Author: Prafull Goradia
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 31, 2002
The killings in Godhra and Gujarat
are a sharp reminder that riots are not infrequent in our country. Since
1893, there have not been many years that have passed without riots anywhere
in the subcontinent. Earlier, there might have been occurrences without
records being available in English. In that inaugural year, the provocation
was cow slaughter and the places were Mumbai and Azamgarh.
While Christians also eat beef but
never has one come across a Christian riot or a Hindu-Christian collective
clash. The Christians have also ruled India and more comprehensively than
Muslim potentates. In fact, it is also not true that desecration of temples
had a Muslim monopoly. Christian iconoclasts in the early decades of the
last century were as ruthless. Our problems in the North-East would have
been fewer but for the brainwashing of the tribals with regard to their
equation with New Delhi. Oddly enough, there isn't any record of a Christian
riot, wherein some apologists argue that there is no difference except
that the Muslims are a much larger minority than the Christians, and therefore,
the potential for a clash with the latter is that much less. This is true
but experience shows zero Christian rioting and not "less" rioting.
Second, communal rioting does not
take place across the country. It usually takes place in a city, town or
a district, occasionally spreading to other parts or even a neighbouring
State. There are more Christians in Tamil Nadu than there are Muslims.
In Kerala, there are Christians and Muslims in large numbers, with the
former exceeding the latter, but never has one heard of the former getting
involved in physical clashes. This is not to lay blame on any religion
or community. The comparison is to underline the need for an investigation
by sociologists regarding the causes of riots. Apparently, sociology has
regrettably overlooked its duty towards the innocent lives that suffer
every time there is a riot. Even more than a duty, the sociologists owe
an obligation to humanity as it's the common man who suffers. As in the
case of Gujarat, people unconcerned with Godhra, terrorism or politics,
have suffered the most, while the criminals who indulged in arson and killing
are unlikely to be punished.
Besides, it must be noted that there
are more Christians in Gujarat than is the popular perception. Almost 15
per cent of the State's population is Adivasi, spread across the southern
and the eastern districts like Baroda, Surat, Valsad, Panchmahal and Sabarkantha.
And let's not forget the tiny district of the Dangs, which was in focus
three years ago. Yet, to this day, there has been no riot, nor a Christian
or a Hindu been killed as a result of this or any other tension. Surely,
it is more than sufficient food for thought for the sociologists to research
on. In the absence of any worthwhile empirical study, myths are likely
to flourish.
Hindu nationalist scholars believe
that riots are an expression of a deep-rooted frustration suffered by the
Muslims, who are a minority in a country, or rather in a society where
the writ of the Shariat does not run. This is not to suggest that this
complex thought is on the mind of the miscreant who lights the flame of
a riot. Also, it is not that he is aware that if he were a momin or a devout
Muslim, it would be his duty to get kafirs or non-believers to surrender
to the will of Allah. If he cannot do it by persuasion, he has to resort
to jihad or war for the sake of God and religion.
If, however, jihad is not possible,
or the prospects of its success hopeless, the momin should resort to hijrat.
The Holy Prophet himself set the first example when he migrated or performed
hijrat from Mecca to Madina. That was the only way he could save Islam
from being virtually stillborn. When the British Government proved unbending
in its policy towards retaining the Khalifa of all Sunni Islam on the throne
of Turkey, the Indian Muslims became despondent. In 1920, several hundred
thousand Indian Muslims undertook hijrat to Afghanistan which was a Darul
Islam. Only about 20,000 of them could enter the Afghan country and settle
there.
Mahatma Gandhi also recommended
hijrat to Sindhi Hindus when they were oppressed with riots in Sukkur and
Shikarpur. He justified his advice by saying: "Planned hijrat requires
courage and forethought. The second book of the Old Testament, known as
Exodus. It is an account of the planned flight of the Israelites"(page
74, Volume 71; Collected works of Mahatma Gandhi; Publications Division,
GOI).
In sharp contrast to the nationalist
perception, the secularists believe that communal riots are provoked by
Hindu militants like those who insist on building a Ram temple at Ayodhya.
So there are two sharply opposed opinions. It's time our sociologists undertook
research to establish facts and distinguish them from fiction so that opinions
based on ideological predilections can be buried. The hope is that the
resulting analysis will provide the basis for pursuing appropriate measures
to pre-empt communal riots.
