The second wave of Covid-19 has hit India hard. Fatalities are also on rise with every day spike in cases. Every single day brings tragic news of death of our acquaintances. A lot of people lost their near and dear ones. This phase is quite uncertain.
In this hard phase, health personnel are working day and night to recover more and more patients even with their own lives at stake! And what are they getting in return? Injuries,attacks,brutality. Why? Are they our servants, just because they are serving us!
Months ago, we appreciated their dedication and selfless attitude by clappings and now,we are beating them? In an recent incident, a 62-year old covid infected woman was admitted at apollo hospital, New Delhi in the early hours of morning. She was admitted in emergency ward as the ICU ward was not vacant. She couldn’t get a bed and died around 8 a.m.
What happened next is awful! The family of the deceased broke over the Doctors and nurses. Junior doctors and nurses were attacked. Infrastructure was destroyed by them. Healthworkers were rescued by the security guards.
This is shameless. They are treating patients at the expense of their own lives and this is how we are paying tribute to them?
Government have provided them after – protection. Insurance is good but preventing such situations from happening should be prioritized.
We have failed as citizens. We have forgotten ethics. We’re breaking over those who are trying hard to save our lives in this pandemic. Many of them have died in the process of saving others. Why are these things so much Ironic in India? The rivers whom we worship are the ones who are extremely polluted…. The Womens whom we consider ‘goddess’, are the ones fell prey to rapes and severe assault…And the DOCTORS whose presence is acknowledged as God’s! Are being blamed for taking the lives of people.
Everything has been associated with divine and still getting harsh treatment. There’s a need to bring change in ourselves first. DOCTORS can be your GODS but not SERVANTS. Anyone who tries to attack them should get rigid punishment in reality , not merely in laws. Government should ensure safety of them and anyone who tries to infringe the law should severely be punished.!
A little more than 2000 years ago, in the 80s BCE, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, one of ancient Rome’s most successful military generals, got himself appointed dictator of Rome. He had just defeated his main rival – Gaius Marius – in Rome’s first large scale civil war.
What Sulla did after becoming dictator is what I want to talk about. He put up lists in the central forum containing the names of Marius’ sympathizers. People who’s names were on one of these “proscriptions” were immediately excluded from all protection under law, and anyone who killed a proscribed person would be rewarded by the state. Predictably, Rome was plunged into chaos by violent attacks where hundreds of people were brutally murdered in the streets and in their homes.
A couple of generations later, the founders of the second triumvirate, including Octavius and Mark Antony started another proscription where even more innocent people were murdered for supporting the wrong politician.
As Mark Twain once said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes”. What we have been seeing over the past few days in West Bengal, is another round of proscriptions, this time started by “Caesar Bengalicus”. Workers from opposition parties, mainly the BJP, are being killed mercilessly by hordes of TMC workers all accross the state. Their offices are being burnt, their shops are being looted and many of them have been forced to flee to other states. The home of Shantiniketan is soaked in blood and nothing is being done about it. The land of Rabindranath Tagore cannot be ruled by a malevolent dictator who has people killed just for holding the “wrong” political views.
Amar Shonar Bangla surely doesn’t deserve this.
“The good of the people is the greatest law”, is a quote by one of Rome’s finest statesmen, Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero was one of the last victims of the proscriptions – he was beheaded as he tried to escape from Rome. His head and hands were fastened to the rostra in the forum, for daring to speak out against the people in power.
बैठकों से लेकर सभाओं तक घर से लेकर पूरे शहर तक अपनी जी जान लगा देता है बस इसी बात के लिए अब जीतेंगे हार जीत का सबसे ज्यादा फर्क उसको ही पड़ता है
नेता आते हैं जाते कार्यकर्ता वहीं रह जाता है आशाओं उमंगो की दुनिया में खड़ा एक इंसान जो अपने जीवन से ज्यादा अपने विचारों की जंग को जिंदा रखता है अपने आदर्शों को दिल में समाए जूझता रहता है इस दोगली दुनिया से तब टूटता है कार्यकर्ता
जब सकंट मे साथ नहीं देता कोई फिर भी कलेजे पर हाथ रख जलाए रहता है विचारधारा की ज्वाला क्योंकि उसी ने उसको जिंदा कर रखा है
बाकि मौन मूर्तियों ने तो उसके कत्ल की आह तक नहीं सुनी जलते घरो को देख बोखला जाता है अपनो के फोन ना लगने पर सहम जाता है
किसी से कुछ कहता नहीं पर अंतर द्वंद मे मारा जाता है कार्यकर्ता
बैठकों से लेकर सभाओं तक घर से लेकर पूरे शहर तक अपनी जी जान लगा देता है कार्यकरता
BJP is often blamed for polarising electorate in its election campaign, but Mamatadidi did it more directly and convincingly so much so that Muslims closed rank and voted en masse for TMC. They not only voted against BJP but also against Left Alliance because most of them have no ideological leanings. They are practically oriented and decided to trust TMC and the CM who have a track record of supporting them rightly or wrongly but unflinchingly in the last two terms. Hindus, on the other hand are a divided lot and more emotional than practical. They are, in West Bengal, much enamoured of left liberalism and deny non-left ideologies and thoughts any space in their mind, howsoever rational that may be. They would even ignore blatant communal acts and campaigns by the leaders of TMC and Left Alliance.
