It is high time the community fosters critical thinking, debates issues, and create scientific temperament in mosques, madrasas, and educational institutions
NATIONS are not formed merely on the basis of geographical boundaries, a shared language, or population; they are shaped by a specific collective psychology, intellectual tradition, and shared consciousness. This psychology determines a nation’s identity, its progress, and its decline. When imitation and blind devotion overshadow critical thinking and logical reasoning in a nation’s psychological makeup, and unwarranted affection replaces criticism, that nation gradually falls into the trap of hero worship, that is, personality cult. This tendency ostensibly begins with respect, loyalty, and sincere emotion, but in reality, it serves as the precursor to mental enslavement, intellectual stagnation, and collective downfall.
Unfortunately, Indian Muslims are severely afflicted by this psychological malady, and the tragedy is that political, religious, and social leaders, knowingly or unwittingly, are further encouraging it.
Muslims constitute between 15-17 per cent of India’s total population, meaning around two hundred million individuals represent a community that has been continuously grappling with social, economic, and political challenges since independence. The Sachar Committee report and the Mandal Commission investigations have clearly established that Muslims’ literacy rates, employment opportunities, and political representation are markedly lower compared to other communities.
Bitter Realities
Against the backdrop of these bitter realities, one tendency that is causing the greatest harm to the community’s progress is the psychology of hero worship. Although this tendency is not limited to Indian Muslims alone but is found throughout Indian society, Muslims are somewhat more severely affected by it. The architect of India’s Constitution, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, in his historic and final speech to the Constituent Assembly (25 November, 1949), warned that bhakti or hero worship in politics paves the way for ruin and slavery, laying the foundation for dictatorship. Today, this warning appears to apply word for word to Indian Muslims. Renowned Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung termed this tendency the “hero archetype,” according to which people attach all their hopes to an ideal figure and begin to project their suppressed desires and weaknesses onto it. American psychologists Scott Allison and George Goethals, in their book Heroes: What They Do and Why We Need Them (2011), demonstrated through their research that hero worship fulfils three fundamental human psychological needs: a sense of hope, assurance of security, and moral guidance. When a nation is in a state of crisis and insecurity, this tendency spreads rapidly, and people come to regard a single individual as their saviour.
Perpetual Crisis
For Indian Muslims, the current era is one of perpetual crisis. Controversial laws such as the CAA, NRC, UAPA, Waqf, and triple talaq bills, rising incidents of lynching, and Hindutva politics have pushed the community into a constant defensive and fearful position. In such circumstances, anyone skilled in verbal rhetoric or emotional oratory can easily become a hero. Psychological history provides numerous examples of this. The cult of personality around Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany is a classic case. In the 20th century, leaders like Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Benito Mussolini were products of this same psychology. Such sanctity was created around these leaders that questioning their policies was deemed equivalent to treason or blasphemy. Media, educational institutions, and historical narratives were all subordinated to this personality cult. Millions of lives were lost, yet it took nations years to realise that the one they considered their saviour was, in fact, the architect of their destruction.
Prominent psychologist Erich Fromm in his book The Fear of Freedom (1941) explained in detail how the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles, economic ruin, and collective fear drove the German nation towards a saviour, resulting in the elimination of critical thinking and the establishment of dictatorship. Although this tendency is not entirely new here; its roots were strengthened during the freedom movement itself. On one side, Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad were ardent supporters of a united India, on the other, the Muslim League initiated blind imitation and personality cult by elevating Muhammad Ali Jinnah to “Quaid-e-Azam.” This hero worship did create Pakistan, but it exacted a tremendously harrowing price from Indian Muslims in the form of partition. Not only did Muslims at the time face atrocities such as riots, displacement, rape, and abduction of women, this mistake also left a terrifying legacy for those who remained here and their future generations, condemning them to grind in the mill of those atrocities, forcing them to live in perpetual fear and insecurity on a large scale.
Similarly, on the other side, Maulana Mahmood Hasan Deobandi was idolised as “Sheikh-ul-Hind” and Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani as “Sheikh-ul-Islam.” After independence, the Congress merely used Muslims as a vote bank and, by appointing Maulana Abul Kalam Azad as Education Minister, bestowed a great favour upon him and Indian Muslims, yet no concrete work was done on Muslim issues, and they remained merely a part of Nehru-Gandhi family politics.
Below Par Progress
From the 1960s and 1970s through to the 1990s, the situation saw little change. The Shah Bano case (1985) turned some ulema of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board into protectors of Shariah; Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Supreme Court’s verdict by amending the law, and the naive community hailed it as a victory. The move proved another nail in the coffin of Indian Muslims’ constitutional rights. During the Babri Masjid movement, Syed Shahabuddin and other leaders were elevated as heroes of Muslim rights. After the dastardly destruction of the mosque in 1992, these leaders proved practically ineffective, yet their personality cult showed no decline. During this period, Congress’s vote-bank politics was at its peak; Muslims were continually frightened by the spectre of the BJP. The result was that Muslims consistently voted for Congress, yet their educational, economic, and social progress remained much below par.
