Media In India/elsewhere

[Guest]

<b>An open letter to Shekhar Gupta </b>

Respected Shekhar Gupta,


I have lot of respect for your caliber and acumen but could not stop
myself from expressing my views on your article titled “Khan saheb in Kashi”
which published today ( 26 August, 2006) in Indian Express. In this article you
had showered lot of praise for late Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan which
he deserve, but your attempt to portray Ustad as spokesperson of Muslim society
in India is difficult to digest. Ustad Bismillah Khan was not the first Muslim
artist or literary person to get influenced with Hindu ethos and values, we have
examples of Raskhan, Rahim, Darashikoh before us who composed poems in the name of Krishna or other Hindu deities but they do not represent their mainstream
society. Mainstream Muslim society follows dictum of Muslim personal law board
and Shahi Imam of Bukhari who pronounce national song as anti-Islamic.

In your words “That’s why India’s view of the war against
terrorism has to be entirely different from the western world”, I am totally
agree with this intelligent conclusion and due to this difference America was
able to avoid any big terrorist attack on their soil for more than six years and
India witnessed major terrorist attacks in every three months in last one year-
July 2005, Terrorists targeted Ram Temple in Ayodhya but attaempt was foiled
with out any causality ( so it will not counted attack in secularist
definition), Before Diwali festive in October 2005, four serial blasts took
place in which more than two dozen people lost their lives and more than 50
people were injured , In December Bangalore based Indian institute of sciences
was targeted , In March 2006 before Hindu festival Holi another holiest place of
Hindus Varansi was attacked with causality of 20 odd people, and finally in
month of July 2006, Mumbai commuters become target of Islamic
terrorists.

In last one year we have lost more than 300 people between us but
intellectuals in this country still feel proud to declare themselves as
different from others in tackling terrorism, yes we are different because our
heart never bleeds for Hindus. They have destiny to be killed as they were
butchered in Kashmir and still being slaughtered by followers of religion of
peace.

I am sorry to say but our political establishment and intelligentsia
behaves like ostrich on this very issue of Islamic terrorism. Either they try
to evade reality or they are hard headed realistic and afraid to speak the
truth. How long this theory of “some angry Indians “will work. 17 years back our
intelligentsia befooled us in Kashmiri terrorism as those incidents were handy
work of some frustrated and misguided youths but now these youths have come out of valley with their ammunitions to kill innocent Hindus in temples, railways,
Buses and Shopping malls. What could be motive behind these perpetrators, why
Madrassa teacher of Baghpat Md Zubair along with Imam of Phulpur Waliullah
killed innocent Hindus in Varansi . Why Engineers, doctors of Muslim community
lend their support to those terrorists who planted bombs in Mumbai commuters.
I know you are atheist people and do not have any fear to almighty but
spare some time to stand before mirror and ask yourself how honest and unbiased
you people are in your approach. This is not question of hostility with any
fellow community it is question of national security. You people know very well
what you doing and what will be consequences of this.

I want to remind your interview with Sharad Pawar in “Walk the talk”
in which you tried to put your words in Pawar’s mouth that attack on Mumbai
commuters was targeted to Gujratis only but on both of occasions he did not
oblige you and confessed those attacks were well planned and deigned to target
one community and spare other. How shameful to read that an editor has no
hesitation in glorifying a lie of Sharad Pawar in name of Muslim interest, is it
do not reflect dual character of English media to dig everything in Gujrat
riots to punish Hindus and hide facts in other cases to save Muslim mafias. It
reflects the nature of our media people for whom India is country of only one
community.

The most disturbing and dismaying part of this article is this para,
“----Even by angry Indian Muslims, are not directed against some evil global
power or symbols. Nor are they meant to support some pan-Islamic cause,
Palestine or even for that matter, Kashmir.”

It surprise me a lot how an Editor of stature of Shekhar Gupta can float
some generic idea. If Indian Muslims anger is not directed to any evil global
power (read it America), how Left and Samajwadi party were able to mobilize
thousands of Muslims on streets against journey of American president to India.

