Behzad Parvez | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — The term “Kathmulla” is a derogatory slur frequently used against Muslims by Islamophobic and communal leaders in public discourse.
In a secular country like India, the use of the term “Kathmulla” highlights the vulgarity which breeds mental degeneration and is detrimental to peaceful and harmonic coexistence. The profanity becomes all the more loathsome when used by people occupying higher echelons of power and or held in high esteem in society.
The slur has created significant controversy in the past as well. In fact proponents of Hindutva have freely been using it to degrade and debase Muslim scholars.
Known for making anti Muslim and Islamophobic rhetoric, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during the current budget session of the assembly on Tuesday (February 18), criticised the Samajwadi Party for advocating the preservation and promotion of the Urdu language. Yogi accused them of wanting to make children ‘maulvis’ and promoting ‘kathmulla-pan’ (orthodoxy).
The obnoxious reference, coming as it does from the leader of the largest state of the country, has ignited widespread debate over his contemptuous attitude towards the Muslim community.
On the first day of the budget session in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday SP leader Mata Prasad Pandey’s demanded to include Urdu translation for the proceedings in the house beside Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Biral and Bundeli. This prompted Yogi Adityanath to claim that they (influential and rich Muslims) send their children to English medium schools but want children of others to learn Urdu and become ‘maulvis’.
Training his guns on the Samajwadi Party leader, he said, they want to take the country toward fanaticism (kathmullah-pan), according to a Press Trust of India (PTI) report.
Pandey, the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, demanded that Urdu must also be included if English finds a place.
Earlier, in February 2022, during an interview with journalist Anjana Om Kashyap, Adityanath commented on remarks of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi regarding the hijab controversy in Karnataka. He stated that while advocating for women’s rights and respect is commendable, the “biggest obstacle” is India’s “kathmulla” mindset. In this regard, he accused individuals like Owaisi of supporting them. When Kashyap inquired about the meaning of “kathmulla attitude,” Adityanath equated it to support for “Talibanisation.”
However, as per media reports, some sources argue that the term ‘kathmulla’ specifically targets ‘orthodox’ clerics rather than the broader Muslim community. They suggest that the term refers to dogmatic or ignorant clerics and is not inherently abusive.
The repeated use of terms perceived as slurs by a prominent political figure raises concerns about the impact of such language on communal harmony and the marginalisation of minority communities. It underscores the need for public officials to exercise caution and sensitivity in their rhetoric to foster inclusivity and respect for all communities.