It is also true that many people are drawn by the charisma of Mamatadidi and they believed in her campaign statements. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the West Bengal government has launched increasing number of social welfare schemes and yet has paid salaries and pension to its employees regularly and that the state has spent Rs 4500 crore for coronavirus treatment facilities from its own coffers despite the tight financial situation. It is said that the number of visitors at the Duare Sarkar (government at door step), the State government’s outreach programme, has crossed two crores. The programme includes beneficiaries to 11 welfare schemes of the State government.
People on the other hand did not trust most of the new entrants to BJP from TMC. Because, the mass desertions from CPI(M) to TMC from 2007 onwards, following the Singur-Nandigram movement, had ensured that the same kind of Marxist instrumental violence prevailed under TMC rule. Many potential BJP supporters thought these entrants from TMC would behave similarly once they are returned to power and continue the old TMC traditions.
The other important factor is the fear psychosis in the people’s mind. The threatening statements made during TMC’s election campaign are on record and it instilled the fear in people’s mind that either vote for TMC or else get beaten up post-poll. This fear would have largely influenced the Matua and other SCs, partly turning away from BJP.
Now that post-poll violence has started on a large scale, it confirms how the fear psychosis played on their mind. I hope that we are not seeing the repeat of the carnage of the Congress hooligans on the Leftists after the 1972 assembly election; only this time, BJP supporter is the target. It is well-known that the 1972 state assembly elections, held while the state was under president’s rule, were massively rigged and this reinstated the Congress in power. What subsequently followed was one of the most virulent reigns of terror for clearing away of Naxal and Left activists. The pipe guns and bombs are from then on wielded by gangster and criminal elements allied to the government, and used to silence all voices of opposition. A regime of everyday terror, described by the CPI(M) as a period of ‘semi-fascist terror’ came into being. The field now seems to lie open for a free for all play of violence of the kind we are witnessing today unless the new government acts decisively and fairly.
By Sudip Bhattacharyya: The writer is a longstanding commentator on contemporary issues.
As soon as counting of the votes were started, their come a sudden change in Bengal. Riots, Arson, gang rapes takes place all over the Bengal. BJP supporters and members were brutally beaten till death, their houses were destroyed only to prove the political domination by TMC goons.
This video will give us a proper understanding about it:
हाल ही में विश्व में कोरोना के कहर के बीच इजराइल से अच्छी खबर आई है। इजराइल में अब सार्वजनिक स्थानों पर मास्क लगाना अनिवार्य नहीं है। इजराइल विश्व का पहला ऐसा देश बन गया है, जिसने खुद को कोरोना मुक्त घोषित कर दिया है। वहां बड़े स्तर पर टीका अभियान के बाद एक बार फिर लोगों की ज़िंदगी पटरी पर लौट रही है। इजराइल स्वयं को कोरोना मुक्त घोषित करना भारत के लोगों को लालायित कर रहा है। भारतवासी यह सोचने लगे हैं कि क्या हम भी इजराइल के तरह कोरोना से छुटकारा पा सकेंगे?
आज हमारा देश कोरोना महामारी के भयानक चपेट में है, गंभीर रूप से संक्रमित लोगों के उपचार हेतु जरूरी दवाओं, औक्सीजन की कमी ने स्वस्थ्य व्यवस्था का बेहाल कर दिया है। हालांकि इन सभी जरूरत की चीजों की आपूर्ति के लिए जहां एक ओर देश में उत्पादन पर ज़ोर दिया जा रहा, वहीं दूसरे देशों से भी मदद ली जा रही है। आज देश के हालात हैं, जो बेहद डरावने हैं। एक ओर लोगों को अपने जान बचाने की जहोजद करनी पड़ रही, दूसरी तरफ मन में यह भाव भी उठ रहे हैं कि किसी तरह इस महामारी का कोई स्थायी इलाज हो सके, ताकि लोग पहले की भांति रोजमर्रा की ज़िंदगी जीने को बेताब हैं। लेकिन मौजूदा परिस्थिति को देखते हुए यह आशा भी करना बेईमानी होगा कि हम कोरोना से मुक्त कब होंगे? क्या इज़राइल जैसे कब हम यह कह सकेंगे कि अब हमारे देश में कोरोना नहीं है।