If Muslims in India do not support Pan-Islamic cause, Palestine or even for that
matter Kashmir , how come Left parties were able to garner immense support in
Kerala in last assembly elections with their campaign totally based on communal
foreign policy. And not only this even Indian government has taken some minor
decisions on this front to appease its constituencies which want government to
be soft for Palestinian cause, as per example Prime minister declared he will
attend NAM meet in coming September to support Iranian nuke programme instead UN summit.

Indian delegation in Human rights council in UN condemned Israel after its attack on Palestine in retaliation to kidnapping of its two soldiers; Indian parliament was quick to condemn
Israel on its war against Lebanon which was provoked by Lebanon himself. Indian
defence minister postponed his visit of Israel in month of June and after
publication of caricature of Prophet in some European magazine and demonstration
of Muslims worldwide on this issue, Indian government did not allow Danish prime
minister to come to India on his official visit. These decisions indicate how
global Islamic politics has say in key policy matters.

Several other things do not come out in open because our media has
imposed a volunteer censorship on itself in Muslim matters, we read every day in
newspapers that terrorists are being arrested from every part of nation but we
are unable to know about their motive, preparations and ideology thanks to our
media which translate political correctness in true spirit of words.
How Indian Muslims are Islamic seminaries in India could be given clean
chit in background of revelation of plot to attack transatlantic air lines ,
during investigation British authorities have confirmed 6 out of 23 conspirators
were followers of Tablighi Jamat a fundamentalist Islamic sect whose roots come
to India. This sect was founded by Mohammad Ilyasi in 1927 to indoctrinate
converted Hindus in radical Islam and now it headquartered in Nizamuddin in
national capital Delhi.

Indian people have several examples when Muslims in India has shown their
adherence to Islamic ummah or Islamic teachings rather than national spirit. Our
political establishment never tries to read this mentality of Muslims instead
they were pampered with more privilege which ultimately resulted in alienation
of this community.

Respected Shekhar Gupta your article is one episode in that series. If
any Muslim in India shows some symptoms of patriotism he was portrayed as he has obliged to this nation, we have lot of classical Hindu artist but none of them
become part of your story but Ustad becomes headline , because you also counted
him as Muslim first and Indian after that who obliged this nation by singing
Rag bhairvi for Allah, it was a news because he was not follower of Hindu ethos
and values. This school of thought has damaged Muslims and alienated them.

I still have in my mind one editorial of one of English news paper after
Indian victory on English cricket team in Netwest trophy in 2001. In final of
this tournament India got victory with glorious performance of Md Kaif and
Yuvraj Singh after top order batsman collapsed on modest total. On other day of
this match that news paper questioned now what Hindu fundamentalist will say
after victorious performance of Md Kaif. This editorial was clear indicator
that who divide celebrities or icons in name of religion. This is not
solution of any problem. Every Indian knows, it is not Md Kaif, Ustad Bismillah
khan, Azim Prem ji , President Abdul Kalam who are fighting for Jihad they are
followers of Islamic preachers and Islamic intellectuals who indoctrinate them
with theory of atrocity on Muslims and false propaganda of Islam in danger.
Islamic terrorism is nourished by this false propaganda and every person who
supports this theory indirectly lends its support to
terrorism.

Indian express has declared “journalism of courage” as its motto but it
seems its editor is highly influenced with those Ulemas who declared Indian
media as spies of America and Israel and want to dissociate himself with rest of
media of India. The most striking feature of this article is writer’s emphasis
on evolution of new idiom and strategy to fight against terrorism , this idea is
in consonance to idea of Mahesh Bhatt which he floated in a seminar organized by
Jamait-Ulema-Hind in parliament annexie on 20and 21 of August. This seminar will
be remembered for media bashing and could prove to be starting point for regime
of Muslim censorship in Media.