MUSLIMS ARE BEING STEREOTYPED BY JNU PROFESSOR IMTIAZ AHMED.

Imtiaz Ahmed former JNU Professor in TOI wrote in Ed-Op, "Muslims are being stereotyped and the sub head "Anyone with a beard is labelled fundamentalist." About whom the professor complains? Those who tiraded in the media "against those who took initiative to hold these (anti bush) demonstrations. The justification is that "India is a free country". The professor labours it further to say that the "anti bush demonstrations " were "singled out". He goes further to seek credentials from the Indian Left saying belittling the criticism fo the left. Ahmed himself admits that the Indian Left is reformed thus exposing his soft corner although the stand of the left is rediculous.

The indian left is not in a position to muster thousands for any of their cherished cause in the last few decades except in WB & Kerala. The writer could not get away from the truth and the truth is that the vast section of muslim massess globally are for whatever reasons are straying to the wave of fundamentalism as it is well argued in the book titled "The Great Theft" by one of the famous academic Khalid Abou Fadl. He concludes that the muslim masses the world over are puritans and thus easily accomodates fundamentalism and then terrorism.

21.3.2006

The shrill noises from the left continues to beheard on the Bush visit, Bush speak, Iran and nuclear deal. The dire predictions for aligning with anything west are not something new. It is as old as that of India's Independance. At that moment communists cried ford. They charecterised the act of independence as one of betrayel of liberation struggle. It was same British imperialists rule masquerading as independence. From time to time communists denounced congress that of agents of this or that imperialism first British and then American. Only when they were completely isolated from mass political arena they recognised that the country to really independant of any foreign domination. They changed the tactics and started finding bogy of imperialism whenever a crisis in politics economics, trade or other faced the country. Their refrain continued. National interest is being compromised by the ruling congress party. It took decades after Gandhi for the communists to talk on the positive and pivatal role of Gandhi in leading the nation to independance. Similarly the communists never appreciated the role of Nehru during his days in govt. Today the hypocritically charge Manmohan Singh govt of not following a non alignment policy in the case Iran. Let us get it clear that today there is no single socialist block against an imperialist bloc. At the time of two opposed blocs one could always expect to be befriended by one or the other. The result is that we could privilege of remaining non aligned. That situation is no more since the demise of Soviet bloc. Even Cuba wanted to have its relations with US to be improved. China took steps much earlier to get on the right side of the imperialist US. National self interest governs all international relations. India has to teleplunge if it wants to go ahead and not to be swept into a corner.

Communists and their allied left intellectuals show an adament and arrogant towards others who don't agree with them entirely. No dissenting voice is allowed to be ahead. In the Soviet bloc countries purging of such elements included their elimination as well. In other countries dissedents were ostrocided to the point they were forgotten. A case in point is that of Com. P C Joshi tghe first General Secretary of CPI. The next prominent figure was the one time pillar of the CPI and Chairman Com. S.A. Dange. Now SAD is remembered only by some obsucre organisations in Maharashtra.

Bush's visit was denigrated and opposed by the CPM. Cartoon protests came about as god sent. The religious protesters co opted the CPM & SP and made a grand show in Mumbai. The voice was that of religious. Anti imperialism or anti war were all secondary. Call for human bombs to blast. The infidels went out clearly. Communists and their vociferous supporters were elated to claim that the protests encompassed all people as the manifestation of the national will. But it was nothing of the sort. A vast majority of the nation ignored the lunatic fringe except for a section of relgiousely minded muslims.

There was righteous indignation voiced ont eh Bush speak. Bush wanted India as the large democracy to join with him to extend democracy to such countries in his target Cuba, North Korea, Myanmar, Zimbawe, Iran etc. Are the communists of the view that the countries listed are the flag ships of democracy they needed to be protected against American interventionist policy.

Communists and their intellectual friends ardently believe that they are bestowed with superior intellect that enable them to detect hidden meanings in the policies and practices of the western imperialist countries. They assert that they know much more about everyone and every else in the world. However, none of these superiorty claims stalled of prevented the downfall of socialism in countries of erstwhile soviet bloc. Their dire predictions of the demise of capitalism the world over. Some post soviet marxists discovered hidden possibilities in capitalist societies, still untapped reserves of capitalism. Does this signify that the socialism built in Soviet bloc exhausted itself within half & three quarter of century. With all their shining socialist claims the soviet bloc failed to deliver as a system, while with all its draw backs capitalist and imperialist countries going ahead in history followed by some of the former third world South Korea, Taiwan etc. What is most rediculous and imitating is the claim made by that they alone know what is in national interest and how to protect it. Unfortunately for the democratic mass of voters do not accept their claim and are not entrusted to dethrown their elected governments communists has to learn to be humble before the masses to get their confidence.

By,

K.N. Krishnan.