By Shaik Zakeer Hussain, TwoCircles.net,
Bengaluru: The coastal region of Karnataka is the hotbed of communal violence in the country. Commonly referred to, as a Hindutva bastion, the region has for years been in news for communal violence against Muslims, Christians and women. Even after the recent elections, which saw BJP almost wiped out, there were reported incidences of stone pelting at Mosques, beer bottle thrown at Madrasa etc.
The Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike (KKSV or Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum), an umbrella organization of more than 150 groups, is fighting communalism for over a decade in the state. In an interview with TCN's Shaik Zakeer Hussain, KKSV’s District Secretary, Ismat Pajeer, talked about communalism in the region, the Muslim community and more.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Ismat Pajeer
Mangalore and other districts in this region are always in news for communal violence against the minorities, how bad is the situation and what is the condition of Muslims?
Muslims are in trouble here. This whole region is considered to be a Hindutva laboratory. There are various issues facing the community and ban on cow slaughter is one. Most Muslim families here are poor and beef is the least expensive of all meat, so many don’t have a choice but to consume beef. We don’t eat beef to offend any religious community, but because we can’t afford anything else. We are unable to slaughter cow even on the day of Eid. Many times the seller sells his cow to Muslims and then informs the Hindutva groups himself, who then beat up people who have the animal in their possession.
Then we have the issue of moral policing by Hindutva groups. Muslim youths are not allowed to speak to Hindu girls, even though these girls and boys might be colleagues working in the same organisation or students in the same college or institution.
Once I was sitting with a teacher of mine, when we were surrounded by Bajrang Dal activists. They thought I was with a Hindu woman, however when she pulled out her cross, they realized that she was a Christian and left.
And then our girls are not allowed to enter colleges wearing Burqa (veil), in many colleges it is unofficially banned. You know, some 30 years ago, some Hindus used to ask, why don’t your girls go to school, now they ask, why do your girls go to school in veil.
A Muslim girl by name Aysha Asmin was asked to leave her college, because she refused to remove her head-scarf.
Some time ago and even now to a certain extent, there was lot of talk about something called ‘Love Jihad’, what do you have to say about it?
It is all nonsense. It is a concocted fraud created by people with vested interests, to tarnish the image of the community. Even if one such case is proven, I am ready to be their slave; I am ready to carry their shoes on my head.
What has been the role of the local media in its portrayal of Muslims here?
They are biased against the community and barring a few newspapers, the entire media here is saffronised.
And the police?
The police are remote controlled by the BJP. Last year, the official website (www.dkpolice.org) of the Dakshina Kannada district police carried a collaged image of RSS workers in khaki shorts, seemingly extolling its activities. It was only removed after pressure from groups like KKSV and others.
They are outright rude and abusive when dealing with Muslims. If a Muslim visits a police station to say, even enquire about their passport status, they (the police) use swear words to address them and it doesn’t matters if he is a young man or a 70 year old. Once I was stopped by a police officer at midnight around 12.30 AM, I was asked to remove my helmet, and when he heard my first name, he called me a son of a w#%re. That’s how it works here.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Have you ever been threatened because of your work?
The area that I work and live in is a Muslim dominated one, so I don’t feel threatened here. And also many of these groups fear KKSV as it is an intellectual forum.
How is the common Hindu’s attitude towards the Muslims?
The majority of them do not subscribe to the ideology of the Hindutva groups. There are many instances, which I was a personal witness to, where Hindus have helped their Muslim neighbours. During the 2006 riots, Hindu families helped installing bore wells in mosques, they distributed milk in madrassas, etc.
Having said that, I should also tell you that, these sorts of instances are becoming rare nowadays. Sometimes Hindu families have been attacked by these groups, for having friendly terms with their Muslim neighbours.
How about the local Muslim leadership?
Community leaders don’t stand up for Muslim causes here and even the community itself is divided. The only time Muslims came together was when advocate Naushad Kasim was killed. People knew that he was murdered by police for taking up the case of Rashid Malabari and they came out together in protest.
The other time we saw such an event was, when madrassas were labelled as ‘terrorist breeding grounds’.
How do you think Muslims should fight this situation?
Muslims should unite with well-wishers from the Hindu community and the Dalits. I think this is the way; there is no scope working in isolation.