Cattle ban BJP’s route marker for 2019

Rajindar Sachar

UNION Home Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking of the achievements of the three years of the Modi government, proudly proclaimed: “We have by and large provided security to the country. India is the second largest country in the world as far as the Muslim population is concerned, and I can say with full responsibility that despite such a large population (of Muslims), the IS has not been able to set foot.”

Frankly, it is not clear whether he meant it to be a compliment for the patriotism and nationalism of Indian Muslims or he was only praising his security agencies — that notwithstanding such a large population of Muslims, his intelligence agencies have been able to control it. I hope it was not the latter, because it would be uncalled for and unjustly maligning the Muslim community.

Rajnath Singh should openly say that the patriotism and nationalism of Indian Muslims is no less than any other community, including Hindus. And that anyone even remotely suggesting otherwise is talking treason, as some of the sickening communal Hindu bodies are doing.

Muslims do not have to carry their patriotism on the sleeve; to suggest that would be calumny. In fact, notwithstanding the provocation from RSS fanatics, the equanimity shown by Muslims is praiseworthy. If the Home Minister is really keen to keep peace in the country, he needs to persuade Modi to immediately withdraw the deliberately provocative animal slaughter legislation, which is being opposed by many states apart from being challenged in high courts.

The legislation purporting to be for the prevention of cruelty to animals is a ploy to snatch jurisdiction by the Centre on the subject of cattle trade, which is squarely the purview of the states. Even the BJP accepts this, as is clear from the Arunachal Pradesh state party president openly announcing that the Centre’s ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter could not be binding on the states. The entire North-East is on the boil on this matter.

Minister of Environment Harsh Vardhan says diplomatically that the government is open to suggestions. This sounds hollow given that half the states are opposed to this legislation, which in reality is an attempt at pleasing the “gau rakshak” gang and to allow them to spread terror. This legislation has been deliberately brought up by the BJP to further communalise the situation and also financially ruin the poor Muslims who earn their livelihood through cattle sales.

The atmosphere was earlier vitiated by RSS Nagpur bosses installing Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of UP, who has already spread fear among Muslims in the state by praying at the makeshift Ram Temple near the Babri Masjid demolition site. This is blatant communalisation of the situation in India, which is the strategy of the BJP for 2019 elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to be reminded of how he addressed cow vigilantes in August 2016 saying: “It makes me angry that people are running shops in the name of cow protection.... Some people indulge in anti-social activities at night and in the day masquerade as cow protectors.”

The Modi government is not even attempting a sham of making suggestions to counter the perception that its actions are weakening the morale of minorities. In that regard, the way Modi has handled the naming of National Commission for Minorities members shows he only wants to retain the shell of it. The present members were appointed after the positions remained vacant for months. Of the five persons appointed, only one is a Muslim (Chairperson) and the remaining are one each from other minorities. This too was done after a high court asked the government for a response to a writ petition.

According to the 2011 Census, the Hindu population is 79.8 per cent and Muslim 14.2 per cent. The rest 6 per cent is constituted of Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.7%), Buddhists (0.7%), Jains (0.4%), and Parsis. It can’t be denied that the object of the minorities panel is to create a mechanism that would give them confidence. To make the minorities feel that they have an equal stake in the running of the State and are equal beneficiaries of its programmes. It is hoped that the two more members yet to be appointed would be Muslims, either well-recognised academicians or public figures from the community, to give some reassurance to the community.

The report of the UN Human Rights Council Forum on Minority Issues, 2010, had made some significant recommendations on minorities and their effective participation in economic life, which each country is mandated to follow:

“...the right of minorities to participate effectively in economic life must be fully taken into account by governments seeking to promote equality at every level. From implementing non-discrimination in employment and enforcing protection laws in the private sector to developing national economic development and international development assistance schemes.”

It is unfortunate that the Opposition has not come up with a concrete/specific programme on which it intends to fight the 2019 election. In fact, the Opposition has been reduced to a debating/TV phenomenon. It has no specific programme for action. The way the Congress and other political parties are letting wither away the opportunity that arose from the Dalit assertion in Saharanpur speaks ill of their commitment.

There is already a competition between the Chief Minister of UP and Prime Minister Modi as to who would be a greater favourite of the Sangh Parivar after the 2019 parliamentary elections, assuming the BJP wins the majority. Yogi Adityanath has given encouragement to the cow vigilante brigade, as indicated in the UP Director-General of Police issuing instructions to all police officers that those involved in cow slaughter or smuggling should be booked under the National Security Act – a legislation designed to handle terrorists. Has the BJP lost all sense of balance and proportion?

The writer is a retired Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.