परंतु इजराइल जैसा कोरोना मुक्त होने के लिए हमें इज़राइल के विषय में जानना अत्यंत आवश्यक है कि इस छोटे से देश ने अपने परिश्रम, अनुशासन, दृढ़ संकल्प के साथ न सिर्फ अपनी धरती को अवाद किया, बल्कि अनेक मामलों में विकसित देशों के समांतर खुद को स्थापित भी किया है। कोरोना के मामलों के में भी पूरे देश ने ऐसा ही अनुशासन दिखाया है। एक बार मास्क लगाने की घोषणा हो गयी, तो फिर किसी ने प्रश्न तक नहीं उठाया है। लोगों ने सामाजिक दूरी का पूरा ध्यान रखा, इसके लिए वहाँ की पुलिस को हमारे देश की तरह कसरत नहीं करनी पड़ी। इसी तरह टिकाकरण अभियान का सार्वजनिककरण किया गया। टीका के पहले डोज़ को 100 दिनों का लक्ष्य रखा गया था। 16 से 80 वर्ष तक 81 प्रतिशत लोगों का टिकाकरण हो चुका था, इसके साथ परिस्थितियों का मूल्याकंन करने के बाद यह स्पष्ट किया गया कि देश कोरोना संकट से बाहर है और घोषणा कर दी गयी।
लेकिन हमारे देश में लोग मास्क लगाने के लिए सड़क पर पुलिस वाले से झगड़ने लगते हैं। हाल में ही सोशल मीडिया पर एक वीडियो वायरल हो रहा था, जिसमें एक कार से एक दंपति जा रहे थे। सड़क पर ड्यूटी पर लगे पुलिस वाले ने बिना मास्क के होने पर गाड़ी रुकवाई और पूछा कि आपने मास्क क्यों नहीं लगाया है? इसपर वे दोनों पुलिस वाले से ही भीड़ गए और बहुत उल्टा सीधा बात करने लगे। पुलिस वाले को धमकाते हुए कहा –कि तुम्हारी हिम्मत कैसे हुई हमारी गाड़ी रोकने की, मैं मास्क नहीं पहनूँगी, यह हमारी मर्जी है। हालांकि फिर बाद में उनलोग ने अपनी गलती स्वीकार की।
इस बात से इंकार नहीं किया जा सकता है कि इजराइल के जनसंख्या भारत के तुलना में बहुत ही कम है। इजराइल की कुल आबादी 93 लाख के करीब है। ऐसे में अनुशासन पालन और टिकाकरण का कार्य उतना मुश्किल नहीं है। हम मानते हैं कि इन सभी बातों के लिए जनसंख्या एक अहम कारक है, लेकिन मूल बात राष्ट्र के प्रति संकल्प और अनुशासन को कैसे नजरंदाज कर सकते हैं। ऐसा नहीं है कि इजराइल में कोरोना महामारी के समय विरोध करने वाले लोग नहीं थे, इस पर भारत की तरह ही वहाँ भी बहस हुई और आज भी हो रही है, लेकिन इससे उनका लक्ष्य बाधित नहीं हुआ। क्योंकि सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि वहाँ के लोग अनुशासन पालन करने के लिए तत्पर हैं।
ऐसा भी नहीं है कि भारत में कोरोना महामारी पर विजय पाने की क्षमता नहीं है, यह बात अलग है कि हम वैसा दृढ़ संकल्प और अनुशासन नहीं अपनाने का भाव को जीवित रखने में अपनी सफलता मानते हैं। हम सरकारी निर्देशों को न मानने की जिद्द को अपना अधिकार मान बैठते हैं। निःसन्देह राज्य सरकारों के कोरोना प्रबंधन में कमियाँ दिखती रहीं हैं, क्योंकि कोरोना के नए वेरियंट को लेकर देश को आगाह भी किया गया था, पर उसपर ध्यान नहीं देते हुए तैयारी नहीं की गई। और यह कहावत सच हो गयी– ‘जैसी करनी, वैसी भरनी’। हमें काफी हद तक तक इज़राइल से सीख लेनी थी कि आपदा के समय में कैसी आचरण करनी चाहिए, अगर देश को सम्पूर्ण देशवासी का साथ मिले, तो हम जरूर इज़राइल के तरह कोरोना पर विजय पा सकते हैं। निःसन्देह सरकारों के तरफ से प्रबंधन में कमी हुई, लेकिन समाज के तरफ से भी अनुशासनहीनता के साथ- साथ गैरजिम्मेदाराना रवैया देखने को मिला।
अब भी देर नहीं हुई है, अगर केंद्र सरकार, राज्य सरकारें, स्थानीय शासन, सामाजिक –व्यापारिक संगठन सहित हर भारतीय यह ठान ले कि कोरोना से मुक्त होकर ही रहेंगे, तो हमारा देश भी कोरोना मुक्त हो सकता है, इसके लिए युद्ध स्तर पर कार्य करने की आवश्यकता है।
The West Bengal election result dampened the spirits of Hindutva proponents, as it was an expected-win, after the terrific performance of the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha (as the party bagged 18-MPs from that state). However, all is not lost. The fight was bitter between the BJP and Mamata Banerjee throughout the campaign. Mamata is a died-in-the-wool secularist, as the definition of “secularism” in India is: appeasing minorities. This appeasement has been witnessed right from the days of independence and prior to that. Only the BJP with the help of the RSS could highlight how distorted Indian secularism is, to the people, raising the issues of Shah Bano and Ayodhya Ram Temple. Besides, the UPA-II corruption helped, the party- BJP to come to power in full strength, under the able and energetic campaign of prime minister Narendra Modi in 2014. In 2019, it was the victory of Modi’s charisma and opposition disunity.
