieval Indian history as Islamic rule, and the media debates around Islamic jihad and terrorism produce a simple and undifferentiated image of a homogeneous Muslim community.”

Members of the community are perceived to have identical views on all issues under the sun, are seen as voting strategically, and are associated with multiple imagined jihads. And the list goes on.

Muslim ‘Politicophobia’

When such widespread diversity is glossed over and assumptions are made based on stray events –  fuelled by a heavy dose of “global anti-Islamism” and “anti-Muslim communalism in the Indian context” – you have a situation that Hilal Ahmed describes as ‘Muslim politicophobia’. This leads to political engagement with the community being shunned, accusations such as population jihad (got to know this for the first time while reading the book) being levelled against them, and their representation in various fora being discouraged.

Increased religiosity in recent years, with public displays of aspects of religion that were previously confined to the private domain, has further complicated the situation on the ground.

No Different From Other Groups

Despite these challenges, members of the community, the author argues, continue to take part in political processes to secure tangible benefits as stakeholders. “They behave like consumers/clients and respond to the welfare packages offered by political parties,” he writes. And in this sense, Muslims are no different from other social groups.

What are the ways then to fight this Muslim politicophobia? Is it all doom and gloom as far as Muslim issues are concerned in contemporary India? We couldn’t agree more with the author’s conclusion. He says, “The fight against anti-Muslimism cannot be separated from the wider struggle for social justice and economic equality…. One that allows individuals like me to critique economic injustice and social inequalities while adhering to my conception of a liberative Islam.”

The book is a refreshing take on New India and all that it represents. There is no bitterness, there is no blame game. It is a foremost social scientist’s take on the struggles and triumphs of Muslims in everyday life – their political participation, their survival strategies against odds, their dialogue with modernity and liberalism, and their engagement with what is called Muslim heritage.

(Mayank Mishra is Consulting Editor and Marya Shakil is Executive Editor – National Affairs, at NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:

An editorial in a newspaper on the ban on non-vegetarian food in Gujarat’s Palitana has prompted a sharp response from a BJP MP, who has accused the daily of trying to pit one minority community against another and demanded an apology. 

In a strongly worded letter to the editor of Deccan Herald, Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya said, “I am surprised that your newspaper is advocating the cause of one big-numbered minority community over another small-numbered minority community. What you are doing is also majoritarianism in our eyes. Do the Jains not have the simple right to practice their faith and beliefs of non-violence in their own holy town?”

In its editorial, titled ‘Meat ban disregards majority food culture’, Deccan Herald commented on the ban on selling or consuming non-vegetarian food in Palitana, a prominent Jain pilgrimage site, and said that it was imposed at the behest of the community. 

Noting that places like Kurukshetra in Haryana and Haridwar in Uttarakhand have also placed restrictions on non-vegetarian restaurants and the open sale of meat, fish and eggs, it said, “These bans disproportionately impact the Muslim community, which supplies meat and poultry, and the majority population, which consumes non-vegetarian food. It is worth noting that Jains abstain from onions, potatoes, and all root vegetables, while Muslims do not eat pork… Food is inherently a personal choice, and imposing one’s dietary preferences on others is fundamentally unfair. Everyone should have the freedom to choose their food.”

“Such political high-handedness disregards the dietary practices of a vast majority of people, including Muslims, Christians, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and OBCs, who, generally speaking, consume non-vegetarian food. Many upper-caste communities like Bhumihars and Rajputs include non-vegetarian items in their daily diet,” the editorial added. 

Accusing the newspaper of explicitly targeting Jain culture and one its holiest pilgrimage centres, Mr Siroya, who is an MP from Karnataka, said the Muslim community has “greatly respected” Jain saints and sentiments. 

“We have lived in harmony. A newspaper should not attempt to create discord between the two communities to prove its misplaced liberalism. Again, Palitana is a small town and not a city as you misrepresent to your readers, to deliberately make the problem look and sound big,” he wrote. 

