Author: Kounteya Sinha
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: August 19, 2002
The BJP's Muslim leaders face isolation
and ostracism within their own community and their trauma is similar to
that faced by the Muslim leaders in the Congress in the pre- Independence
days.
According to West Bengal BJP vice-president
Muzaffar Khan, epithets like "traitor and enemy of the Muslims" are thrown
by their community at the Muslim leaders in the BJP. The BJP's Muslim leaders
evoke nothing but contempt from their fellow Muslims, he added.
Speaking at the felicitation of
BJP's Rahat Hossain on his appointment as the vice-president of the National
Minority Morcha, Mr Khan recalled that his decision to join the BJP in
1989 had created a storm. "Those days it was considered a sacrilege for
a Muslim to join the BJP. I faced hostility and derision from my friends
and community members. They called me traitor and even kafir," he said.
Mr Khan recounted harrowing time
he and his family members had to go through after the demolition of the
Babri Masjid. "I still shudder to recall the nightmare which I and my family
experienced after December 6, 1992. Attempts were made to attack my house
and I received serious threats. Situation deteriorated so much that I was
forced to flee home with my wife and small daughter," he said.
Mr Hossain was not spared either.
"His house too was attacked and he and his son were assaulted," he said.
The BJP leader said that now the
situation had changed with the arrival of a large number of Muslims in
various state units of the BJP. He, however, regretted that old prejudices
still persisted. The community still looked at him and other Muslim leaders
of the BJP with disdain.
He claimed that history would vindicate
his decision in the same manner as it did the decision of those Muslims
who joined the Congress. "Today the Congress is considered a secular and
minority- friendly party and no one raises an eyebrow over any Muslim leader
working for the party. History will eventually confirm that our decision
was correct. Tomorrow, it will be proved that the BJP is not the monster
it has been made out to be by our detractors," he said.