With the Lok Sabha loss in 2019, Mamata Banerjee was crestfallen. She had put up a brave face before the Lok Sabha election saying that the BJP was an irrelevant force in the state. In any case, she had to concede later that the BJP was a force to reckon with in her state. Both the Congress and the Left were minor players then, now they are wiped out from the W. Bengal map. It indicates that Mamata Banerjee, Chief of Trinamool Congress (TMC) has usurped ‘whole and sole’ secularism-space vacated by the Left and the Congress. The 30% Muslim voters of the state felt that she was the better choice. In any case, Mamata Banerjee surpassed the Congress and the Left in appeasing Muslims. Hers was an outright—glaring and staring type.
Many secularists keep asking what is “appeasement of minorities”? For which Sitaram Goel in his thin book of “Perversions of India’s Political Parlance”- a Voice of India publication (1995) enumerated some examples (in Pp 12-13). Now, of course, the scene has changed to an extent. But it is worth-mentioning. In those days, for anyone to qualify as “secular” in India he/she has to have faith in the following:
‘Muslims in independent-India have become poor and persecuted minority, being deprived of their fair share in the fruits of development and not being given employment in public and private sectors in proportion to their population etc.,
During that time (when secularism was at its height), every Hindu politician or writer, to be labelled “secular” have to proclaim that: ‘Islam stands for social equality and human brotherhood, throw iftar parties at the end of Ramzan, attend Urdu mushairas, support Urdu to be the second state language where Muslims are in a minority (now a reality, of course), admire Islamic art and literature, relish Muslim cooking and appreciate Muslim dress, abuse Israel and applaud Arab countries’.
He also writes, ‘A “secular-Hindu”, should look the other way when Muslims do not practise family planning, refuse to give modern education to their children, push their women into purdah, practise polygamy, make street-riots on a slightest pretext, rejoicing over Pakistan victory in sports (cricket), protect infiltrators and terrorists from across the borders’.
The above points cited by Shri Goel even now resonate in secular-circles. However, in the present BJP Government much emphasis is given to Hindu culture. In stead of Iftar parties, Diwali celebrations, prominence to language Hindi, bringing the Muslim community to mainstream, in the place of madrasa education—secular education have become the order. Mamata Banerjee is still an old-school vintage secularist and appeased Muslim community in the manner Shri Goel described. She went an extra mile to please the Mullahs/Maulvis’ with her dole out of tax-payers money as salary. Her giving importance to Moharram procession over Durga Puja (in 2017 when both festivals coincided, she restricted Durga idol immersion for a day to allow Moharram procession) was used by the BJP to their advantage in 2019. The result shocked Mamata.
In this state-election, she was tutored by Prashant Kishor, as to how to go about to win over the BJP. She went to Kali Temples, recited the verses on Ma Kali. She said her gotra to be Shandilya etc., To counter the BJP’s Jai shri Ram chanting, she argued that Lord Ram also worshipped Ma Kali. She proclaimed herself to be a Hindu many times during the campaign. That was odd, because secularists never wear religion on their sleeve. All in all, she reformulated and recalibrated her strategies to get her victory. The BJP could not effectively counter her recalibration.
Anyway, as business-management gurus say: in stead of seeing a glass half-empty, it is better to see half-full. Now, in the field of W. Bengal there are only two players: one- the ruling TMC, the other- the opposition BJP. The BJP without wasting the opportunity, has to check where Mamata Banerjee goes wrong. Already riots have taken place and some BJP-cadre was killed by TMC goons. So, the BJP has to protect its cadre as well as pseudo-secular designs of Mamata Banerjee and her aspirations of coming to power at the Centre. Those Chief Ministers who worked well in Covid-19 Pandemic situation were rewarded with another term in Assam and Kerala.
Even E. Palani Swami of AIADMK won many seats in the state assembly (though not a full mandate) because of his hard-work. Last but not the least, the win of Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP candidate over Kamal Hasan, is purely an ideological victory. Now, the P.M, Home Minister and Chief Ministers of various states should have to have their attention on the lethal second wave of Covid-19 that is causing panic in the country. For, people’s lives precede over politics. Now, the people need these leaders more than at any point of time in the past.
‘Social & judicialinquisition and jihad‘, the award for enlightenment!?
How would one feel if one comes across a news saying “a Gautam Buddha peace prize winner has been fined or handed over a three-year imprisonment for raising questions about the practice of ritual killing of animalsin the name of God in ABCD countries/communities” weird or unjustifiable isn’t it? But why do intelligent human beings normalize and take for granted when the name is not any Guatam Buddha or Noble peace prize winner, but just another commoner? just a news read to be forgotten?
This particular article is for discussing the latest news of a sentence of imprisonment to an Algerian professor handed over by their courts, but we think that is Africa + ABCD country so it is natural and normal!