“I have been a reader of the Deccan Herald for decades and have great respect for its noble founders. But I feel with this editorial the newspaper has tried to do something that it usually stays away from play one minority community against another minority community. I strongly protest this attitude and the least I will expect from you is an honest apology. You have hurt my sentiments and that of my community,” the MP added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Attacking the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked if there has been a ‘deal’ in Wayanad to extend the benefit of reservation to the Muslim community.

Asserting that giving religion-based reservations is “unconstitutional”, he accused Congress of snatching reservations from the SC, ST and OBC communities.

In an interview with TV9 Bharatvarsh, PM Modi said, “There is a question in my mind. Has there been a deal in Wayanad, that Muslims will be given a share in the reservation, and in return make us win the seat of Wayanad? The country wants to know this.”

“Today, what is happening, is they (Congress) are finding ways to snatch the reservation for SC, ST and OBC, given to them by the Constitution. They want to give religion-based reservation,” he added.

PM Modi further said that it was decided by the makers of the Constitution that reservation can’t be given on the basis of religion.

“When the Constitution was formed, months of discussion took place. It was discussed between many knowledgeable people whether reservations should be given on a religious basis. It was agreed upon that it can’t be given…now they are trying to give reservation on a religious basis, because of vote bank,” he said.

He also attacked the Congress party over not going to the Pran Pratishtha of Ayodhya Ram Mandir and accused the BJP of asserting their right to the temple.

“Can anyone have a right on the almighty? An ordinary party like the BJP is nothing in front of Lord Ram. Lord Ram should be of everyone. And why do they talk about this? To hide their hidden agenda, which is to maintain their vote bank,” PM Modi said.

“They (Congress) thought, if they went to Ram Mandir, they would lose their vote bank…if you remember Rajiv Gandhi had started his election campaign from Ram Mandir. But then their vote bank asked, ‘If you do this, what is the difference between you and the BJP’. So they ran away. Earlier they used to visit temples, but not now. Because their vote bank had scolded them last time.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was frustrated after sensing that the opposition’s INDIA bloc was heading for a majority in the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at a poll rally in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district, he said that this is the reason why the Prime Minister is now talking about “Mangalsutra and Muslims”

“We are heading for a majority, that is why he (Modi) now talks about ‘Mangalsutra’ and Muslims. He says we will steal your wealth and give it to those who have more children. Poor people always have more children. Do only Muslims have them?” he asked.

ALSO READ | Asaduddin Owaisi’s “Muslims Use Condoms Most” Reply To PM Modi’s Jab

“Poor people have (more) children as they do not have wealth. But why do you (PM Modi) only keep talking about Muslims? Muslims belong to this country,” Mr Kharge said.

लाईव: विशाल जनसभा | 2024 लोकसभा चुनाव

जांजगीर-चांपा, छत्तीसगढ़ #HaathBadlegaHalaathttps://t.co/VaTTO09Q9G

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 30, 2024

The Congress leader also said that he himself has five children and that he was the only son of his parents. He told the gathering that his mother, sister, and uncle died when their house was set on fire.

“My father told me I am his only son and he wanted to see my children,” Mr Kharge said.

Earlier last month, during an election rally in Rajasthan, PM Modi had said that if Congress came to power, it would redistribute people’s wealth to those who have more children and to the infiltrators. He also cited former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s remark that Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources.

ALSO READ | On PM’s Mangalsutra Remark, Priyanka Gandhi Points To Mother, Grandmother

Referring to plans in the Congress’ manifesto for an “economic and institutional report” as part of the national caste survey, PM Modi said, “Congress says they will calculate gold with mothers and sisters… and distribute that property… Manmohan Singh’s government said Muslims have first right on all resources…”

“… to whom will this be distributed? It will be distributed among those who have more children. It will be distributed to infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money go to the infiltrators?” he said.

Responding to PM Modi’s claim that Congress was planning to seize people’s wealth, Mr Kharge asked, “We ruled the country for 55 years, but did we snatch anyone’s ‘mangalsutra’?”

