Once upon a time ...

Once upon a time there was a magic nation ... may be it still has some magic left. However, even at that time idiots were in considerable strength. To add to the woes of that nation the remaining population had a majority of zombies. They had myriads of communities but only 3 mattered at that time. Let us name them community A,B and C.

Community A was in majority. Community B was in minority but had significant presence in some pockets. Community C formed a tiny part but its interests were tied to both the communities and it too had a pocket of influence. One fine morning an intellectual (his 'direct' actions don't befit this reference though) came to conclusion that he had no future in political power because his rivals had greater say in masses overall. But he had an ace up his sleeve. He was from community B. So, he chose 'direct' path and was joined in hordes by people from not just community B but also A and C although indirectly. That magic nation gave way to 2 magic nations. However the other nation had less of magic.

A and C with half of B lived happily in the greater magic nation for sometime. Then some leaders from C decided to choose a more 'direct' path like that 'intellectual'. This time the stacks were heavily stacked against them though. They did not get that much support from their community but created equal ruckus. Well, foolhardy is something in which each of these communities likes to dominate. Community A now took lead in that by resorting to 'direct' actions against C and then B.

This community business is actually more complex than what I have presented. There are other communities (more properly groups) at different levels. These 3 were separated by religion but there are many separated by language, region, caste and God knows what more. All these communities resort to that 'direct' path to this date. The magic nation drags on.

Jinnah and the Pseudo Secularists

Last few days we have seen a huge interest in media about Jinnah. This interest has been triggered because of the contents of a book written by Jaswant Singh, who used to be a prominent leader of the BJP which is seen as the right wing party of India.

I am surprised at two things: first, why did Jaswant Singh is so eloquent in praise of Jinnah. I am not talking of his book because I have not read it but of his interviews. Second, why some sections of media are hell bent upon showing Jinnah as a moderate Muslim who was secular and would have never approved of the atrocities meted out to minorities in Pakistan.

Of many ghettos surrounding the Muslim community in India one is that they admire Jinnah or for that matter Pervez Musharraf. Do you remember that Bus during 2004 elections with painting of Vajpayee and Musharraf on it? That was also the time when we had uproar over Advani's remark on Jinnah. This was ostensibly done to win good will of Indian Muslims for the BJP. What happened in that election is history now. My personal experience (because I had interactions with a lot of Muslims in my school days and with some in college days) is that there is no admiration for Jinnah in majority of Muslims. But people like Jaswant Singh think otherwise. And for the second thing I will say so called 'liberals' or more appropriately the 'pseudo secularists' of India think that they are being progressive by showing Jinnah in 'true' light. I want to know if Jinnah did only one thing wrong in instigating partition riots and so is a secularist because of of what he did rest of his life why do this same section castigates Narendra Modi? Mr. Modi has done nothing wrong other than not controlling Gujarat riots. Is he a secularist?