After 2014, the situation took a new and complex turn. On one hand, in BJP politics, Narendra Modi was projected as a Hindu warrior and messiah of Hindus; on the other, new leaders emerged in the community as a reaction. Asaduddin Owaisi and his party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), are the clearest example. Many Muslims call him the “Lion of the Deccan” or the “sole powerful voice” of Muslims, and his aggressive style in Parliament appeals to the public. Yet his party is limited to a few seats, and it lacks any fundamental, lasting solution to Muslim issues. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and other religious organisations are treading the same path, where some ulema are addressed as “Hazrat” and regarded as almost infallible. The entire focus of these “pure-hearted” figures in the community is on patience, contentment, and concern for the Hereafter, but they have no involvement with worldly self-reliance, modern education, or economic progress, because, in their view, once Muslims begin following the faith properly, all their problems will resolve themselves automatically. Additionally, on social media, young influencers are raising slogans of “Muslim pride” and “Muslim power.” This is all emotional politics, a reaction to Hindutva, yet it is pushing the community further into isolation and a defensive position.
Collective Immaturity
Psychologically, this state is termed “collective immaturity.” Mature and developed societies question their leaders, tolerate dissent, and hold leaders accountable. Immature societies regard their leaders as possessing occult knowledge or abilities, as saviours or messiahs. The same is happening to Indian Muslims. Despite political failures, economic crises, and social injustices, instead of questioning leaders, the masses vent their disappointment and anger on other communities or imaginary external conspiracies. This mindset keeps any nation or community entangled in wars against imaginary enemies rather than fighting real issues.
Here, religion, nationalism, historical narrative, and emotions are all employed as weapons to elevate personality beyond question. Leaders present themselves not merely as public representatives but as the sole protectors and saviours of the community’s destiny. Their speeches feature less logical argument and clarity, and more emotional slogans and provocation. The public, burdened by educational weakness, economic pressure, and social insecurity, readily accepts this narrative as a crutch. Media, especially social media, has amplified this psychology manifold. Today, a short clip of a leader’s every statement goes viral; every phrase is deemed wisdom, every silence profound insight, and every mistake a political strategy. Anyone who criticises or questions is immediately branded an enemy, agent, or traitor. In this environment, the distinction between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, becomes blurred. Instead of thinking and analysing independently, individuals consider it no less than a religious duty to blindly accept and act upon every word of these “sacred” figures with “We hear and we obey.”
Whither Accountability?
This temporarily grants the nation a sense of strength and pride, but in the long term, it becomes crushed under the idols it has created. Current leaders are well aware of this psychology; they know that a critically thinking nation is difficult to control, but a devotion-entranced nation can be driven by slogans. Hence, they promote hero worship instead of self-accountability, transparency, and dialogue. History bears witness that nations eventually free themselves from the spell of hero worship one day, but by then, the damage is often irreparable. In ancient history, Egyptian pharaohs were considered shadows of God, and in the Roman Empire, Caesar was deified. The result was weakened institutions, eliminated accountability, and great empires becoming hollow from within and collapsing. History repeatedly teaches that when the individual dominates the institution, decline is inevitable.
Indian Muslims possess a magnificent history, rich culture, and extraordinary capabilities. From Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s educational revolution, Allama Iqbal’s intellectual awakening, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s scholarly contributions to today’s thousands of Muslim scientists, doctors, engineers, professors, and successful entrepreneurs, this community presents living examples of its potential. It needs no single hero but rather collective awakening, joint effort, and institution-building. If it emerges from personality cult, it will not only advance its own social, economic, and educational progress but also play a key role in India’s democracy and overall development.
Questioning Criticism
The only way out of this situation is intellectual awakening, critical consciousness, and institution-building. The community must understand that leaders are human, they can make mistakes and fail, which is why questioning, criticism, and accountability are essential. Respect and accountability are not opposites but the foundations of a healthy society. Instead of personality cult, uphold principles; instead of slogans, logical reasoning; instead of blind devotion, awakened consciousness.
Therefore, we must abandon hero worship and seriously focus on tasks such as building institutions; prioritising education and upgrading educational institutions to meet modern demands; promoting scholarships and free programmes to encourage and incentivise youth in various fields. Similarly, we should establish centres for skill development and technical education; encourage small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurship for economic self-reliance. Besides, it is imperative that we must evolve a political process whereby decisions are based on diverse voting and performance rather than enslaving oneself to one party or family. And finally, fostering critical thinking, debate, and scientific temperament in mosques, madrasas, and educational institutions; demanding transparency and accountability from leaders and refraining from mere sloganeering.
When the community works along these lines and overcomes backwardness, God willing, we shall emerge as a strong, self-reliant, and progressive community. This change will not come overnight. It requires consistency and collective resolve. The time has not yet passed; we still have the opportunity for awakening.
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Mohammad Alamullah is UK-based author and journalist. He did his PhD from Dr KR Narayanan Centre for Dalit and Minority Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, and has written two books, Muslim Majlis Mushawarat: Ek Khususi Tareekh and Kuch Din Iran Mein. The views expressed here are author’s personal.
