The prime minister conveniently forgets the yeoman contributions Muslims have rendered in the progress, development and the onward march of the nation
NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement that Muslim youth in the country have been forced to become “puncture walahs” (tyre puncture repairers) ought to be dismissed with the contempt it deserves. The statement is not only insensitive but also diminishes the community’s diverse skills and achievements across all fields: You name it, and there will be Muslims around in all professions holding their head high and extracting pride and pleasure in the process.
Modi, addressing a rally in Haryana’s Hisar earlier this week (April 14), said that misuse of Waqf land in the past has pushed young Muslims into fixing cycle puncture jobs. But the prime minister miserably failed to offer any limited empirical evidence to support his claim that Muslims are disproportionately represented in the puncture repair industry due to forced circumstances. A more nuanced analysis of the factors contributing to occupational patterns among different communities would provide a clearer understanding.
The statement’s focus on community affiliation might perpetuate stereotypes and reinforce existing social divisions. It is essential to recognise individual experiences and circumstances rather than generalising based on the community.
In throwing the generalised barb, like what he did during the anti-CAA and NRC protests that those opposing it could be recognised by their attire (a la Muslims with skull caps and beard), Prime Minister Modi conveniently forgets the yeoman contributions Muslims have rendered in the progress, development and the onward march of the nation. Consider this:
The country has produced three Muslim presidents and an equal number of vice presidents; all erudite and statesmen of excellence: Presidents Zakir Hussain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad and APJ Abul Kalam had an impeccable history of service to the nation. Similarly, Zakir Hussain again as Vice President and M Hidayatullah and Hamid Ansari brought laurels to the august office they held.
An innumerable number of Muslim lawmakers and legislators could be found in both houses of parliament and state legislative assemblies and legislative councils, of course, before the divisive and polarised politics catapulted pseudo nationalist BJP to the helm of affairs at the Centre and several states. It is another matter that the BJP systematically and gradually got rid of all its Muslim faces: Najma Heptuallah, Shahnawaz Hussein, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, MJ Akbar, et al. Only a few like Arif Muhammad Khan remain in its fold. It is only a matter of conjecture as to when he will also be shown the door, maybe soon!
Several Muslims have shown up brightly in the judiciary, too. Likewise, in sports, arts, culture, history, music, Bollywood… name any field…. Muslims have carved out a niche for themselves and brought umpteen laurels to the country.
Only on Saturday (April 19), two Muslim students effectively called Modi’s bluff and proved beyond an iota of a doubt that they are not ‘puncture walahs’ and can surmount several challenges, including the majoritarian bias head-on. Muhammad Anas from Rajasthan and Abdullah from Bihar found their place among the toppers in the National Testing Agency’s Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) entrance test.
Opposition leaders have understandably slammed Prime Minister Modi over the language he used. They posed a simple question: What has the prime minister done for poor Hindus and Muslims all these years when he was given the task of steering the nation? And before that, as the chief minister of Gujarat, what has he actually offered the youth except for asking them to sell pakodas!!
All India Muslim Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo and MP from Hyderabad chose to pay back the prime minister in the same coin: “Modi said that if the Waqf properties were used properly, Muslim youth would not have to repair punctures. If the thinking and property of the Sangh Parivar were used in the interest of the country, Modi would not have to sell tea. What has Modi done for poor Indians – Hindus or Muslims – in the last 11 years?” he asked.
The AIMIM leader said 33 per cent of Indians are living without jobs and education. “One of the major reasons for what has happened with Waqf properties is that the law and administration of Waqf were always kept weak. Modi’s Waqf amendment will weaken it even more,” Owaisi said in a post on X.
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi said Prime Minister Modi was using the language of social media trolls. “If the prime minister is using such superficial language, then he is insulting the dignity of the post,” he said.
“You are saying you want to do good for Muslims through the Waqf Law, but you don’t have one Muslim MP to present it in the Lok Sabha. You talk about the rights of Muslim women. You don’t have a Muslim woman member in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha or any state assembly,” Pratapgarhi said.
Prime Minister Modi and his cohorts in the Sangh Parivaar must have come in for a rude shock to learn that Muslims have finally learned to give them taste of their own pill. Several Muslim professionals stormed social media with pictures and ‘tongue-in-cheek’ one-liners to counter Modi’s slanderous statement.
The professionals are from varied fields and trades; doctors, engineers, pilots, scientists, lawyers, professors, IT experts, authors, writers and even government officers. All on duty and capturing glimpses of their workplaces, they demonstrated how Muslims dominate every field and walk of life.
“Nothing, just repairing the punctures in Indian history,” read one post by a historian, pictured mid-lecture.
“Nothing, just giving presentations on how to improve your puncture business,” another wrote tagging a photo of himself addressing a conference room.
“Special puncture repair in OT”, a surgeon posted from inside an operation theatre.
A luxury car owner flaunted the inside of his Audi: “Driving to my puncture repair shop.”
Many users described it as a collective reclaiming of identity in response to what they saw as a demeaning remark coming from none other than the prime minister.
Nothing just doing Special puncture repair in OT. https://t.co/Li3U0hRFVw pic.twitter.com/hUhMDT4Fro
— Dr.shakib khan (@shakibkhan37941) April 16, 2025
A Muslim physics professor took to X and shared a photo of himself solving a complex equation while sarcastically writing that he was looking for punctures in the classroom board and it was Waqf’s mistake that he was doing what he was doing.
A Muslim engineer, while sharing a photo of himself working on a computer, sarcastically wrote that he was fixing punctures. While another Muslim graduate shared a convocation picture of the prestigious and top engineering institute in India, again describing the picture sarcastically as a puncture job.
A doctor from a prestigious hospital shared a caption of a surgical procedure, again writing a caption that he was fixing punctures. Similar posts were shared by a Muslim historian, an archaeologist, entrepreneurs and many other educated professionals.
The Telegraph reported that without slogans or speeches, they chose to show their reality as doctors, consultants, engineers and teachers by adding a dose of irony to their posts.
Kuch nahi bro bas board ke puncture dhund hoon….
— Aamir Khan (@AAMIRKHAN313) April 17, 2025
Waqf waalo ne galti se saamne students bhaita diye hai… https://t.co/WFDJDOtPck pic.twitter.com/2fzxIkU5lU
The prime minister’s claim might be interpreted as dismissive of the challenges faced by Muslims or other communities in accessing better opportunities. It is crucial to approach such discussions with sensitivity and awareness of the broader socio-economic context.
Understanding the complexities of occupational patterns and socio-economic factors is vital. Factors such as education, economic opportunities, and social mobility play significant roles in determining career paths.
