Unsettled since the 18th century, the power equation or balance between Hindus and Muslims can no longer be postponed.
After decline of Moghul power in 18th century there would have been bloodbath between Hindus and Muslims for political supremacy had Britishers not come and intervened. Hence power equation / balance between Hindus and Muslims remained unsettled. Moreover any genuine struggle for independence is armed struggle as happened in USA too. Hence if blood of both Hindus and Muslims flown together on Indian soil against Britishers then communal forces of Hindus and Muslims couldn’t have dared to demand the partition of India due to such armed struggle in first half of 20th century for independence of nation of India (which, whether Hindus like it or not but, became nation only due to centralized rule of Britishers based on nation-State political model in UK / Europe). But martial element of undivided India (mainly of Hindus, the majority community which was supposed to take the lead) failed India with the result partition of India took place in 1947 and still today communal forces of Hindus in India, and of Muslims in Pakistan and Bangladesh do not allow concerned States to develop genuinely secular polity though it is the only guarantee for Hindu Muslim amity in SAARC region.
As a result of this Hindu-Muslim unsettled power equation / balance, since eighties Indian politics is revolving around Hinduism which brought BJP of Hindutva forces (including RSS, VHP, Bajrangdal etc) in power at Centre and in many States. Hindutva forces have been able to keep communal Hindus glued to them mainly through four issues namely (i)- Abolition of Article 370 of the Constitution which (rightly till POK is retrieved) does not allow demographic transformation of J&K especially of Muslim majority Kashmir valley) (ii)- Construction of Ram Mandir at the site of Babri Masjid [demolished in December 1992 by Hindutva forces with the complicity of communal element of Congress Party which was then in power at Center and did not use military (already present at site for this purpose) to stop this demolition] (iii)- Silencing Pakistan about Kashmir and (iv)- Millions (as per media between 25 to 40 millions) of Bangladeshi infiltrators mostly in North – East (mainly in Assam) who caused immense problems and bloodshed in and emanating from N-E. The BJP could afford to neglect first three issues but the victory of BJP in Assam election has changed the entire political and strategic scenario of India and if not addressed properly it may cause even existential problem for Hindu majority India, as explained below:-
(1)- (i)- The issues of Article 370 could be postponed by telling to Hindutva forces by BJP that it does not have two third majority in Parliament which is required to amend the constitution.
(ii)- On the issue of Ram Mandir the BJP and even Hindutva communal forces do not want to offend Supreme Court of India (SCI) because SCI is still adjudicating the matter and is under legal obligation to restore the status-qua-ante of Babri Masjid (which was demolished in the presence of Supreme Court Observer). The SCI may even demand amendment of Constitution (if BJP tries to legislate law with simple majority for constructing Ram Mandir at the site of Babri Masjid) to the extent of demanding to even constitutionally make India a theocratic Hindu State before said legislation (and which will be a huge & fatal loss of international support being given to secular India).
(iii)- As far the issue of Pakistan about Kashmir, coward Hindu majority India did not retrieve POK though much smaller Pakistan tried to retrieve Kashmir militarily in 1947, 1948, 1965, 1971, during Kargil etc. Hence coward India (including its Hindutva forces) is relived and happy that Pakistan also made nuclear bombs hence now India can say that we can’t do anything (including war) against nuclear Pakistan.
(iv)- Therefore the only major issue the BJP is expected by Hindutva forces to address is Bangladeshi infiltrators especially when BJP is NOW in power both at Centre and in the State of Assam after election results of May 19, 2016
(2)- Otherwise also no country can neglect the issue of large number of illegal immigrants. US establishment tried to neglect it as mentioned at:http://www.sonorannews.com/
(3)- Though all religions came in existence during monarchies (rule of kings and emperors) hence most of their values (regarding this-worldly matters) are in conflict with democracies. But misguided BJP (instead of practicing genuine secularism) is trying to suppress Islam through Hinduism and one of many such examples is enough to prove it. The indication of things to come in N-E has already come in the form of demand of ex-Army Chief General V.K. Singh (Union Minister of State for External Affairs responsible for N-E) from authorities to change the name of Akbar Road in India’s capital Delhi into Maharana Pratap Road. There are many prominent roads in Delhi which can be renamed as Maharana Pratap Road. One can understand renaming Aurangzeb (popularly believed to be cruel and anti-Hindus) Road in 2015 into Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road. But If Akbar (popularly known as Akbar the Great) can also be demonized (subtly) by Hindutva-force-supported / controlled Union Minister and that too an ex-Army Chief (who still may be having lot of influence in serving armed forces due to pecking order culture of military) then to what communal length BJP will go (in polarizing India on communal lines) is any body’s guess.
