Parallel Lines: Asiya Andrabi and Pramod Muthalik
Many many years ago when my hair was still mostly black, I remember reading somewhere that parallel lines are those that never meet but are identical in terms of direction (slope) etc.
As I read about incidents of the past few days, I was reminded of this definition. But first a flashback…
Clad in all-enveloping burqas, the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, or Daughters of the Nation, have sought to impose their version of Islam on the city of Srinagar. They have closed restaurants where they found unmarried couples together, smashed alcohol bottles and ordered Internet cafes to remove individual computer booths in case unmarried couples snatch a moment of intimacy [ link ]
Sounds familiar, right?
True to its call for protests on Valentine’s Day, the Shiv Sena went on the rampage terrorising couples, beating, threatening and humiliating them. Several incidents took place in as many as five places across Maharashtra. The State machinery, meanwhile, remained clueless and utterly ineffective [ link ]
There are more parallels:
The over-zealous vigilantes…attacked a woman who was innocent of any wrongdoing even by their standards. The victim was sitting with a man – but he happened to be her husband [ link ]
and…
A group of overzealous Bajrang Dal activists protesting against Valentine’s Day celebrations chased a brother and sister and misbehaved with them [ link ]
And similar to Mr Muthalik’s talk of “a big international conspiracy to mislead young men and women in our country”, Ms Andrabi talks of “moral degradation of in our Muslim society”.
But I have a nagging question…why do we hear so little of Ms Andrabi in contrast to the media obsession with Sh Muthalik?
As I reflect on these events, I have a nightmarish vision…
What if Sri Ram Sene, Shiv Sena and Dukhtaran-e-Millat decide to join forces?
That’ll be the day!
At a very fundamental level though, these incidents/protests and reaction(s) are symptons of a something that is far more serious and, I believe, has not been debated or discussed enough i.e. the widening chasm between “India” and “Bharat”…the outrage felt by a vast proportion of population deprived of even basic needs when it sees “the haves” enjoying “freedoms” that they can only dream of…
It is symptomatic of the gap beween a rapidly modernising section of society where it is normal for women to be free, independent and have a choice and communities where women “are expected to know their place (and) know that they can lose their lives if they are even perceived to be stepping over the line.”
What do you think? Do you agree or not? Comments, thoughts welcome as always.
Related Posts:
Very proviking right up. First thing that comes to my mind is, The first example of Dukhtaran-e-milat is far more scary than the one incident of Ram Sena and one incident of Bajrang Dhal that you quoted. There may be more than one, especially with Siva Sena, but still I find it hard to say they can even catch up with Duktaran-e-milat in their wildest dreams.
Reason is, if I was asked ‘would u live in mumbai or mangalore or srinagar’ assuming everythign else is same, I would dare to even sleep in the direction of Duktaran-e-milat, cos I’ve to really unlucky to be caught by BD or SRS and i’ve chance of getting away with advise. But I sure will get torn to pieces if I am caught by D-e-Milat. Atleast, by the way they have demolished public property while demonstrating their purpose
One of the reasons we hear about the Hindu thugs as opposed to the Muslim ones is (leaving aside our blinkered media) the Hindu community as such is averse to such acts of the thugs and condemns them. Most Muslims including the moderates don’t seem to feel the need to voice any protest, at least not in public.
As far as modern women being more liberated than traditional ones and therefore having better lives, I really wonder. American women are supposedly the most liberated in the world and yet the US too has its share of assults and murders of women on a regular basis.
Modernity doesn’t really depend on the clothes on your back or the drink in your hand. It probably has more to do with the content of your character and the depth of your thoughts.
Shantanu,
Can you also write about the grand theft larceny that is happening in India. The foreign bought media will never report it but if we don’t act now we lose our country forever. Below are my other blog posts
@Umesh,
No idea who you are. I am sure people on this board are very interested in this discussion.
Folks, there is more under the Indian soil than we know off. Infact I will not be surprised that all the conflict zones in India is where the wealth is. Think Africa. This conflict is deliberately created to extract precious metals and stones. The hijacked and treacherous Indian Media never reports this so that people are constantly distracted. I had heard about Indias mineral wealth a few years ago but the proof is here. I am also certain that factions within both BJP and congress are involved in this large scale theft. Vedanta is nothing but chori.
