My Reflections

Title: An Ordinary Man's Guide to Radicalism: Growing up Muslim in India Author: Neyaz Farooqee British ‘divide and rule’ policy created unending feud and distrust among different communities in India whereas partition of the country left huge gulf between hindus and muslims. Instead of bridging this gap, the othering of muslims in society continued. In recent past, demolition of Babri Masjid and communal flare up thereafter provided momentum to this phenomenon. Political parties played sinister role and provided impetus to it. Election after election, vote bank politics damaged the social fabric. The marginalization and ghettoisation of muslim community went on uncheckded. Sense of communal identity took firm root and people started migrating to the place they perceived safer. This led to creation of community specific pockets. Jamia Millia Islamia in South Delhi is surrounded by such pockets where muslims from all over India migrate and cram the place. In 2008, in...

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 Jumma...

Master Samiuddin was a frail old man who read old urdu newspapers - sangam to beat the cruelty of old age boredom. These old newspapers were moth eaten and yellowish in color. The newspaper was as faded as Master’s skin due to old age. He passed forlorn and lonely day with occasional visit of some guests. Master Samiuddin would read the newspaper articles and recite his poems to the visiting guests. While speaking on his favorite topic, urdu language and its beauty, his eyes would shine as the burning wick of kerosene lamp shines in dark nights. It is said that guests frequented less to avoid this torture. Master Samiuddin was a retired primary school teacher who stressed upon diction of language more than language itself. Master would lament that young generation is no more learning Urdu language. The degeneration and apathy towards his beloved language saddened him gravely. His own son Farooq, spent two full years reading elementary Urdu book to gain perfection of pronunciat...