A real estate developer has launched a plush housing estate for Muslims only. The estate will provide modern amenities, a mosque and even a madrasa. There is a real scarcity of proper housing facility for Muslims in all towns and cities. I have personally faced such a situation only a few years ago. In a plush locality in salt lake I was denied accommodation at the time of signing the agreement after hearing my name. Same thing happened in Ballyganj when I tried to purchase a flat. The real situation is that if you hold an Arabic name you are bound to be pushed to the ghetto. In smaller towns, the situation is slightly different. I spent 10 yrs in murshidabad where I have seen people are staying together without any problem. The mutual distrust between the two communities are a real fact of life. Recently, this has increased tremendously, even among educated people. It is to be accepted that Muslims themselves have many faults and prejudices which might have compelled the Hindus to retaliate. The Christians are also converts from Hindu community but they are less despised because they only changed their religion keeping their cultural identity intact. Muslims not only belong to a different faith but try to mimic the culture of Arabs and they flaunt their identity physically and mentally. A few days ago, in a hot summer, I went to a masjid. The Imam of the masjid was wearing a typical Arabian dress, headgear and all, and sweating severely. Any sensible people will switch on to some other lighter dress. When I raised this question to a group of Muslims that wearing burkha and such Arabian dresses are uncomfortable in our hot and humid weather, they did not buy my logic saying that in hot Arab climate how they wear such a similar dress? Muslims in this subcontinent cant normally differentiate between faith and culture. If Arab mimicry is what is expected of Muslims then they make themselves totally different from the surroundings. People will find them different in all aspects of life and perceive and treat them differently. The situation is more complicated because this country witnessed racially skewed mughal rule where state religion was Islam- in a country where most citizens were Hindus. Desecration of Hindu religious symbols were rampant and anger against an alien rule and religion gathered steam for a millennium. What we witness today is nothing but natures revenge, even though none of us are direct perpetrators or victims. Situation could have still improved, as it happened in Yeamon or some other Balkan states. But our politicians are different from them. Religion is our main poll agenda- some are favoring minorities more than they prayed for, others are castigating them more than they actually deserve. Trying to find out a solution is very essential for development of this country. Both communities must come forward and find the perfect way of peaceful co-existence. A country with one 6th populationMuslims cant go longer, if you deny them what they deserve and Muslims cant live without cooperation of Hindus. People like us who are abused by Muslims as pro- Hindu and equally abused by Hindu zealots for our name and religion, suffer the most because of the mock fight. I have many such hilarious experience in my professional and public life. One solution which I firmly believe, can change scenario, is the Indonesian model. 95% of Indonesian are Muslims but they didnt accept Arab name or culture. Their bank notes carry image of lord ganesha, their epic is Ramayana and they boastfully say,we changed religion, not our fathers. There is no denying the fact that ours have Hindu blood and our forefathers were Hindus who have been humiliated or tortured by the invading forces. I dont believe that our forefathers changed religion being attracted by the great philosophy. If Hindu barnashram is one reason, the other was money and lure of power and prestige. This is how Ram transformed to syed Rahim overnight and started hating his previous religion. In this context, a separate housing facility for Muslims will not decrease the mutual distrust. The Muslim businessmen have analysed the problem from the business angle but social phenomenon are not always guided by economics. The best thing would be to keep Hindu- Muslims together so they knows and understand each other better. Why not keep at least 33% flats reserved for other communities. The madrasa is an outdated ghttoed concept. It should be replaced by normal school. Housing complexes and schools are a good concept but what happens to acceptance of an agreeable cosmopolitan culture. Our faith should be confined to the four walls of our home and public space should be occupied by modern cosmopolitan universal humanity.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 13:01:32 +0000
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