Janjgir-Champa (Chhattisgarh):

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “only talking about Muslims”, and said the poor have more children because of their economic conditions.

PM Modi was frustrated after sensing that the opposition’s INDIA bloc was heading for a majority, and hence he is now talking about “Mangalsutra and Muslims”, Mr Kharge claimed at a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district.

Campaigning for Shivkumar Dahariya, Congress’ candidate from Janjgir-Champa Lok Sabha constituency, he also said the BJP was seeking to win more than 400 Lok Sabha seats not for the welfare of the poor but to take away their rights.

“We are heading for a majority, that is why he (Modi) now talks about ‘Mangalsutra’ and Muslims. He says we will steal your wealth and give it to those who have more children. Poor people always have more children. Do only Muslims have them?” he asked.

He himself has five children but he was the only son of his parents, the Congress president said, adding that his mother, sister and uncle died when their house was set on fire.

Only his father and he were left, and “My father told me I am his only son and he wanted to see my children,” Mr Kharge said.

“Poor people have (more) children as they do not have wealth. But why do you (Modi) only keep talking about Muslims? Muslims belong to this country,” he said, asking people not to get misled as “we have to build the country by taking everyone together, not like them (BJP) by breaking it.”

During an election rally in Rajasthan, PM Modi had said that if Congress came to power it would redistribute people’s wealth to those who have more children and to the infiltrators. He had also cited former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s remark that Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources.

On PM Modi’s claim that Congress was planning to seize people’s wealth including even women’s mangalsutra, Mr Kharge asked, “We ruled the country for 55 years, but did we snatch anyone’s ‘mangalsutra’ or misuse the ED (Enforcement Directorate), IT (Income Tax) to put people behind bars?”

The prime minister was speaking lies and misleading people, he alleged, claiming that PM Modi speaks about “Hindu-Muslim” (issues) even where Muslims have zero presence.

“Nowadays he is saying Congress wants to do an X-ray of gold in every house and land and it will not leave even your `mangalsutra’. We have said we want to conduct a caste census to assess the conditions of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes so that their situation can be improved, but he made fun of it,” Mr Kharge said.

If such a prime minister ruled for five more years, the country would be destroyed, the Congress president said.

“He (Modi) says ‘sabka sath, sabka vikas’. He takes the support of everyone but never does their ‘vikas’ (development). He does their ‘satyanash’ (destruction). He implemented demonetisation and did not support anyone during the Covid (epidemic),” Mr Kharge added.

Those who were given “injections” (apparently referring to vaccines) during the COVID-19 epidemic were still facing health problems, and laboratories have reported that heart attack cases increased in India as a result of some defect in the medicine, but the Union government does not have any answer on this issue, Mr Kharge claimed.

“This election is being fought to keep India united and save the Constitution and democracy. Modi and his followers say, again and again, give us a 400-plus figure. They are seeking 400-plus seats not for the welfare of the poor, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward people…They are seeking it to take away the poor people’s rights,” he alleged.

The Congress veteran also asked why RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had to clarify that they were not going to change the Constitution or end reservations if some BJP leader had not talked about such plans earlier.

“He (Modi) compares (himself) with former prime ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Rajiv Gandhi. You do not stand anywhere in their comparison…They gave big factories and PSUs to the country, what did you give?” he asked.

Congress won freedom for the country, Jawaharlal Nehru protected its democracy and Dr B R Ambedkar drafted a good Constitution, Mr Kharge said, adding, “Modi ji, you are alive and became prime minister because of Congress which saved the Constitution, democracy and helped the poor. We introduced Green Revolution and White Revolution.” Polling will be held in Janjgir-Champa on May 7. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Union Minister Anurag Thakur hit out at the Congress Saturday morning – a day after the second phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections – and claimed that there were “foreign forces” involved in preparing the poll manifesto of the opposition party.

“In the Congress manifesto, along with the hand of the Congress, hands of foreign forces are also visible who want to give your children’s property to Muslims, finish the nations nuclear weapons, divide the nation on casteism and regionalism,” Mr Thakur said at a rally in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur.