We are taking topic from African horizons of ‘ABCD’ as we hear a news of an Algerian professor ‘Said Djabelkhir’ going for the toss’, since we are in midst of one ongoing series of articles, ‘In the wonderlands of ‘pseudos’, When ‘Rizvi’ goes for the toss!‘
Maybe South Asian and African horizons are different but replace the name of Pakistan in place of Algeria, most will say, ‘Oh that’s too usual, and too stressful to keep thinking over and over again’ won’t you? but even about Pakistan it is something happening outside our realms? But what about Rizvi ? Rizvi is no Gautam Buddha, but what if Gautam Buddha or any noble peace prize winner had been approaching India’s Supreme Court in place of Rizvi? too difficult and stressful to think and ask about? Or what if an Ex-Muslim apostate would have approached Indian Supreme court? that would be much more difficult isn’t it? What do Indian pseudo congress & Et al think what kind of freedom of expression they have created in India that ABCD can go on preaching their hate speech against Kafirs and Indian legal system will not question them but on the other hand will punish critiques of ABCD intolerance and the critiques of ABCD intolerance only will be victim blamed for speaking truth?
When we are just in midst of writing this article we hear social media talk about some Keralite Ex-Muslim Abdul Khader Puthiyangady getting arrested in Dubai for his criticism of ABCD he made when he was in India in Malayalam language, though it is claimed that the person used to talk with specific references. It is hardly any surprise Indian media would not even dare to report the news. And the Indian political dispensations could not dare to support Rizvi would harldy come in support of free speech rights of an Ex-Muslim atheist.
We will discuss Indian confusion over free speech in one of the articles in this series. We find discussing moderate heretics of ABCD itself so exhausting when global human right legal systems fail to support them how would the world find any proper space for any ABCD apostate Ex-Muslim’s point of view at all? It is true that new atheist Ex-Muslim movement is still lot to mature and is in need of some mature guidance from likes of Vivekananda philosophy. It is not too difficult for having patience with them when Hindus have been suffering much more from ABCD & pseudos.
While in India, in March 2021 when Rizvi went for toss, pseudos criticized him for going over to the court of law and how he himself not a scholar in ABCD, and how it is ABCD scholars domain, he/ scholars should try reinterpretations and ‘ijtihad ‘, What Algerian professor Djabelkhir is going through belies all pseudo objections!
Professor Djabelkhir himself is a scholar and academic in ‘ABCD’ studies. he was attempting his own academic pursuit of ‘ijtihad‘ i.e. reinterpreting ABCD texts to revisit traditional views on ABCD, as news reports inform us, an Algerian court handed him over 3 years of imprisonment.
Kamel Abderrahmani
Being relevant to our ongoing article series, in this article we will be taking note of Kamel Abderrahmani’s articles (1, 2) on the same topic in asianews.it for the benefit of our readers. (One more reason to write this article is while Abderrahmani’s articles seem a good read but asianews.it site is just http not https hence seems bit insecure so rather than giving just link giving synopsis will be more helpful to the readers)
Abderrahmani, through his articles informs us that, Algerian state has played the card of moderate but hybrid ABCD– tolerant and intolerant at the same time, meaning there by pro-regime dogma of Wahhabism and a certain amount of “politicised” Sufism. (Not much different to South Asia too has Barelviand Deobandi and many other factions too)
Political quietism along with social conservatism
Abderrahmani says, most local Algerian Salafists are quietist*, including the imams, and stay clear of politics. Their only objective is to maintain a certain social conservatism in terms of social mores, not in relation to political institutions.
Footnote : Here quietest means political quietism something like Tablighi Jamaat in South Asia, where members of those groups keep themselves officially aloof from politics, but actively maintain social conservatism. Since usually they are not actively participating in politics and less likelihood of direct violence or political challenge from their side usually state whether ABCD or non-ABCD prefers not to disturb them. But the same social conservatism, with their literal reading of religious scriptures, even if not involved directly in politics, sets the social narrative as per their narrowly viewed sectarian and rigorously practiced ABCD orthodoxy. Though socially conservative quietists themselves not in politics or violence leave a fertile conservative orthodox foreground behind for any extreme point of views to be exploited upon.
Abderrahmani maintains, they [quietist] are not necessarily weapon carrying nor resorting to violence themselves; but are instead traditionalists, since their project is to Islamise society by maneuvering religion, by using it in particular as a proactive force against modernity on the move, or as an impediment against the potential [liberal] progress of ABCD society. They do this by propagating the “fear of God” about claimed to be “word of God”, a fear and insecurity capable of paralysing minds and annihilating any desire for emancipation; they can thus manipulate society, not only to conform with what they call “word of God”, but also to indirectly make oneself submit to those vested interestsin contemporary power structures.
In any ABCD polity of ABCD countries, if ABCD violence is played down as a matter of pragmatism by the state; same time on the other hand conservatism is competitively promoted to claim political legitimacy. So like in Pakistan, in Algeria too stringent blasphemy laws are strengthened and used against free thinkers.Abderrahmani calls this process as ‘ABCD inquisition’ and ‘ABCD legal/judicial jihad’.
