Sir,
Apropos of the write up ‘Azad in the … (DE 19 March), it is rather a crude damage- controlling exercise. Azad’s credentials are well established. As chief minister of J&K, he, as per his own statement, provided employment to nearly four lakh J&K youth. Nobody asked him whether all the three regions of the State got their due share in this largesse in accordance with respective population, displaced persons included.
The precise issue at hand is of his unreasoned RSS-ISIS comparison. Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e Hind is known as a nationalist Islamic organization of Indian Muslims that always supported Congress. As such, Azad was speaking on his home turf. But more than Azad the seasoned parliamentarian, more than Azad a member of the Indian minority community, he was speaking as Azad the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. He won the Rajya Sabha seat by two-vote-majority in the State legislature, one of which was from a rabid anti-Hindu MLA from Langet. However, his status as Leader of Opposition is almost equal to that of the Prime Minister. Undoubtedly, he could be a potent candidate for the position of Prime Minister of India if his party comes to power in next parliamentary election. As such, masses of India did not expect him to behave as an irritated political minion caught up in the rut of mundane politics but as an elegant and grandiose political stalwart far above the level of power seekers, addressing the nation from the vintage pedestal of political influence. Unfortunately, Azad has done much damage to his own stature and profile. All secularist Indians, including those whom he addressed, call it their loss also. Again, he should have mustered courage to politely ask the Congress President to depute a second rank functionary in the party to read out her message to the Jamiat conference just because the message was a litany of distortions and contradictions unbecoming of the leader of opposition to associate it with his self.
Of all Congress leaders, it is Azad who fully knows how saner Islamic world reacts to ISIS. By bringing ISIS at par with RSS, Azad conveyed to the Jamiat congregation that they should begin hating ISIS as they hate RSS. As such, he was working only as Congress President’s messenger of hate and not of love. A time comes in the career of a political leader when he must develop futuristic vision of the nation and not only of his party and his person. Azad missed an opportunity of addressing the nation; his loss is irreparable.
Yours etc….
K.N. Pandita
Jammu
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