All that noise about ‘Civil War’ talk of Tathagat Roy

The West's "next confrontation," observes M. J. Akbar, an Indian Muslim author, "is definitely going to come from the Muslim world. It is in the sweep of the Islamic nations from the Maghreb to Pakistan that the struggle for a new world order will begin." (1996, Quoted by Samuel P Huntington)

What probably is missed in Mr. Akbar’s quote or not mentioned by Hungtington is that a clash between the Hindu civilization and Islamic Civilization that took a break after British took control of India took a renewed life as Independence drew near.

Another round of outrage from illiberal secular class is over Mr. Tathagat Roy quoting what Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee said on 10^th January 1946. “The Hindu Muslim problem won’t be solved without a Civil War.” All hell let lose. Outraged secularists overlooked the fact that in August 1946 Jinnah launched ‘Direct Action’ to force Pakistan upon undivided India and 1000s of Hindus were butchered. It was a one sided Civil War, as Hindus didn’t fight back, Congress didn’t fight back.

We took an easy shortcut and India was divided. If there was a Civil War and Hindu leaders had stood upto bullying of Jinnah, India could have remained united with much lesser cost than what we paid in 1947 partition related riots.  Millions were rendered homeless, lost everything except lives, thousands of lives were lost, 1000s women raped, many never to return to their families and millions injured. While on Western flank it was not one sided, it remained one sided in Noakhali and by the time Hindus picked up arms, Gandhi ji came and stopped the violence, letting this war simmer. 

After this we saw a temporary calm on the surface with occasional bout of blood letting, specially where shortcut of peace was brokered by Congress leaders. Where the battle was fierce, peace prevailed for decades.

This experiment of aggressive Islam was tested successfully again in Kashmir in 1953, in worst decisive form in 1989 when 350,000 Kashmiri Hindus left home and hearth fearing for their lives and culture with high decibel war cries from mosques. Unfortunately, political leadership and government didn’t back Hindus again and all they got was safe passage after losing hundreds of lives, women’s honour and property with peace of mind. 1989 was a culmination of sustained campaign against Hindus since 1953.

This one sided Civil War (as Hindus so far have avoided violent confrontation) is now on in Bengal and Kerala. In Bengal there are restrictions on millennia old, most celebrated festival of Durga Pooja. In a few villages like  Kinglapahari it is banned though they are Hindu majority. Running riot is condoned as seen in Deganga during Durga Puja or Malda by smugglers of various hues. Next could be Tamil Nadu with Church and Jihadis’ collaboration.

You have example of Kerala where Moplah violence against Hindus in 1920s after failure of Khilafat resulted in thousands of murders, violence, rapes and conversions. In Mallapuram a Hindu couldn’t fold up his lungi as it was treated as disrespect against dominant Moplahs.  Statue of father of Malayalee literature ‘Ezhuthachan’ cannot be unveiled as Muslims do not ‘wish’ to encourage ‘idol worship’. Thus, Kerala is already in state of silent Civil War. It is peaceful because Hindus are still ready to give in to the aggression of Muslims.

Thus, the experiment of Civil War in the guise of aggressive Secularism that began with Direct Action, followed by ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus, exhibited in oppression of Bengalese and silent domination of Hindus in Kerala is spreading.

Western UP too is seeing an atmosphere of Civil War where there are sustained skirmishes between Hindus and Muslims. Whole of North East has seen a different level of war sponsored by Church with conversion and then alienation of local tribes from their ancient traditions and cultures resulting in separatism.

Senior leaders of RSS have time and again proclaimed that they don’t believe in Clash of Civilization as Hindu Civilization believes in pluralism and respect for all faiths and cultures. How can there be a clash in such a philosophy that believes in synthesis of various thoughts? However, fact remains that it is not Utopian world that listens to Hindu philosophy.

There was  a sustained clash of civilizations as recorded by Samuel Huntington between Christians and Muslims; and before that between Christians and old Pagan or Nature loving cultures. Latter was more or less one sided as in case of Christian empires and African continent or American continent. While these Civil wars forced on poor natives were purely imperialistic based on economic domination, they were given legitimacy by using Church as a hand maiden of this imperialism. Thus, the story of ‘White Burden’ to improve the lot of ‘backward’  superstitious, ‘backward’ civilizations of Africa, Americas and later India and other South Eastern countries.

