The Bharatiya Janata Party considers itself nationalist, and Narendra Modi has built a tall statue of Sardar Patel near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat, known as the Statue of Unity. However, the politics of the BJP heavily revolves around Hindu–Muslim polarisation. The latest incident in this regard is extremely shameful.
The BJP has submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, demanding the cancellation of admissions to the M.B.B.S. programme at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra because 42 out of 50 selected students are Muslims. Generally, Hindutva-minded individuals oppose the policy of reservation and emphasise merit. Yet in this case, they are demanding 100% reservation for Hindus, arguing that Hindu devotees funded the establishment of this university. Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, has said that the sentiments of Hindus must be respected.
In the Manjakote tehsil of Rajouri district, there is only one Hindu family which runs a grocery store serving entirely Muslim customers. Should the income of this family be considered Hindu or Muslim?
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has clarified that the university received ₹24 crores from the state government last year and ₹28 crores this year. It is shameful that the BJP is demanding reservation on religious lines rather than on merit. The dangerous implications of such an idea are best left to the imagination.
In this context, one must appreciate Madan Mohan Malaviya, founder of Banaras Hindu University. He said:
“This country doesn’t belong to Hindus alone. It belongs to Muslims, Christians and Parsis as well. India will remain strong and progress only if the various communities living here maintain harmony. I hope that this centre of light and life will produce students who will not only match the intellectual capacity of students elsewhere, but will live fulfilling lives, love their country and remain faithful to the supreme power.”
Malaviya, despite his association with Hindu Mahasabha, was a true nationalist. However, for the current BJP leadership, nationalism appears limited to the domain of Hindutva. It is obvious which philosophy better serves the interests of the nation.
The BJP is able to mobilise votes through divisive politics, and therefore continues to promote it. It has little concern for national unity. Fortunately, not everyone has fallen prey to such politics. A recent incident in J&K beautifully reflects why Mahatma Gandhi said that he saw a ray of hope in Kashmir during the communal violence of Partition.
In Narwal locality of Jammu, the Jammu Development Authority (JDA)—whose Vice Chairman Rupesh Kumar was appointed by LG Manoj Sinha—recently demolished the 40-year-old house of journalist Arfaz Daing, built on 3 marlas (0.01875 acres) of land, labelling it as encroachment. Omar Abdullah has said that this action was taken without the permission of his government, revealing who is actually running the Union Territory.
As a heart-warming surprise, neighbour Kuldeep Sharma came forward to offer 5 marlas (0.03125 acres) of his own land to Arfaz to rebuild his home. Kuldeep said the officials who came to demolish the house were insensitive, and he could not bear to watch Arfaz’s family thrown onto the road. Kuldeep is not a wealthy man, yet he said that if the JDA attempts demolition again, he will offer twice the land. He added that Arfaz is not a stranger but a neighbour, and even if he has to beg, he will ensure the family has a home.
Inspired by Kuldeep Sharma’s gesture, a businessman from Pampore—who wishes to remain anonymous—has donated 1 kanal of land worth ₹1 crore to honour him. He said that at a time when people are fighting over caste, creed, religion and race, Kuldeep has shown that humanity is still alive. He declared he would even donate his blood for Kuldeep, who rose above communal boundaries.
Another gentleman from Shopian, Mohammad Iqbal Shah, inspired by Kuldeep’s act, has decided to donate 10 marlas of land to strengthen Hindu-Muslim unity. He firmly believes in the slogans “Religion does not teach us hatred” and “Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian are all brothers.” This spirit represents what is referred to as Kashmiriyat, something Mahatma Gandhi perceived clearly. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also spoke of Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat and Jamhooriyat.
People in the rest of the country must draw inspiration from Kashmir. Hate cannot be the response to hate; only love and communal harmony can overcome divisive politics. If citizens wish to avoid falling into the trap of communalism propagated by the BJP, they must actively practise unity, as Kuldeep Sharma and the Kashmiri businessmen have done. This is the only way to defeat the politics of hatred.
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Sandeep Pandey is Secretary-General of Socialist Party (India) and Shahnawaz Mir is General Secretary of People’s Democratic Party
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