[Reader-list] The Islamic Flag of Indian Muslims

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Anupam
 
You foist on me an identity crisis. You start of by addressing me by my name and towards the end call me Chanchal. But you are not alone in such abuse. Inder elsewhere  compared me with Modi. (Please treat this as a very lighthearted comment).
 
Anupam one cannot impose or be selective in wishing what topics are discussed on this List or to what extent. Only Moderator intervention can ensure that. 
 
Any topic or issue on which there is public discourse can find it's way in this public space too.
 
Let me tell you in all sincerity (if you can trust such a declaration by me) that I do understand the spirit of what you have stated. But, I think you are being unreasonable.
 
Since we easily lose perspective of where a particulat thread has started, I was not talking about Indian Muslims but the Islamic Flag used by Indian Muslims. In retrospect, I could have said "Islamic Flag used by SOME Indian Muslims". That would have been an idiotically unneccesary distinction to stress upon but perhaps that is what I should have done. One learns.
 
But, if someone chooses to divert a topic to a direction of their own choosing, they will use any excuse. That is exactly what happened by Javed asking me "Who is an Indian Muslim?"
 
Hell my friend (not you AC) that might be a topic of interest to you but here I am talking about the Islam Flag used by Indian Muslims AND the close resemblance it bears to the Pakistani Flag AND the misunderstandings it causes. Aisa Hota Hai (It happens)
 
Again the Assam Bodo-Muslim / Pakistani Flag topic was of interest to you AC and you picked on that just because I said that even AC made a mistake over the Flag dictinctions. In your case I benefitted from your very interesting comments on that particular issue.
 
This issue of "Who Indian Muslim, What Indian Muslim, Why Indian Muslim" might provide intellectual fodder for some but that Identity Type is one which is in the public space of discourse.
 
I posted 3 article from a Web forum, guess what it is called - INDIAN MUSLIMS. All 3 article dealt with issues concerning guess who - INDIAN MUSLIMS. Guess who has authored them - INDIAN MUSLIMS.
 
I do agree that one cannot reduce every issue that might be unique in its dimensions (even though it might arise from one common Identity Type) to being applicable as a comment about everyone belonging to that Identity Type. But at the same time it would idiotic to dismiss that certain references (even as every single individual in that Identity Type  might not subscribe to it) can be mentioned as a generalisation about that Identity Type. 
 
If I were to say "For centuries now Hindus have allowed or been exploited by the most degraded and inhuman precepts to be propagated and practiced in the name of a presumed Dharmshastra called Manu Smriti", it would be idiotic for anyone to respond with "Who Hindu, What Hindu, Why Hindu, answer that before we tell you whether we agree with you or not" 
 
Khair, Aisa Hota Hai (It happens). It happens when there is no intent to seriously think over an issue but instead subvert.
 
As I told you earlier I do understand the spirit of what you have stated. I have no strong disagreement with the rest of your mail, though my attitude is different from yours regarding " Do you think we, as a nation, are ready to discuss religion ....." AND "I do not have any right to express criticism about a religion, which I do not belong to."
 
I will not dwell on those.
 
Kshmendra


--- On Wed, 5/6/09, anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com> wrote:

From: anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Islamic Flag of Indian Muslims
To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 8:26 PM

Dear Kshmendra,



I have just one problem when such issues are being raised. Why are we
discussing Indian Muslims as a whole because a relief camp in some corner of
this country facing an ethnic conflict? Do you think we, as a nation, are
ready to discuss religion when it is in such a fragile state having clowns
as leaders? Hardening of religious identities are taking precedence over the
basic amenities that a person, a human being, deserves in this country. My
sole objective is to dispel this hardening of our religious identities. And
obviously, keeping in mind the hardening of Hindu identity, which is
scattered worries me more. I feel in process of hardening Hindu identity it
would loose its very essence, its intangible, meditative nature, which one
can experience without even going to a temple. I am equally scared of the
hardening of Muslim identity in the country.



However, I am a Hindu by birth, so I shall only be criticizing, questioning
my faith. I do not have any right to express criticism about a religion,
which I do not belong to. In that way, I feel I can deride this majoritarian
tendency of some power hungry individuals to dominate the religion and mould
its identity in such a way that it can allow only chosen few things to grow.
When several studies are done to explore this religion, find out finer
aspects where this religion gets fused with local forms of worship, there
are another set of people trying to shape up a pan-Indian identity of this
religion by raising issues about an ancient mosque and grandiose plan to
make a temple and turn it into a tourist spot. Next thing I will know is
that Ram is tall muscular DC comic like warrior forgetting the effeminate
imagery of Ram the compassionate one, Tulsidas’ Ram, or Mahatma Gandhi’s
Ram. Ram, who would not have built a temple by destroying another’s place of
worship. Chanchal, don’t you think this is worse than the forced
conversions?



Ironically, a generalised statement: “we do not have food to eat” is
difficult to assert about a nation following the logical and statistical
problems that it may create, But I am surprised that we are comfortable in
the blame game of who caused the first religious strife and asserting
generalised opinions about specific community. Call me a communist,
sickular, whatever you want. The struggle is not about religion; it’s about
being territorial behaving like canines. Who gets to own more land
irrespective of what colour your flag is.


Anupam