(4)- This will create serious problem due to said unsettled Hindu-Muslim power equation / balance. There is a fundamental difference between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Pakistanis think that the ancestors of ruling class in Pakistan [mainly from Central Asia (Mongolia etc), Afghanistan Iran, Arab countries, Turkey] ruled over India through invasion and settlement for ~ 1,000 years (mainly from 8 th century invasion of Sind by Muhammad bin Qasim) until Britishers intervened hence Pakistan (it believes) still has right to rule India especially when Britishers have left. Therefore Pakistan military is strong, motivated and determined and can somewhat reign-in Jihadis against India but it is not so with Bangladesh. It will be impossible for Bangladesh to reign-in Jihadi elements once India starts the process of identifying, tracking and deporting millions of Muslim Bangladeshis
(5)- To what extent Bangladesh is already in the strangulating grip of Jihadis is also evident from what on May 16, 2016 renowned Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen said in an interview to leading national newspaper ‘The Times of India’ that – “[All of the terrorists and fundamentalists of Bangladesh support ISIS. Many received training from ISIS in Iraq and Syria. You can get at least some justice in Pakistan, but not in Bangladesh, which has become a safe haven for Islamists. Even Syria and Iraq are not as accommodating of Islamic fanatics as Bangladesh which is becoming the worst Islamic country in the world. Having a neighbor like Bangladesh is not good for India. You never know when the ISIS and al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist organizations will come (from Bangladesh) to India and begin killing innocent people. The creation of Bangladesh as a secular state has failed miserably. Bangladesh has become a breeding ground for terrorists]”.
(6)- People should not forget that as per media report Islam has laid down the lives of ~ one hundred thousand Jihadis (got free in late eighties from cold war in Afghanistan) for Kashmir. Hence in addition to governments of India and Pakistan and Kashmiri people the Jihadis are fourth stack holder in Kashmir issue. Once domestic Bangladeshi Jihadis [with the support of international Jihadis like ISIS, Al-Qaeda etc in addition to Pakistani and Afghanistani Jihadis infuriated by the process of identification, tracking and deportation of Bangladeshi (mainly Muslim) infiltrators] make India their area of operation, it is bound to immensely influence and agitate ~ 700 million Muslims of SAARC region and its political tremors are bound to be felt in entire Muslim world on both the Eastern and Western sides of SAARC region. This should be the concern of entire world especially of Western world (led by USA) which is trying to solve the problem of global Jihadi terrorism.
(7)- Of-course it will be too much to expect neo-super power China to remain a passive spectator especially when in its immediate neighborhood two civilizations (based on Hinduism and Islam) will be engaged, if not checked, in a fight to finish. But Hindu majority India will be able to keep China at-least neutral if not on its side, only when India also becomes economic super power by really recovering (and not merely doing the drama of registering a complaint by Delhi Police) $ ~ 15 trillion tax money as explained at: http://www.alwihdainfo.com/
Because unsettled (since 18 th century) power equation / balance between Hindus & Muslims can no longer be left unsettled, it is hoped the Christian West (including and especially its and free world’s leader USA) will not take the excuse of on-going US Presidential elections and instead will do something immediately so that this seemingly imminent civilizational war between Hinduism and Islam does not become a gory reality.
Hem Raj Jain
(Author of ‘Betrayal of Americanism’)