Traditional new year day Yennayer celebrations in Algeria, defended by Professor ‘Said Djabelkhir (Image attributions @ Wikimedia Commons)
Inquisition of Professor ‘Said Djabelkhir’
Before ranting further briefly see what was all the crime of Professor ‘Said Djabelkhir’? As earlier said Algeria is over 99% ABCD only salafi or sufi can be the difference among themselves. But same time Algerians do have some amount of nationalism where in anti-imperial including that of anti-Arab imperial heroes are praised to an extent and a pre-ABCD Berber New Year day ‘Yennayer’ is celebrated. As expected some mullah frowned upon celebrations origin being pre-ABCD, Djabelkhir made some points citing certain practices and rituals in ABCD too are likely to be of pre-ABCD origin. What is so great saying, practice of Circumambulation, or ritual animal sacrifices in the name of God etc. exists since pre-ABCD times. If any practice exists since pre-ABCD times then speculating possibilities of borrowing practice need not hurt sentiments greatly. Since ABCD modernist liberals do not have much option to make changes in ABCD texts they usually look for alternate via media to shift blame elsewhere by some reinterpretations and practices which were not expected of ABCD principles need not be compulsory, is usually their stand. Modernist look out is somehow society progresses. Whereas ABCD conservatives frown upon any changes since their livelihood simply depends on continuation of their monopolized orthodoxy.
Different ways of judicial jihad
Abderrahmani says, “judicial jihad” operates in different ways when it is carried out in the Non-ABCD countries as opposed to countries with ABCD as the state religion. That is to say, the way it is conducted depends on location and the nature of the political system. For example, in the West, ABCD hides behind groups aimed at fighting racism or “Islamophobia”, so that intellectuals are singled out and/or prosecuted just because they consider ABCD religious ideology as a challenge in their writings. How would one compare the situation in India? In pre-independence India they asked for communal representation over and above the percentage in population besides partitioned nation that is history.
In Independent India ABCD, not only got unbridled rights of communal education, sans due state oversight against hate speech, not only dodged chances of any uniform civil code but kept government after governments on political tenterhooks and under pressure of nuisance value avoided socially progressive legislation and as Abderrahmani says blamed even socially progressive of own and impartial social progressives from majority community too. When any Rizvi approaches for human rights courts are not supposed to be for him, but when cases of freedom of speech come ABCD self appropriates all the freedom of speech for it-self and least to the other.
Abderrahmani says, in ABCD countries, “judicial jihad” preys on intellectuals, researchers and even ABCD specialists who would risk taking any critical look at the religion, providing critical readings of ABCD and interpreting religious texts differently from official and dominant narratives. They are often persecuted for “contempt of ABCD”. As per Abderrahmani, in other words, muzzling the voice of critical thinking about ABCD religion is an act of “judicial jihad.”
When it comes to South Asia matter of fact is, it does not stop just at ‘judicial jihad’ but if law does not bow down as expected; hate speech, show of nuisance value, riots, lynchings condoned by fanatic ABCD as well as pseudo-secular and such behavior is called pure peaceful victimized sainthood, any raised questions are dodged either with goalpost shifting or with whataboutery.
ABCD vested interests play re-cycle with it’s history
We shared an important issue in one of our previous articles, it’s not that no social reform efforts ever happened among ABCD communities, Saïd Djabelkhir is not the first ‘blamed to be heretic’ from Algeria. As Abderrahmani says ABCD history is cyclical; it repeats itself over and over, we say the important problem about ABCD social liberalism and progress is falling 10 steps backwards after going one step ahead. The reason is competitive politics of seeking legitimacy with ABCD conservative values with the help of entrenched vested interest of ABCD orthodoxy gets a cover, where liberal modernist intellectuals do not get any fair chance of reexamining ABCD orthodox claims.
Al-Kahina to Said Djabelkhir
[Many] religious scriptures have once been a source of law. But their communities no longer regard them as such. Scriptures bring them intimations of the transcendent, not the legislation for the contemporary society….Readers of other religions have stopped deriving law from scriptures and given it an interpretation that accords with contemporary sensibilities by ‘reading down’ the offensive parts. Similarly, [ABCDs] can read modern values into [ABCD] too. –Najmul Hoda 19 April, 2021
‘Quran’s verses need to be reviewed. But by Islamic scholars, not Supreme Court of India’ ‘The Quran has 6,236 verses. Muslims can read down those that no longer apply in a modern world.’ in ThPrint –Najmul Hoda 19 April, 2021 10:37 am IST
History had some one proud to look up to and take inspiration from in form of Al-Kahina (Image attributions @ Wikimedia Commons)
In this article we have discussed the latest example how even ABCD modernist scholars too are constrained to speak freely. Hoda too writes in, à la Shashi Tharoor, very complex English, he himself will start finding constraint if he does not take help of rare and difficult to comprehend English words.
We end this article with an Algerian freedom fighter woman’s statue photograph. Those who do not wish to succumb to Arab imperialism can find inspiration from her.