Please read the article posted below. I have highlighted the key point. Did we even know there were diamonds and our people are being forced to give up their land. Who are the Maoists and who is Salwa Judum. Let us draw parallels with the Congo and it is a carbon copy of what happened there. This is what is happening to India. False divisions and conflict being created to divide up this country in pieces and extract whatever the British missed out on during their rule. BJP should never have disinvested the mines. NEVER
Article below
http://www.indianewengland.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=4822F167A56741748CEE38CB68282B6E
The government of Chhattisgarh tricked villagers into giving away their lands to international companies that are building mines to extract bauxite and diamonds in the region, Mrs. Sen said.
More
Guys, Unfortunately we have very little from the foreign owned Indian media. I am sure that local papers report on this but the influential masses never get to read this. Below are excerpts from what is happening in Africa. SOUNDS very Familiar. Unless we stop this our beloved country will be no more. Seriously, this is above all the stuff the media reports. More on this later but see below
Angola remains a war-torn country. The União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (UNITA) rebels, backed by the CIA during the Cold War, and then targeted by the Clinton Administration, and then partnered with the “rebels†in Congo’s wars, are known to sell $100 million worth of diamonds annually. While participants in the Kimberley Process complained of UNITA’s criminality, they gave the “legitimate†Dos Santos government a sparkling bill of health. The Angola example shows how ‘black markets’ are created by predatory ‘white’ economies which perpetuate suffering and dispossession; diamond companies do not ‘ignore atrocities’ as the New York Times wrote in their December whitewash, they create and perpetuate them.
Botswana is a classic example of a “peaceful†country engaged in diamond exploration: if any diamond in Africa were conflict free, one would think Botswana would be the place to find it. But the Botswana government has a long history of oppression against the San people—Bushmen of the Kalahari—and continues to force them off ancestral lands to make way for the world’s premier diamond cartel, De Beers/Anglo-American Corp.
Over the past fifty years, top Israeli, American, French and Belgian diamond dealers have perpetrated conflict and injustice in Africa, fueled by and for diamonds. According to a report by the American Jewish Committee: after 1980 “Mossad agents, military emissaries, and a small group of private businessmen… replaced diplomats as Israel’s main interlocutors with African leaders and political (mainly opposition) groups.†The report cites rising involvement of private defense and security interests, especially in Angola, DRC and Central Africa Republic, since 1992. 42
@Umesh,
This is part of the loot of mineral resources from India. Below is a listing from another “Hindu†activist.
This is a report on the ongoing mineral loot. I wish there is an investigative journalistic reporting on this. Some leads follow.
At the outset, congrats on a scintillating and insightful piece on thorium which is crucial for the nation’s nuclear programme. The existing computed reserves are adequate to meet the needs of electricity generation of the nation at the rate of 400,000 MW generation per year, for the next 359 years. (cf. BARC website).
The tip of the loot iceberg is a person called Vaikuntarajan of Manavalakurichi who wanted to get nominated as AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP. He didn’t get nominated. He and his family owns godowns. There are shipping companies engaged in exporting coastal sands. What for? they contain the richest minerals on earth; Titanium and yes, thorium.
Ilmenite Sand export increased from 0.21 lakh tonnes in 2000-01 to 0.62 lakh tonnes in 2001-02 registering an increase of 195.24%. http://www.tamilnadunri.com/docs/tn/infrastructure/TuticorinPort.doc
Shantanu,
Please read this article. This is what is happening in many of parts of India. The key question is that “By opening up the economy did we have a temporary benefit only and in hindsight have we exposed ourselves to the tentacles of global colonialism”? I sincerely believe we have. I was also ecstatic when we opened up the economy because that is what we studied in our textbooks (written by western neocolonialists, whose advise is only for third world countries) but now we are beginning to see the extensive damage
http://www.apscuhuru.org/analysis/diamonds/diamonds_web.pdf
Hi!
Brazilian soap operas(novelas), tv series, used to be seen by millions of people, in several countries. Now, Tv Globo brazilian channel is doing one names “Caminho das Ãndias” about Indias. The problem is that they are showing to the world an India in the 1950 like it was nowadays.
I am from Portugal, i have a poor english. sorry!
But in that tv show, they are showing that in India big cities:
Schools for the children are not buildings, but outside in a field.
That dalit children can´t go to school, if theu don´t any non-dalit friend that help them.