“The tukde-tukde gang has surrounded Congress completely and has hijacked their ideology. You have to decide whether the children’s property should remain with them or should it go to Muslims. We gave all rights to Muslims, equally. But we did not give it based on religion, we gave it because it was their right,” he added.

#WATCH | Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh: Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, “In the Congress manifesto, along with the hand of the Congress, hands of foreign forces are also visible who want to give your children’s property to Muslims, finish the nations nuclear weapons, divide the… pic.twitter.com/3dxJE6avvz

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2024

The attack follows fierce sparring between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top Opposition leaders over claims that the Congress will seize the wealth of Indians and distribute it among Muslims. At rallies in Rajasthan’s Tonk and Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar, the PM alleged that the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government had said Muslims have the first right to the country’s wealth.

The remarks have sparked a massive row, with one section criticising the Prime Minister for using expressions such as “infiltrators” for Muslims, and another section slamming Dr Singh over his alleged remarks.

In a five-minute video message posted on the BJP’s X handle yesterday, BJP party chief JP Nadda also repeated controversial sections from the Prime Minister’s Rajasthan speech – in which he referred to Muslims and said the Congress plans to “redistribute wealth to infiltrators” – and said, “Congress says Muslims have first right on country’s resources, whereas PM Modi says poor people must have the first right…”

“BJP does not want Muslims to be neglected… but they should not take undue advantage at expense of others,” Mr Nadda declared, as he slammed the Congress for “appeasement politics” and claimed such practices were evident in its manifesto – which the PM called a “Muslim League imprint”.

Mr Thakur and Mr Nadda’s remarks come just days after the Election Commission sent a notice to the party based on a complaint by the Congress against the Prime Minister, alleging he made divisive remarks during his Rajasthan speech. The notice – in a significant first – said party bosses would be held accountable for Model Code violations in campaign speeches and materials.

The poll panel sent a nearly identical notice to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, after the BJP filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi, claiming he had made “obnoxious utterances” against Mr Modi.

In a two-page statement – which did not name either the Prime Minister or Mr Gandhi but included copies of the complaints – the poll body said “‘star campaigners’ are expected to contribute to a higher quality of discourse… which sometimes gets distorted in the heat of contests at local level”.

Gurugram:

Muslims living and working in Haryana’s Gurugram apparently continue to be the target of hate crimes, after posters threatening the residents of a slum in Sector 69A of the ‘mega city’ were put up on Sunday night. A majority of the residents of this slum are Muslims.

There were also posters specifically targeting Muslim women and these come days after a mazar in a Gurugram village was set on fire in the tension after communal clashes in neighbouring Nuh district.

The posters – which also demanding the slum dwellers leave the hovels they call home – read – “Slum dwellers… you need to vacate homes by August 28 and leave… otherwise you may have to face bad consequences. If you want to save your honour… you have 2 days…”

Local police removed the posters and filed a case, but not before panic and fear spread in the community. “We have removed the posters and started investigating the matter,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar told NDTV. He also declared the slums are “illegal”.

So far the police have not made any arrests and have not been able to identify those responsible.

ALSO READ | Hindu Outfit Leader, Seers Offer Prayers At Nuh Temples Amid Tight Security

The slum may be an illegal construction but the people who call it home have lived there for years, with many – especially the women – working as domestic help in nearby high-rise apartment complexes. And, understandably, many are terrified after the posters emerged.

“We are more afraid for our children. When my husband and I go to work… the children are here alone. We had gone to the village after the riots but now, these posters have come up,” one woman told NDTV, while another said, “We are scared… have lived here for many years.”

Both women were so frightened the requested their names be withheld.

After the violence in Nuh in July – in which six people were killed – parts of Gurugram are on edge, particularly amid reports of attacks on Muslim shopkeepers. The fear has already led many families to flee from and those who have stayed on so far – like those in the Sector 69A slum – are now nervous.