As an Indian Muslim who caters to the voices of sanity and reason, I hung my head in shame when I heard tht Shafique-ur-Rehman Barq, MP, BSP, had left Parliament’s Central Hall while Vande Mataram was being sung. While harping on this communal mindset, he must not overlook the demands of his constituency, comprising mostly of Muslims, as there are no proper roads, potable water, electricity, sewage system, good schools and most other basic amenities. However, for filthy vote bank publicity and politics, Rehman has let down Indian Muslims down by shunning Vande Mataram.
As if this were not enough, I also received an anti-Vande Mataram poetry in response to an article I wrote in Hindi daily, Navbharat Times by my Jamat-e-Islami friend, Intizar Naeem, who puts up absurd arguments in a poem -Shirk Mein Duba Hua Naghma Hei Vande Mataram – saying the glorious song is against the tenets of Islam. Let me humbly submit that politically motivated individuals or those belonging to the clergy should not communalise the situation. Muslims may find no difference between Vande Matram and Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamarey dil mein hai… or Sare jahan se achha Hindostan hamara.
It’s not the first time that this has happened: unless Indian Muslims come out of the clutches of obscurantist ulema and vote bank politicians, they will keep getting let down.
Muslims must follow the example of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who though born in a predominantly Hindu environment, was bold enough to propagate nationalism to Muslims, which at that time in history was under the spell of communal politics which claimed Islamic sanction. He saw in Vande Mataram the fusion of the endogenic creativity, the Vedantic vision of many parts of truth with the Islamic doctrines of Wahdat-e-Deen (unity of religion) and Sulah-e-Kul (universal peace). While listening to a rendition of Vande Mataram on January 1, 1952 by renowned maestro, Krishna Kumar, in Delhi, Azad admired it saying that it was graceful and inspiring as luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore, Babu Surendranath Banerjee, Satyabhushan Gupta, R N Bose and H Bose had sung it. As far as Muslims are concerned, true, as per the tenets of Islam, they can never worship or bow in front of anything other than Allah. But that doesn’t take from them the fact that they are loyal to the nation and that they do not need a certificate to prove this. What is of paramount importance today is that people must beware of the ugly face of fundamentalism commonly constituted by the so-called champions of Islam and advocates of Hindutva, who having lost their say in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid controversy, want to revive their old clout. Whenever Vande Mataram is rendered, my body, mind and soul, all in unison, vouches that this is the song of the soul of each Indian, irrespective of religion, cast or status. The melody, thought content and the ambiance of patriotism of Vande Mataram is unmatched.
I fail to comprehend as to why some of my co-religionists wish to make an issue out of this. As a Muslim, I would like to convey to all my countrymen, especially to my own community, that some politically motivated people are trying to make an emotive issue out of a gem of a song and perhaps, in my view, the song that should have been the national anthem in place of Jana, gana, mana…
What is very unfortunate is that anti-Vande Mataram clerics give Hindutva forces the handle to beat Muslims with. Media is also responsible by repeatedly publicizing speeches by these clerics who, claiming to represent Muslims, are no more than bigots. It is because of the irresponsible statements made by them that common Muslims have to suffer and whatever creaking doors of non-Muslims open upon them, are unfortunately slammed shut.
What’s very unfortunate is that voices of secular, patriotic and liberal Muslims never get a forum. We live in a liberal society which encourages us to know about each other’s religion. Does a Hindu become impure by going to Jama Masjid or a church? Don’t Muslim children going to Christian schools – as I did – sing psalms from the Bible in the morning assembly — Our Father/ Which arts in Heaven/ Hallowed be thy name…? Did we come back home losing our faith?
Where is the controversy except in the minds of misguided fundamentalists? On the occasion of the inauguration of the ICCR, Maulana Azad forehead was smeared with vermillion at which Pakistani daily Dawn commented in a cartoon that he had changed his religion. In reply, Maulana said that in fact by such participation, his faith in his religion had strengthened even more. Muslims must learn from his example.
