02-06-2007, 03:11 AM
STATESMAN editorial on the dangerous implications of the rise of Jamat e ulema e Hind
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Whatâs the beef ?
A tangled web of communalism and reform
Whatâs the beef? The Jamait-e-Ulema-Hind ought to answer this simple poser before it steps up its sudden bout of shadow-boxing with that embodiment of secular fundamentalism, the Communist Party of India (Marxist). On the face of it, the raising of the voice and the posturing appear to be a fallout of the impasse at Nandigram. And it would be no disrespect to religious sentiment to suggest that the current move to weave a tangled web of communalism and reform could well turn out to be by far the most distressing feature of contemporary Bengalâs economic history. As alarming as the Jamait claim that it has the support of the Forward Bloc, a part of the establishment, and the radical Left. The land question is an emotive social and economic issue that lends no scope to play the communal card. It is a sinister attempt to make the scenario still more volatile. And this makes it imperative for the Jamait to come upfront. Above all, it needs to spell out its objections to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjeeâs agenda. Granted that the tract in question at Nandigram is dotted with masjids, it is a matter serious enough to be sorted out at the highest level. The Chief Minister has owned up to the governmentâs blunder and has kept the entire issue, including the shrines, in abeyance. He has now described the Jamait as âa dangerous organisationâ and Mr Jyoti Basu has been rather more blunt by calling it a âcommunal outfitâ. Beyond such labels, the authorities must realise that the organisationâs capacity to make the waters murkier is considerable. The responsibility to clear the air must also rest with the Forward Bloc and, to an extent, the Election Commission as well. If indeed it has been provided with papers with the express purpose of contesting as a national party against the CPI-M, the development calls for an official announcement and not a disclosure at a communal rally in Krishnagar, headquarters of a district that borders Bangladesh.
Indeed, the communal factor has been revived five years after the terrorist attack on the American Center when the Chief Minister had warned against the demographic shift and the mushroom growth of unaffiliated fundamentalist madrasas in the border districts. The virus has permeated the land, both fertile and fallow, with the inevitable cheering from the sidelines across the border. It is an ominous trend if the Forward Bloc exploits the issue to discredit the CPI-M. The land question may be only incidental.
*****************************************************************************************************
Whatâs the beef ?
A tangled web of communalism and reform
Whatâs the beef? The Jamait-e-Ulema-Hind ought to answer this simple poser before it steps up its sudden bout of shadow-boxing with that embodiment of secular fundamentalism, the Communist Party of India (Marxist). On the face of it, the raising of the voice and the posturing appear to be a fallout of the impasse at Nandigram. And it would be no disrespect to religious sentiment to suggest that the current move to weave a tangled web of communalism and reform could well turn out to be by far the most distressing feature of contemporary Bengalâs economic history. As alarming as the Jamait claim that it has the support of the Forward Bloc, a part of the establishment, and the radical Left. The land question is an emotive social and economic issue that lends no scope to play the communal card. It is a sinister attempt to make the scenario still more volatile. And this makes it imperative for the Jamait to come upfront. Above all, it needs to spell out its objections to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjeeâs agenda. Granted that the tract in question at Nandigram is dotted with masjids, it is a matter serious enough to be sorted out at the highest level. The Chief Minister has owned up to the governmentâs blunder and has kept the entire issue, including the shrines, in abeyance. He has now described the Jamait as âa dangerous organisationâ and Mr Jyoti Basu has been rather more blunt by calling it a âcommunal outfitâ. Beyond such labels, the authorities must realise that the organisationâs capacity to make the waters murkier is considerable. The responsibility to clear the air must also rest with the Forward Bloc and, to an extent, the Election Commission as well. If indeed it has been provided with papers with the express purpose of contesting as a national party against the CPI-M, the development calls for an official announcement and not a disclosure at a communal rally in Krishnagar, headquarters of a district that borders Bangladesh.
Indeed, the communal factor has been revived five years after the terrorist attack on the American Center when the Chief Minister had warned against the demographic shift and the mushroom growth of unaffiliated fundamentalist madrasas in the border districts. The virus has permeated the land, both fertile and fallow, with the inevitable cheering from the sidelines across the border. It is an ominous trend if the Forward Bloc exploits the issue to discredit the CPI-M. The land question may be only incidental.