Asghar Ali Engineer is a rights activist and heads two organisations, the Institute of Islamic Studies and the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism. He has authored or edited 44 books on such issues as Islam and communal and ethnic problems in India and South Asia in general.

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        Now the Kargil conflict seems to be over and Pakistan, under international pressure and facing tough measures by the Indian Army, has decided to withdraw its intruders from Kargil area. It is true that Pakistan has learnt a humiliating lesson from the defeat it faced at the hands of India on one hand, and, its diplomatic isolation in the international arena, on the other. Let us hope it does not repeat any such adventure in the future and play with the innocent lives of the people. The Kargil conflict has left many questions which need to be answered. We will throw light on some of these here in this article.

        The first important question is about the behaviour of the Sangh Parivar and communal forces towards the Muslims during the conflict. The BJP often claims that its behaviour towards minorities has changed and often boasts that there has been no communal riots during its tenure in the Centre as well as in the states. Its slogan has been "justice for all and discrimination against none." How far this is true? If one goes by the record of the Sangh Parivar during the Kargil conflict, its claim seems to be hollow. 

        The Sangh Parivar, as is its wont, created suspicion,  through its subtle and open propaganda, about the loyalty of Muslims to this country  during the entire conflict. The Muslims in U.P. lived in fear of communal retaliation through this period. The Vidyarthi Parishad, which is the student wing of the BJP, launched a malicious campaign against the noted Islamic Scholar Maulana Abul Hasan Nadvi. It was campaign of lies and misinformation. He was accused of having refused to pray for the martyrs of Kargil as they were fighting against 'Islamic Mujahidin' on the other side. This campaign went on despite denials by the Maulana. This loaded campaign had dangerous potentialities.  Earlier he was accused of harbouring Pakistani intelligence agents in his house at Bareli and the U.P. policemen raided his house at night. This constant campaign of character assassination against a noted Islamic Scholar in U.P. is to hold the entire Muslim community at ransom. Let it be noted that Ali Mian as he is popular known, is not only an internationally reputed scholar of Islam but also a man of unchallengeable record as far as composite nationalism is concerned. He belongs to the school of 'Ulama who were totally opposed to the partition of the country. His unflinching loyalty to the nation cannot be doubted. And yet the section of the Sangh Parivar is after him, always trying to soil his reputation. The only reason is that he is a Muslim and the militants of the Sangh Parivar have ideological aversion to the Muslims.

        Similarly the Shiv Sena launched a campaign against Dilip Kumar, the film actor of great excellence from Bombay. He was asked, by the Shiv Sainiks, to return his award of Nishan-e-Imtiaz (the symbol of distinction) given to him by Pakistan. He knew the consequences of accepting the award and hence before doing so he took permission of the Prime Minister and the President of India which, in a free democratic country like India, was not needed. And yet the Sena launched this campaign pressurising him to return the award. 

        Dilip Kumar was given this award in recognition of his services to promote friendship among the people of the sub-continent across the barriers of religion, caste and creed and geographical boundaries and for working for the amelioration of poverty, besides his excellence as a film artist. The conflict in Kargil was not going to last for ever but Dilip Kumar's contribution in these fields will. The award had nothing to do with what was happening in Kargil. The Kargil conflict was precipitated by politicians and the Army of Pakistan for their own survival and what Dilip Kumar was doing was build bridges and lessen the impact of such conflicts. Moreover it should have been left to his conscience and his perception of the situation to renounce the award or not. Yet the Shiv Sainiks staged demonstrations outside his house and doubted his loyalty to the country. He has been so disgusted with this that he is thinking of leaving Bombay as he has to face constant threats at the hands of the Shiv Sainiks. Earlier the Sainiks had held demonstration outside his house in underwear for his support for the film 'Fire'. 

        It was a pleasant surprise to see the statement of Vishnu Hari Dalmia, president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, termed it a matter of conscience for Dilip Kumar to retain or return the Award and he criticised the Shiv Sena for attacking him (Dilip Kumar). Mr.Dalmia said that the award was conferred on him for promoting understanding between the two peoples, not for other reasons. He said it should be a matter of pride for us that a fellow Indian was given its highest civilian award by a foreign government. 

        The Sangh Parivar would hardly change its perception of the Muslims in India. In its view they all are 'fifth columnists' whatever their record. But the fact is that, and no perceptive observer of the socio-political scene in India  can miss it, the behaviour of Muslims, particularly the Urdu speaking Muslims of the North, has undergone a sea change, towards Pakistan. The political scenario in the sub continent is highly dynamic and political perceptions are changing very fast. To see things in the old frame of reference is to live in the world of ones own make-belief.