That hindus rich men are totally prohibited (by their famillies) to marry foreign woman.
That is normal a dalit with a phD and rich be humiliated by people of upper classes.
That is very common a little girl, 6-7 years, marry a little boy, too.
Brazilians and people who see their novelas, are thinkingthat all is true, common in India, even in the big cities.
India is being disrespected by Brazil.
From Portugal
I agree with you on both points;
partial emphasis and widening gap between rich and poor
I’d add to this; distinction between rich and poor with respect to morals. Reinforcement of male supremacy and female subservience.
@ Shantanu
My answer to your (probably rhetorical) question is simply that Islamic fundamentalism is old news, and the rise of Hindu fascism is relatively more hard hitting in its inherent dogmatic irrationality and freshness.
If I were the private media, I’d be all over Hindu extremism.
@ Nishka
Thanks for the pdf – the article is very enlightening.
I would like to draw a parallel for your question of why we hear very little of Ms. Andrabi.
I believe it is exactly the same reason as the terror strikes in Mumbai. Had the same kind of terror situation happened in say Srinagar, it would have never been such a big global issue. I think people of India have started taking for granted the problems that our fellow citizens face in Kashmir. Why? Simply because it just doesn’t affect their lives. And it is an everyday affair there. So, it is no longer ‘Breaking News’.
But when the same issue happens in an otherwise calm, peaceful educational town of Mangalore, the outrage begins. People start taking cognizance. They now feel it can happen to me too now. Which is why all the noise.
I just wish these radicals never ever meet. But you must give it to them. For they seem to have motivated / brainwashed tens of thousands of people to follow their path. Like they say in the IT world, ‘hackers are the most intelligent people, but if only they use it constructively’ India will be way ahead.
Lastly, lets look at the root cause. Why are people rallying behind Muthalik/Andrabi and the likes. I feel the people don’t know what they are getting into. They have no clue. They are just simply illiterate, jobless & lack basic education which will tell them what is right and what is wrong. So, my answer would bee ‘let us strive for more educated India’.
AR
Also check the following link. It is hard to read but worth it.
http://www.portraitofindia.com/liberal1.htm
It is a detailed write up on Indias liberalization strategy and parallels with the East India Co.
What senas in India are doing suggests the frustration Indians are going through. What could be the reason why young men would leave everything in the world worth doing and indulge in acts what various senas have been indulging in? The hooligans are themselves interested in the luxuries of the world but they are incapable of procuring the same via legitimate means and thus what better way to get name and money than getting into politics?
Shiv Sena came into limelight by attacking Tamils, the nephew MNS attacked UP and Bihar, BJP attacked dilapidated mosque, the Ram sena attacking independent women, and all these people will attack the sabhas Vidhan to Lok and the Parliament one day. This tells us that the way to politics is hooliganism which helps garner money and thus the elligibility criteria is complete; manage money and gundas and lo you rule India.
All these people know that they do not have any opposition. Can we come together to form a strong enough opposition?
Extract from link I have attached
Except India none of the former colonies are interested in this new wave of liberalization and privatization. Starting from China till Japan they still maintain that west can only share technology. Even in technology issues in many segments Japanese caught up and beat the west. Japan-(never occupied by any EICs, except withdrew from WW-II after nuclear explosions, brief interim rule by USA 1945-1952) None of the above sectors are opened for MNCs as Japanese still believe that west has nothing of value to offer them. Japanese do not even release their latest versions of electronic products in any of the Western Countries until they were first sold in Japan for at least 3-5 years, as they feel in the usage of these technological gizmos west is inferior to them.
They said categorically no to all MNCs in banking, insurance, media – print and television, bio-technology. In Japan stock markets are not open to multinationals. Even the domestic industry too can issue only up to 20 % of its common stock to general public. Rest has to be issued to government banks. This will remove the factor of playing with stock exchange, even one buys the entire stock of a particular company, still he owns only one fifth of the company. As foreigners are not allowed to trade in the local Japanese stock market the fear of EICs MNCs taking over the stock markets thus the industrial back bone of any country are virtually non existent. China-(Part of British, French Dutch Belgium East India Companies, USA Germany Russia had territorial rights) None of the above sectors are opened. They wanted only investment in manufacturing sectors along with the technology transfer.
