INTERVIEW
‘These are trying times and need a collective effort to build a climate of peaceful coexistence in the state’
Dr Syed Ali Mujtaba
CHENNAI – The cacophony surrounding the demand to demolish an alleged illegal portion of a mosque in Sanjauli in the Himachal Pradesh capital city of Shimla should not be seen as a singular event but has to be contextualised within the larger Islamophobia prevailing across the country, noted social activist Dimple Oberoi Vahali has said.
“It is a hegemonic process where anti-Muslim sentiments can be easily ignited. The same is currently at work in Himachal Pradesh, she said in an interview.
Vahali said the present situation in Himachal Pradesh, particularly in Shimla, was extremely worrisome and disturbing. “I am deeply aggrieved by the gravity of circumstances built up in the last few weeks around the mosque in the Sanjauli locality. It is a matter of serious concern that there was mass mobilisation against the construction of the mosque in the city,” she said.
The Muslim community is also being blamed for large-scale migration to the hill state for livelihood purposes.
Responding to a question about whether Sanjauli mosque was the only unauthorised structure in Shimla, Vahali said there were thousands of illegal structures in the city but they are not being questioned. “It is well known that the portions of the newly constructed wing of the Shimla Secretariat and High Court building, and several buildings at prominent places, including temples are illegally constructed in Shimla. Many of those protesting against the mosque may be involved in illegal construction,” she said.
She said as per the Municipal Corporation records, Sanjauli and other parts of Shimla are full of illegal buildings. “It won’t be incorrect to say that there are thousands of illegal buildings in Shimla,” she said.
To a question why only the mosque is being singled out, she blamed the global Islamophobia trend. “Within our country too, for the last several years, much more than earlier times, we have witnessed a strong anti-Muslim wave. It is part of everyday knowledge of how the Muslim minority is being treated in India. Controversies are created and Muslims are being subjugated. Majoritarian politics has been divisive and has made deep inroads of ‘othering’ the collective psyche,” she said.
The activist said: “History is witness to the fact that when the secular fabric of society is disturbed, majoritarian forces often assert their supremacy and collective power by making the minorities feel small and helpless. This phenomenon is seen to be at work in Himachal Pradesh, just as in many other parts of India.”
She said the present situation in the state was worrisome. “We have not seen such mass mobilisation against the Muslim community in the recent past. Muslims had a harmonious relationship with the Hindu community all these years. Muslims have respected and blended themselves into the composite culture of Himachal Pradesh,” she said.
Now Muslims in Shimla and Himachal Pradesh are feeling insecure and intimidated, she said. Talking about the Waqf Board’s voluntary decision to demolish parts of the mosque that were alleged to be unauthorised, Vahali said it was regrettable. “This should not have happened because it would reinstate the minority binary of Muslims and make them feel small and helpless.”
It needs to be reiterated, she said, that the part of the mosque under controversy, whether legal or illegal, should not be demolished. “As conscious citizens, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that Muslims are treated with respect and equality and there should be empathy between all communities,” she said.
Vahali said there are any ripple effects of the controversy surrounding Sanjauli Mosque. “Already reports are coming from many parts of the state that the construction of several mosques is being questioned. This is a very tension-provoking development,” she said.
Talking about the insider versus outsider controversy in Shimla, she said there were two levels of discourses operating at present. “The questioning of the construction of the mosques in Himachal on various grounds in several places, and the discourse of insiders and outsiders — migrant Muslims being Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. (At another level, we must ask ourselves where this tendency to other the Bangladeshi and Rohingyas stems from. What is wrong with being a Bangladeshi or Rohingya? Why must we always see them as the fear evoking ‘Other’? This discourse of ‘insiders’ vs ‘outsiders’ is alarming and deeply troubling for those on the social margins,” she said.
She urged the political powers to safeguard the interests and protect the rights of the Muslims in Himachal where at present the Congress government is at the helm. “We fear that ‘othering’ will continue to play a highly divisive role, making deeper inroads into the minds of ordinary citizens of Himachal Pradesh,” she said.
Vahali said Hindutva politics has a strong role in the simmering ‘insiders’ vs ‘outsiders’ discourse. There is also a rift in the Congress which is also being utilised to the advantage of the opposition. “However, even the party in power is not addressing the issue of what the minority community is being subjected to. Additionally, as I have said before, this is a complex matter in which anti-minority sentiments have made their inroads all around.”
The matter, she said, is not confined to the BJP or Congress but is one of deep hegemony against the Muslim community. This is the mindset of the state as well as the majority community.
It would be fair for the Muslim minority community to be allowed to co-exist with respect and dignity in Himachal Pradesh, she said. “For this, all efforts should be made to maintain the secular culture of the hill state. These are trying times and need a collective effort to build a climate of peaceful coexistence in the state,” she said.
The state must immediately take action and stop the rising tension in Shimla and other areas, he said adding that the state is ethically responsible for offering safety and full security to its minority communities.
“Rational forces in civil society should raise their voices to restore peace and communal harmony in the state. Amongst other steps to be taken, is immediate protection to the Sanjauli Mosque, whether constructed legally or otherwise,” she said.
Vahali urged political parties to safeguard the interests of the Muslims in Himachal Pradesh. “I appeal to the present Congress government to protect Muslims who have lived here in peace and harmony for decades,” she said.
At the same time, she said the government should not encourage the issue of ‘insider and outsider’ and the creation of an atmosphere of ‘othering’ the Muslims. “The State government must activate educational institutions and cultural forums to promote secular values. That’s the only way the future generations can imbibe true respect for composite cultural, and religious pluralism and create an inclusive society,” she said.
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Dr Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
