Shiban Khaibri
As if the level of political discourse in the run up to the elections for 16th Lok Sabha had not touched all time low by bizarre indulgence by many politicians, if not by all; if meeting a prominent religious cleric by the Congress President immediately after filing her nomination papers and to get him appeal to his community members vote for the Congress, as if urging them not to have their “secular vote” split and to vote for the Congress, as if resorting to barbs and cheap accusations and counter accusations of the lowest order indulged in by the political leaders were not enough , now wars fought by our valiant army personnel and the composition of the army itself have been projected through the myopic prism of the religious frenzy. It is the saddest moment in our polity which needs not only to be condemned but the political leader who felt emboldened to this extent that our army, which is the most apolitical, committed, intrinsically with no religious leanings but with aim only to defend and securing the boundaries and territorial integrity of the country and always ready to offer the supreme sacrifice for it , has been commented upon in the most unwarranted manner which could be termed as an attempt to spread dissatisfaction and discontentment among its ranks. Well, that could make the concerned politician liable to be tried for treason even.
Since the Congress led UPA dispensation has proved itself to be not one of the most assertive governments behooving the largest democracy of the world, Azam Khan was likely to face no action for daring to attempt to polarize the army knowing fully its repercussions in the long run. He feels patronized to this extent that he chose not only, not to apologize for uttering the most condemnable remarks in respect of the army but even justified his stand saying that he did not say any thing wrong. Khan got full and due support and also encouragement from his Party’s chief Mulayam Singh despite himself having remained the Union Defence Minister for full two years from 1996 to 1998 thus fully knowing that the remarks by Azam Khan were far from the reality and only a bold attempt to divide the society on religious lines and get the army too under his chicanery designs. Since playing communal card suits some regional parties too , Mulayam Singh, the de- facto Chief Minister of UP, must have calculated in terms of “gains” he was likely to reap in the elections as parroting 2002 and Modi bashing to an extent of ridiculous proportions seemed to him being disproportional to the “task” ahead. His brother Shivpal Yadav came up with a statement fully supporting the divisive views of Azam Khan. It is, however, the duty of all of us to raise an outcry against such statements and ensure that our army, known the world over as the best army pursuing highest levels of discipline, professionalism and patriotism, where only the security of the country is paramount, was kept quite above the bizarre politics of vote banks and appeal on communal, regional and religious lines. No body can be allowed to tread such a path involving the integrity and the unity among the personnel of the army.
It may be noted that on April 7, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan while addressing a rally laced with communal overtones at Gaziabad said, “India won the Kargil war solely because the Muslim soldiers and no Hindu soldier was behind the victory.” While pointing to the majority community he further said, ” Love us because peaks of Kargil were not conquered by Hindus but by Muslim soldiers raising the battle cry of ………..” He further said, “No one can guard Indian borders better than those from the Muslim community and Hindus cannot guard the borders, recruit us in the Indian Army …” It is not known how these peculiar ideas sprouted in the thinking of the Minister and what purpose had he in mind and what capital he had in his scheme of things to mop up when we never find out, at least in our army, any thing of the soldier beyond his soldiery, bravery and his nationhood. It is the Indian soldier who fights our enemy and not the faith he professes. This type of statement is an insult to an Indian soldier and the traditions of our army. It is an insult to the martyrs of the wars thrust on us in 1947, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1999 and especially those of the 527 heroes of our army who gave supreme sacrifices for defending each inch of our territory in Kargil conflict of 1999. Our lion hearted soldiers continue to fight a proxy war of terrorism for the last three decades thrust on us by our conventional belligerent neighbour. Why is Sonia Gandhi silent? Why is Rahul Gandhi silent? Why is the new political experiment of hit and trial, the AAP silent? Is it busy only in its relentless efforts even by embracing a known Don to topple Modi in Varanasi? Why is the BJP nominee PM Narindra Modi silent? What action has been initiated by that governmental apparatus in UP which booked Varun Gandhi, Imran Masood and now Amit Shah for hate speeches but not Azam Khan? The Congress Party which has survived in office largely because of the “secular” co-partner Samajwadi Party too, at least for the sake of it, had to “criticize” the wayward remarks of the UP Minister by saying,” Action should be taken against Khan for his intemperate remarks that could lead to the division of communities based on religion…”Former army chief Gen. V .K Singh said, “the war was won by Indians.” Actually it is Indian personnel irrespective of caste, creed and religion who are in our army and only Indians in the army win wars thrust on us.
The Samajwadi Party has demonstrated its yet another sordid and digressive thinking apart from playing its conventional card of religion in that its supremo has proved that he leads a party of misogynists as he openly defended rapists by saying, ” Boys often do mistakes of rape and that does not mean they should be hanged, boys are boys, can do mistakes , if voted to power (in the ruling combination), he shall get rescinded the legal provision of hanging for the “mistake” of rape.” Please underline the word “mistakes”. He further said, “it is only when a boy and a girl quarrel in the course of their friendship, the girl very often settles the matter by filing a rape case against her boy friend and frames him.” He was critical of the Mumbai Photo journalist’s gang rape accused being awarded the extreme punishment by the courts as they were proved as repeated offenders of rape. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh said, “What is wrong in what Dad said?” However Lalu Yadav said, “Mulayam Singh has consumed some medicine and is derailed.” Mulayam Singh’s Deputy Abu Azmi came up against the women with yet another retrograde remark advocating death sentence for a woman having pre- marital sex. Where is NCW and what about its contesting the issue on a massive scale? Congress Party not losing any .opportunity to get a vote or two from wherever advocates freedom in law for gay sex. Its political ally, AAP too has promised decriminalization of homosexuality in the election atmosphere. So vote can be found out by some of our politicians even in sex and sexual acts — whether by criminal brute force, whether by consent before marriage or sex with same gender, all in the name of and for the sake of strengthening democracy and that much hyped “secularism”.
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