My take on Saeed Naqvi’s “Being the other: The Muslim in India”

Saeed Naqvi’s “Being the other: The Muslim in India” is a partial memoir and partial his account of unfolding events in modern India which he witnessed from close quarters as a journalist. The shilanyas ceremony of 1989 at Ayodhya, the writer says acted as catalyst for writing the book which germinated for six decades. 

The book is also an elegy to the syncretic Hindu-Muslim culture of Lucknow and its vicinity which was cultural capital of erstwhile Awadh.  The noted journalist grieves in the introduction of his book, "Rather, it's a chronicle of my growing disillusionment, disappointment, with the direction in which the country is heading".

The lucid language is a joy for a reader. The style is adorable and gripping. But the esteemed scholar failed to shed his biases. Only three chapters into the book and one encounters writer’s elitist, sectarian prejudices. The writer quotes Akbar Alahabadi’s couplet.

Council mein bahut Syyed

Masjid mein faqat Jumman

(The viceroy council is full of Syyeds, But the mosques are packed only with the Jumman)

Jumman, the Julahas, the lowly weaver occupying leadership in mosques is at clash with Ashrafs, the liberal, persianized and broadminded Muslims. Interestingly, Jumman who is eyesore in the eyes of connoisseur of Awadh culture appears to be symbol of commoner in Adam Gondvi’s famous lines.

Tumhari mez chaandi ki tumhare jam sone ke

Yahan Jumman ke ghar mein aaj bhi phooti rakaabi hai

(Your table is of silver your goblet is of gold, but the jumman still has to eat from broken paten)

Instead of celebrating the development of people at lower rung of hierarchy, the elite Muslims untiringly lampoon the lower caste Muslims.

This book also rakes up the old wound of Ashraf, Ajlaf and Arzal. The book suggests that muslim society remained divided in hierarchy. Naqvi claims in the book that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the founder of MAO college (present day Aligarh Muslim University) was quite firm that MAO college was for Ashraf muslim alone.  The experts on Aligarh movement, however, claim that MAO was for all people irrespective of cast, creed and gender. First graduate of MAO was incidentally Ishwari Prasad, a hindu.

Both sunnis and Shia respect Hazrat Ali. But the senior journalist labels anyone a shia who eulogises Hazrat Ali (R.A.) the most revered personality in the shia sect of prophet Muhammad. According to Naqvi, Ghalib was technically shia who declared himself 'slave of Ali'. Ghalib, however, was a free bird whose religious inclination is reflected in his poems. Look at this couplet of Ghalib in which the idea of paradise:

Humko ma’loom hai jannat ki haqeeqat lekin

Dil ke khush rakhne ko ghalib ye khayal achha hai

(I know the reality of paradise o! Ghalib, but to keep the heart happy, this idea is good)

Naqvi also claims that Josh Malehabadi was born a sunni but converted to shiaism later on. Josh started off with the Progressive Writers movement and later on disassociated from it is a fact but he changed his religious belief, is a revelation in the book. The torch bearer of progressive writer movement India and later on founder of communist party of Pakistan, Sajjad Zaheer, is called Syed Sajjad Zaheer. The allusion here is obvious.  All the sufis and believer in moderate form of islam was influenced by Iranian and infact shia islam as per Naqvi. The culture came from Iran and Islamism from Arabia Naqvi writes in his book. Jamiat Ulema-I Hind, Tableeghi Jamaat,Ahle Hadith, are are all sunni outfits and so are the militant organizations, he portrays in the book. 

Sketching the life of Muslims in and around Lucknow singling it out the only centre of Indo-islamic culture is faulty background. There were several other cultural centers flourishing around the time but writer chose to ignore them in the book. The book claims to be about The Muslims in India but glimpse of other centers of culture are missing.

The book has not been divided into parts per se but reader may find clear demarcation, first part include three chapters which is pure memoir and second part includes his observation of events that unfolded and impacted the Muslims in India.

The edifice of the book has been built upon substructure of the introduction, which is author’s memoir and explains motive of writing this book, the growing up in Awadh, the cultural centre of shia Muslims in India, and “the Mangoes of Mustafabad” gives glimpse of culture and tradition of last ruler of Awadh, Syed Wajid Ali Shah’s Awadh who was a patron of composite culture.

The exile of nawab from Luknow to Matia Bruj in Bengal was more traumatic than that of Bahadur Shah Zafar write Naqvi in the book. Equally painful are the lines of Syed Wajid Ali Shah who used Akhtar as takhallus in his shairi;

Andoh Alam ka dilpe gehra hoga

Ai Bazm ajeeb haal tera hoga

Ek shama kya bujh jayenge ghar ghar ke chiragh

Chhup jayega Akhtar to andhera hoga

(A deep sadness encircles the heart

Stillness engulfs this gathering

Darkness descends when Akhtar, the most shining star, is eclipsed.)

 This chapter provides understanding of diminishing culture of Awadh, and its people. The langra aam, “the mangoes of mustafabad” symbolizes the quintessence of Awadh.

The famous couplet of Allama Iqbal which he wrote on receiving langras from Allahabad sent by Akbar Allahabad depicts bond between two flourishing Muslim centers.

Asar hai teri aijaz-e masihaee ka ae Akbar

Allahbad se langra chale Lahore tak pahunche

(Akbar, this is the miracle of your healing power like a messiah, langra the lame travelled from Allahabad and reached Lahore)

The chapter, partition long shadow takes us down the memory lane where the destiny of nation state was decided. Reader interested in partition history may find some revelation and new perspective.

The lessons of Meenakshipuram depicts conversion business and its impact in the years to come. The veteran journalist suggests in this chapter that the only way to put an end to the friction and conversion and counter conversion is by celebrating syncretic culture of India.

The breaking of the Babri Masjid has detailed account of event which changed the communal picture of modern India. The writer’s sharp observations and professional acumen is at best in dealing with this event. Read will get an honest account of how BJP and Congress both are equally responsible for this act of mob vandalism which left permanent scar on the nation’s psyche. One abetted directly and the other remained spectator.

Unholy riots remind reader the vulnerability of two communities clashing on trivial issue. All the major riots have been dealt with, some in details and some with passing reference. But the writer surprisingly escapes Bombay riot of 1992-1993.

In the chapter “A procession of Prime Ministers” though the writer gives analyses of all the prime minister since 1947, but one on Indira Gandhi is an interesting read.

In “The making of the Kashmir Problem” the writer has tried to put forth a neutral analysis. The chapter “Global Error: The war on Terror” analyses how this scourge is furthering the othering of Muslims in India.

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh must accept this bitter truth that they separated because they couldn’t live together. The three entities must come out of negative syndrome. The disciplining of TV channels is another recommendation from the veteran journalist. The mischief from Pakistan must be stopped and the India should not let Pakistan exploit the fault lines of the country.

Indian Muslims need to be freed form clerics and Hindus from communal politicians. But the writer has misgivings of these happening in his life time. The veteran journalist however, reposes hope in young politicians.

Naqvi’s “Being the other: The Muslim in India” fails to take into account the larger perspective rising above elitist and sectarian mindset. The book could delve into economic condition and economic marginalization of Muslims in India which the book is surprising silent on. The book deals with some seminal events which shaped the life of Muslims in India. It could have captured so much more but unfortunately, the author chose to reduce it to a personal memoir.