They never allowed even CNN to broadcast its news on the grounds that it is biased towards the western perspective. No to insurance banking, media oil and natural gas exploration. China even never allowed Amway Corporation on grounds that it is propelling greed among the populations, and blaming Amway’s donation to universities to produce reports and mould public opinion in western favor.
China do not has a developed stock market. They follow their thousands of year old “Single Entry Accounting System of Book Keeping” which prevents western corporations to really play with any accounting numbers. This system is still followed in India too by native business men. But as usual our drive to modernize and civilize is driving us faster towards “double entry mode of book keeping” though being simple and with all advantages, fraught with corporate fraud, public cheating, swindling of public money by unscrupulous accountants. Indonesia- (Part of Dutch East India Company) They said no to most of the above to all former colonial powers.
When oil was found in East Timor and A(I)ryan Jaya, Holland/Dutch negotiated for exploration rights in 1975. Indonesian government denied. For past two decades massive social funding was pumped through various NGOs in to East Timor and most of this money went in to converting locals by missionaries. Once the converted Christian population reached the critical 50% they started agitating for independent state hood, Christian Republic. This demand was denied by Indonesian government. Then these rebels were armed. In 15 years armed struggle started. Every body in west knew there is no chance for these rag tag rebels to face the mighty Indonesian army. So in 1995 whole former European colonial powers raised hue and cry that religious freedom, human rights are abused in Indonesia. To free the people of East Timor from oppressive Indonesian government the matter was referred to United Nations. United Nations too want to guard the freedom and human rights of East Timorians. Thus a multinational force under Australia entered East Timor and liberated it in 1998/99. Republic of East Timor was born. The newly “democratically elected president” of East Timor gave oil exploration contracts to Dutch Oil Corporations.
Malaysia- (Part of Dutch and French East India Companies) Categorically said no to any MNCs as they follow the Japanese model of economic development. Malaysia was subjected to economic blockades, international loans were withheld, so much unrest is created to replace current presidents, but they are still resisting and holding off the entry of MNCs.
India- (Part of British East India Company) We are the first country colonized by EICs. But MNCs though want to do business with us never were interested till 1995. Between 1990-1995 they found some thing within India, some thing of extreme value which prompted them to move with full speed and vigor to re colonize us. As we were the naïve first and foremost colony, filled with more anglophiles (we love to speak and imitate English more than our mother and motherland) than Britain and USA combined populations posses. Many in India think that we have the largest English speaking people and that is why MNCs are coming to us to modernize India. This is a myth. For instance Japan contains more English speaking people than India. Japanese speak exceptionally excellent English. Like Europeans though Japanese speak English they do not communicate in English but in Japanese. But no MNCs are there in Japan. Any one who want to go or to do business with Japan first have to learn Japanese and must communicate in Japanese.
Conclusion
We have seen in the case of EICs the victim of their free trade and globalization was the agriculture sector and agrarian labor. This followed by the destruction of domestic labor intensive economy leading to massive unemployment and social unrest. Mahatma Gandhi started his movement aptly calling it satyagraha literally meaning angry for truth. The only solution he saw for the menace was Grama Swaraj-self sufficiency of Villages thus agriculture sector. After 50 years of independence we are first time seeing the destruction of agriculture both by state governments and central government. Agrarian labor are shifting towards cities, farmers are killing themselves, state governments are fighting over true national resource water and forcing millions of acres of agrarian land to dry up. Prices of seeds, electricity, manure are going up forcing many to abandon agriculture and move as labor to cities. The so called highly profitable Aqua Culture (prawn export) though initially profitable (like land taxes for EIC) now destroyed most agrarian lands permanently in coastal Indian towns. Incidentally all this is coinciding the dazzling and dynamic liberalization and privatization drive by all governments under EICs turned MNCs entry in to the country since past 5 years. Are we going to shift to our “Traditional Magic Crop under EIC-opium” or is there more sinister to this round of anti agricultural practices- a permanent destruction of food diversity of India and make it depend for food itself on all MNCs as now they are producing in way excess quantities of certain food items which now they can supply for next 500 years at dirt throw prices.
Are we repeating Bengal Famine again? Is gram swaraj, for that matter swaraj in real danger? Well the answer to this question depends on how much information any one has about what is happening in India and anywhere in the world.
From Militant mother stands between son and cricket:
OKAY ANDRABIC BAN
BAN ALSO RAM SE AND OTHERS