        The attitude of Muslims towards Pakistan began to change radically after the break up of that country in 1971. And whatever traces of sympathy were left were wiped out with the outbreak of ethnic conflict against Muhajirs (the Urdu speaking Indian immigrants to Pakistan) in Karachi. One would hardly come across any Indian Muslim today who has any sympathy for that country on the basis of religion, culture or language. All Muslims in India had never accepted the two nation theory, in fact most of them had not, and those who had, had migrated to Pakistan. But there was a measure of religio-cultural and linguistic sympathy for Pakistan, more because of cultural and blood relations than any thing else. Even that greatly diminished with major events like break up of Pakistan and ethnic conflict.

        Today any survey of Muslim attitude towards Pakistan will establish this fact. The Indian Muslims never had loyalty to Pakistan but they did have a measure of sympathy. One should make clear distinction between 'loyalty' and 'sympathy'. These are two different things altogether. Now there is hardly any sympathy for that country either. One may care for ones own relations and friends. But then that is altogether a different thing. 
        I talked to so many Muslims privately and confidentially about their attitude towards the Kargil conflict and the role of Pakistan. I did not find a single Muslim who justified Pakistan's action in Kargil. there was as much outrage among them against Pakistan as among any other citizens. They were certainly not behind their Hindu brothers and sisters in expressing their resentment and anguish against Pakistan. The role of Urdu print media was no less praiseworthy. I wish the members of the Sangh Parivar read the leading Urdu papers like The Inquilab from Bombay or Siyasat from Hyderabad and several other Urdu dailies to know first hand the role of these papers in upholding the Indian cause. The Indquilab from Bombay vigorously campaigned for the Indian soldiers and glorified their martyrdom. It displayed the news from Kargil and the role of Indian army most prominently. It did the Urdu journalism quite proud. The same can be said of other Urdu papers also.

        Many Muslim soldiers and officers laid down their lives for the country and their parents felt quite proud of their sons. It is, however, regrettable that other than papers did not prominently report these cases. It would have had tremendous positive impact on the Hindu-Muslim relations. Right in the beginning of the Kargil conflict one Muslim Army officer Col.Hanifuddin was killed in the battle field. His mother gave a statement that I eel quite proud that my son laid down his life for the cause of the country and I wish I could give other sons also for this noble cause. Subsequently many more Muslim soldiers and officers died and their parents also made similar statements.

        The case of granadier Amiruddin from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, is quite tragic. He wrote to his daughter from the Front that you fill in your matriculation form and do not wait for me. I will come after a few days when the conflict is over. Amiruddin had written this letter to her daughter on 26th June which reached her on 4th July. She had hardly finished reading this letter and the Family was given the news of the death of Amiruddin on the battle front. He died fighting continuously for 72 hours, the family was told. When preparations for his burial were being made Amiruddin's daughter was saying with moistened eyes, "Papa, I will also join army when I grow up and will take revenge from the enemies for your death." It touched the hearts of all those present.

        Similarly the father of martyr Rizwan Ali Tyagi, Abdul Khaliq said, on hearing the news of martyrdom of his son, I am proud of my son and I will try that my four other sons also join the army and lay down their lives for defense of our country. A Muslim painter from Ahmedabad Mohsin Shaikh who has a penchant for dealing with the contemporary issues in his creations is back in the city (Ahmedabad) with an expose on canvas of the Pakistani betrayal in Kargil. Mohsin has painted four paintings which bring to life the euphoria of the bus journey to Kargil as also the avowed determination of the nation to evict the last alien intruder from its soil. He announced that the fifty per cent of the proceeds of the sale will be donated for the army welfare fund.

        Despite all this the members of the Sangh Parivar are creating trouble in the Muslim areas of Ahmedabad. They burn the effigy of Nawaz Sharif and then raise anti-Muslim slogans which results in clashes between Muslims and these Parivar elements. Who is then patriot? Are those who create internal conflict in times of war-like situation in Kargil real patriots?
        It is unfortunate that despite this genuine change in the attitude of Indian Muslims the members of the Sangh Parivar do not change their mind set towards the Muslims and other minorities. It is their ideological mind set which filters out all empirical changes taking place around them. The Muslims' loyalty to this country was never in doubt. It will be much more intensified if they feel safe and secure in this country. The Muslims are concentrating much more today on education and economic progress than ever before. If the Sangh Parivar is really patriotic it should help Muslims secure their future in this country which will intensify their patriotism manifold.

Secular Perspective Aug. 1-15, 1999