Clash between two Abrahamic religions in which Jews became fodder, began with advent of Islam in 6^th Century till settling down into some kind of geographical boundaries by 13^th Century.  This was a kind of my ‘Only God’ is superior to your ‘Only God’, and ‘Son of God’ versus ‘Last Prophet of God’.

We are aware of Islamic conquest of India that took 500 years or more to overcome Indian civilization. It was a clash of a monotheist fascist philosophy forced on the edge of sword and a plural, not just tolerant but respectful to all faiths civilization, viz Hindu civilization. A civilization that didn’t go out to impose its philosophy on the strength of sword but through exchange of ideas and change of heart.

Why is it so that Muslims can never be at peace in a country where they don’t control the state apparatus and don’t dominate governance? Simple answer lies in its faith system run on ‘Quran’.

Let us not touch the issue of authenticity of Quran as the final word of Allah personally conveyed to Prophet Muhammad. After all it is a matter of faith and there is no proof. Just as there is no proof of ‘Virgin Mary’, but we Hindus  accept both as matter of faith and respect them as presented by their followers.

Quran clearly states the concept of ‘Kafir’ one that is non-believer in Allah and who must be either eliminated or converted or enslaved to be sold or traded like a commodity; or if the Caliph or King is merciful let them be as Dhimmies (second grade citizens with much less rights) who can survive by paying highly penalizing ‘Jaziya’ tax.  Even a Muslim is to be treated the same way if he practices ‘shirk’ i.e. worships any other God or even Mazar etc.  Thus, a ‘true believer’ is always supposed to be at perpetual war with non-believers.

As per ‘Wikipedia’ in classical Islamic law, the major division are dar al-islam (lit. territory of Islam), denoting regions where Islamic law prevails, dar al-sulh (lit. territory of treaty) denoting non-Islamic lands which have concluded an armistice with a Muslim government, and dar al-harb (lit. territory of war), denoting adjoining non-Islamic lands whose rulers are called upon to accept Islam. …. Dar al-Islam, literally house/abode of Islam is a term used by Muslim scholars to refer to those countries where Muslims can practice their religion as the ruling sect and where certain religions are to be tolerated; wherein Muslims represent the majority of the population, and the government promises them a privileged status. Most Dar al-Islam areas are surrounded by other Islamic societies to ensure public protection. .... the majority opinion of scholars, which relies on tradition, claims that only countries ruled by Sharia can be considered true "abodes of peace."

Specifically for India, there is the philosophy of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ in Quran. Ghazwa-e-Hind or the final battle of (Hind) India is an Islamic term mentioned in some "good" hadiths in particular predicting a final and last battle in India and as a result, a conquest of the whole Indian sub-continent by Muslim warriors.

None of the scholars of Islam have ever denied these definitions or claimed that they don’t believe in struggle to convert Dar al-harb into Dar al-Islam or ‘Rule of Shariah’, or to treatment of ‘Kafirs’  or concept of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind.  Which shows they are at eternal war with Hindus and other Kafirs’.

Outside India, first two concepts are fully operational. This has resulted in huge unrest in Europe and in African continents. All countries with sizeable population of Muslims are facing unrest, civil war like situation on the two principles – establishment of ‘Rule of Shariah’.

While Western liberals have chosen to close their eyes with high sounding verbiage, common Christians afraid of losing their civilizational values have struck back. The lone wolf attack on Ramadan crowd in London and highly agitated protests in other parts of Europe are signs of their fight back to reclaim their society.

Hindu liberals and one eyed seculars too have behaved like their European counterparts (after all they all share same Western stand point). Hindus have begun asserting themselves but have, fortunately, not yet turned violent.

Tathagat Roy may be criticised, harangued or shamed for naming the unmentionable even if as historic quote. But, reality is on us. It is upto us to close our eyes in the hope that it is a bad dream and just a figment of Hindutva hawks’ imagination and be ready to be overwhelmed sooner than later. Or accept the challenge and force back an exclusivist fascist political philosophy to accept peace by giving up on 1400 year old ideas born out of arid Arabic tribal civilization.

Published on www.merinewscom on 24th  June, 2017