Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: October 17, 2013
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/congresss-scarecrow.html

Maulana Madani has hit the nail on the head

It's not difficult to understand why Congress leaders are rattled by Maulana Mahmood Madani's warning that so-called secular parties can no longer get Muslim votes by invoking the fear of an individual. The Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind chief has said in direct language what many others have been hinting at for some time now: Stop scaring the Muslims by projecting Mr Narendra Modi as a demon who is out to devour them, and tell the minority community what you have done for their welfare. The Congress has been milking the Muslim community by creating and then playing on fears that the BJP's prime ministerial candidate spells doom for the Muslims of the country and must, therefore, be shut out. That strategy has worked to an extent but it's past the shelf-life now. Although Mr Madani did not endorse the Gujarat Chief Minister, his statement has led to predictable reactions from Congress leaders, who have questioned the Jamiat chief's “sudden love” for Mr Modi. Instead of condemning the Maulana, the Congress must introspect on his observations, which are rooted in reality. The party has done precious little for the minorities in its decades of rule since independence. Had it been otherwise, the Muslims would not be nurturing the grievance of being left out of the mainstream or not being empowered enough. The social indicators of the minority community are far from robust in most of the States that the Congress rules — or for that matter other so-called secular parties do. Various Government panels have suggested a plethora of measures to uplift the community. Why would have all these been necessary if the ‘secular' parties had truly addressed the needs of the Muslims? The fact is that such parties have used the Muslims as vote-banks by raising the bogey of communalism. But the community has begun to see through their game and is no longer willing to be taken for granted. An indication of this is Gujarat where, despite vile propaganda that the Congress has indulged in, a large number of Muslims have in recent months voted for the BJP led by Mr Modi. The Congress fears that Mr Madani's blunt call could upset its applecart in the coming Lok Sabha election where it hopes to secure the minority votes in crucial States such as Uttar Pradesh, though it also believes that the Maulana has limited appeal among the Muslim voters.

 Caught on the wrong foot, the Congress is now seeking to discredit the Maulana by slyly pointing out (without wanting to go on record) that the cleric and others of his ilk are trying to remain politically relevant in an election season. They have also indicated that Mr Madani's remarks are part of his displeasure with the Congress because the party seems to have nudged close to his rival, the Barelvi sect. The first accusation is amusing, since parties like the Congress (and the Samajwadi Party) have never hesitated to use Muslim clerics to achieve political goals. Instead of drawing inferences from alleged internal tussles within Muslim religious organisations, the Congress must look back at how it has exploited such differences to suit its goals.