“The fight for freedom of conscience is non-negotiable. It is a fight which must continue.” – Said Djabelkhir
From being oldest civilisation which had shown path to entire world to new heights of immorality.
If you have seen Indian movies of 1960s, one very common feature shown was Lala/Munim hoarding the food grains and selling them at exorbitant prices. Well, this very much sums up today’s situation with only difference being that hoarding now includes medicines, injections, oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, vegetables, fruits, and other daily life necessities. One really wonders, what’s wrong with us! And is it us or the administration or the Govt?
Is something wrong with us?
We have all kinds of national symbols be it national anthem, emblem, bird, animal, tree, etc and the list goes on. But surprisingly, one of most important thing which gives a nation its identity is missing – Yes, character, it is!
Corruption – a way of life
We all have been exposed to various corrupt practices of public servants as well as private entrepreneurs. It could have been in form of adulteration of food products or bribes being paid in public offices, this is a routine practice and it seldom shocks us anymore.
The last one year of pandemic saw these corrupt practices rise to a new level. In March 2020 when lockdown was announced what came with it was increased price of everything be vegetable, grocery, or other daily need products. The message was clear – pay what you are asked else leave.
The second wave however has surpassed all records with life saving drugs, oxygen, oxymeters etc being sold on exorbitant prices. It may be failure of the Govt and administration to rein in such practices however what shocks a common man is the cruelty and lack of sympathy of such black marketers and hoarders. It’s simply shameful and barbaric.
The corporate world was quick to jump in especially FMCG and Food Processing industry. In last one year can you think of any food/beverage/toiletry item which has not been marketed either as immunity builder or as COVID preventer. Nothing sells better than fear, isn’t it? The second wave of COVID also established relationship between severity of pandemic and scale of corruption as directly proportional i.e. more the severity more will be corruption.
2014 – A ray of hope but not for too long
Taking cue from agitation against corruption, transparency and governance in 2011 led by Anna Hazare, BJP did well to adopt it as poll strategy in 2014 elections. They promised eradication of corruption, return of black money, reduction of prices and growth on Gujarat model with slogan of ‘Achhe Din’. Riding high on these sentiments, the party projected larger than life image of Narendra Modi, their PM candidate with stated goal of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ (One India, Great India), by adoption of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. Unfortunately all these remained mere slogans and as the time passed nothing was visible on ground. This is evident from the available statistics of Corruption Perception Index which is carried out every year for around 180 countries of the world. After the first year improvement in the position from 85 in year 2014 to 76 in 2015; the country was back to square one in 2020, in fact one position behind (86th position) since NDA came to power in 2014. Have a look at the chart below showing India’s position since 1995.
Chart showing India’s Corruption Perception Index since 1995
India Corruption Survey 2019
India Corruption Survey 2019 conducted by LocalCircles and Transparency International India reveals following:-
– More than 50% Indians have bribed government officials at least once in 2019.
– 82% feel that either no steps have been taken to curb corruption or that measures have been ineffective. – 64% people feel that they were forced to pay bribe to ensure that their work gets done.
– 64% people feel that they were forced to pay bribe to ensure that their work gets done.
Department wise breakdown of Bribes paid in 2019
Property registration and land issues
26%
Police
19%
Municipal Corporation
13%
Transport Office
13%
Tax Department
8%
Water Department
5%
Electricity Board
3%
Others
13%
It’s loud and clear – we are not only corrupt but inhuman too
Only person in the country who is not corrupt is the one who has not got a chance as yet. It does not matter if the person is a public servant, politician, businessmen, farmer or anyone else.
Would the country have been better off today if we were still governed by the British; I leave this to your imagination and logical thinking.
Its heart–breaking to see the recent developments in India. In the first lockdown people were making dalgona coffee and baking cakes. This time around there are hundreds of people turning into numbers, hospitals are still issuing urgent pleads for oxygen and people dying from the lack of it. Twitter continues to serve as a long obituary page. My timeline is either filled with people asking for prayers for their loved ones who are serious or people searching frantically for hospitals, medicines or oxygen. People are literally begging for help. I dread receiving calls these days fearing what to expect. The sheer scale of Indias needs right now is unbelievable.
This second wave has left lot of people losing their loved ones, children orphaned. So many people I know have lost someone. There is an entire generation of children who will grow up without their parents or grandparents because they couldn’t get help in time (the other day I came across the term ‘Covid orphans’ and it sends jitters down my spine). No one deserves to live with the guilt of losing someone because they couldn’t find a bed or oxygen cylinder on time. It’s heart-breaking that they did not even get a fighting chance.
There is a community of people mobilising help, fundraising and finding leads of medicines and oxygen for complete strangers. If you are one of them, thank you for doing this, you are a blessing!
If you have the time and bandwidth take one tweet or one case at a time, make the necessary calls, do your verifications and get back to the family with the details. Just forwarding numbers and links does not seem to be helping (in most of the forwards the numbers don’t work). It will take a few minutes of your day to make those calls to verify or simply do a google search for resources but it would be overwhelming for someone who has a covid patient at home.
In every problem one group of people will be found cribbing and criticizing, while the other will spring into action and contribute towards solving a problem. You decide which group you want to belong to.
