We must play a proactive role

This refers to the Dadri killing incident in India where a 52-year-old Muslim was killed on allegation that he was consuming beef, which is banned in the state.

Muslims are of course the most hurt, but many belonging to other communities are also alarmed. The question haunts whether we are heading toward a civil war. There is normally no planning, no coordinated effort in solving the issues and taking Muslims forward in a secular country.

Our politics too is largely reactive. Almost always, we react to the issues created by others. We do not have any inkling of what proactive politics is. We consider politics only in terms of elections.

We forget that politics is more about identifying issues, raising them in a way that it attracts the attention and to force the institutions to react to them. We have restricted ourselves to only those issues that concern us and have a sentimental appeal.

We forget that there are umpteen of other matters of extraordinary social value through which we can earn others’ confidence like issues related to economic disparity, rising crime rates, depraving morality, disintegrating family system and social unrest. If we could raise such issues in a significant manner, we will be in a stronger position when issues related to Muslim security and empowerment crop up. If we speak for others, others will speak for us.

Besides, we have developed a tendency to forget issues that we like to react at the spur of the moment. Very soon we will forget the what happened at Dadri. We will forget about Akhlaq and what is happening to his family.

What we need is that we must form a team of lawyers to ensure that the case is fought with full ammunition. We know that the witnesses will be purchased by the rival groups or will be threatened to remain silent.

We have seen that in almost every major incident where Muslims are the alleged culprits, a sinister nexus of lawyers and police ensures that the accused are hanged or sentenced to life imprisonment. But no one gets punishment for their crimes in anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat, Bhagalpur, Hashimpura, Mumbai — the list is long.

To make sure that Dadri becomes the turning point in India’s history, let us vow not to let it be forgotten, not to let any course of action remain uncovered. — Javed Jameel, New Delhi