Read, educate yourself, be aware. Look what’s happening around you. Don’t stop watching the news coz it’s too distressing. There are people who will tell you to keep away from the news as it spreads negativity. Closing your eyes to a situation doesn’t make it go away, don’t be a bozo living in a make believe world. The death numbers are not just a statistic, they were someone’s world and everything for their families.
Don’t stop demanding things from your government (state and central). We elected these people and they are accountable to us. I hear people saying “Oh it’s a pandemic, what can the govt do?”, “It is not the govt’s fault, it’s the people’s fault they were not abiding by the rules” or “the govt is inefficient, whats the point is asking them?”.
Let me remind you they are currently in power, you voted for them and they need to deliver. Yes we have a large population and it is difficult to handle. That is no excuse for their incompetence, when they came asking for votes they knew this was the case. IT IS NOT OUR JOB to search for beds and scout for oxygen and medicines. It is the govt’s job and they are not doing it. If they want the credit they need to be prepared to take the blame too.
Over a period of time I’ve learnt voting in India is about choosing the lesser evil. It doesn’t matter which party comes into power, they are all the same and we are doomed either way.
-Stop blaming the doctors and the medical staff. They are tired, overworked and going through immense stress and pressure. They risk their lives and their families everyday just for us. What can doctors do when there are no hospital beds, oxygen cylinders or important medicines? Imagine working tirelessly wearing a ppe wherein you can neither eat nor go to relieve yourself. It’s difficult to endure so much and keep sane when you see so many people dying in front of your eyes each day knowing even your best didn’t help them. They are your heroes working relentlessly with scanty resources and no backing. If you lack empathy at least don’t be ungrateful.
-Ask people around if they need help. There are many who have lost jobs and have no source of income. Help them in whatever little way you can. Money, groceries or even mental support. Continue supporting your local vendors. Your bhajiwalas and doodhwalas need your help more than ever. Maintain precautions at your end but please do not stop ordering from them.
Before you donate to any of the charities/funds, please ask around if any of your relatives, house help, acquaintance, friends are in need of money. The government can’t help them but YOU CAN.
-If it is not important then please Do Not step out of your homes. There is nothing that can’t be done online. If you are not tech savvy please do ask for help.
Unlike what people think, COVID is passed through family and friends. If you love your family please do not put them at risk. Not everyone has great immunity. It is your responsibility to take care of your elders and kids. Ambulances are lined outside hospitals, patients waiting for beds/ oxygen, people lined outside crematoriums. Consider yourself lucky and blessed if you can be at home, have a family and have money to take care of your needs. Please do everything it takes to keep it that way. Do not take it for granted.
-NORMALISE ASKING FOR HELP. Can’t stress this enough.
People are running around searching for beds, medicine, oxygen.. Please ASK FOR HELP. Reach out to family/friends even to people in your contacts who might not be as close. Use social media effectively. Say you can’t handle it and need help. You’ll be surprised how many people will go out of their way just to help you in any way possible. I have seen complete strangers on social media platforms go out of their way to make it easy for someone else.
Vaccine trials are still underway for kids. No vaccine has been approved for kids yet. We do not want to send our kids to school coz we fear they will contract covid but somehow we are okay sending them down to play in the building premises with their friends where no social distancing is followed. Globally there are fewer cases of kids being admitted with covid but the numbers have increased in this new wave.
Don’t stress about exams or their studies. They have been home for a year now. In the last year I have seen teachers put in double the efforts, they haven’t just been teachers but have gone above and beyond their duties.
Take care of yourself. Most of us are exhausted emotionally. Its okay not to get things done, its okay to get up and want to go back to sleep again,its okay to feel sadness and despair. Leave it for another day. Read, paint, take that nap, listen to music whatever works and helps you keep sane. It’s okay if you haven’t mastered any skill in the last year or learnt anything new. I have no qualms that I haven’t really done anything much in the last year besides mastering the art of speed cleaning my house for the few times I had someone over. Take a few minutes off or the day off because you need to be in your right mind and calm before you can help someone else.
The situation may improve in a few days or a few weeks and hopefully normalise in a year or more but it will never be the same for many families. Their world has changed forever. I read this in a First post article that ‘No health system in the world could have coped up with the burdens the size India has faced. Yet there can be no doubt that many funeral pyres would never have to be lit with more administrative focus and political will. The near –collapse of the state in the face of the pandemic cannot be excused. For this failure we must demand answered and our leaders give account.”
There is a collective emotion of despair, hopelessness, grief and dismay that we are all going through. In spite of everything that’s going on and all the gloom, I still see hope… Hope in the eyes of people waiting for their loved ones to get better, hope in the eyes of doctors who refuse to give up, hope in the eyes of children waiting to go out and meet their friends, hope for a better time, where we can hug people we love and not have a constant fear of losing them. Don’t ever give up on that HOPE.
Here’s hoping that everyone has someone to lean on or a friend to help you through this turbulent time and also hoping that you and I can be that one shoulder or friend for someone.
