Among the small number of apparent certainties of an Indian election is the myth of an en bloc Muslim vote, which goes to whichever political party looks most likely to prevent the BJP from coming to power. The Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party have often been the recipients of this vote.
So when Mahmood Madani, general secretary of the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind, claimed earlier this week in a television interview that some Muslim voters in Gujarat had voted for Narendra Modi, and that fewer Muslim youth were likely to be incarcerated in Gujarati jails than in Congress-ruled states, that myth wobbled and shook.
More striking, however, is that unlike in the past, where other Muslim leaders had to face a strong backlash for any favourable comparisons of Modi, Madani seemed to have found some support.
Changing Demands
Tufail Ahmad, director, South Asia Studies Project at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), says that “Maulana Mahmood Madani’s statement that Muslims in Gujarat voted for Narendra Modi reflects ground realities and is not surprising. His statement might be criticised by some Muslim leaders and human rights activists still rightly angry about the Gujarat riots; but it is essentially reflective of what ordinary Muslims — whether in Bihar or Gujarat or elsewhere — feel about their confidence in the Indian democracy and their growing economic prospects.”
Ahmad adds that in Gujarat, Muslims have a better recognition of Modi’s pro-development governance, which has brought economic opportunities for all Gujaratis, “whether Muslims, Hindus or others”.
There are others, however, who feel that rather than a recognition of Modi’s developmental achievements, Madani’s statement is a reflection that the Muslim community wants a recalibrated relationship with the parties that they traditionally support. Syed Ahmed Bukhari, shahi imam of the Jama Masjid and someone who has been politically active in issuing fatwas in favour of one party or the other, with varying degrees of success, says that times have changed.
See more at: http://24by7news.com/homeslider/are-muslim-voters-in-gujarat-really-supporting-narendra-modi/#.UTOEzjebQwoSo when Mahmood Madani, general secretary of the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind, claimed earlier this week in a television interview that some Muslim voters in Gujarat had voted for Narendra Modi, and that fewer Muslim youth were likely to be incarcerated in Gujarati jails than in Congress-ruled states, that myth wobbled and shook.
More striking, however, is that unlike in the past, where other Muslim leaders had to face a strong backlash for any favourable comparisons of Modi, Madani seemed to have found some support.
Changing Demands
Tufail Ahmad, director, South Asia Studies Project at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), says that “Maulana Mahmood Madani’s statement that Muslims in Gujarat voted for Narendra Modi reflects ground realities and is not surprising. His statement might be criticised by some Muslim leaders and human rights activists still rightly angry about the Gujarat riots; but it is essentially reflective of what ordinary Muslims — whether in Bihar or Gujarat or elsewhere — feel about their confidence in the Indian democracy and their growing economic prospects.”
Ahmad adds that in Gujarat, Muslims have a better recognition of Modi’s pro-development governance, which has brought economic opportunities for all Gujaratis, “whether Muslims, Hindus or others”.
There are others, however, who feel that rather than a recognition of Modi’s developmental achievements, Madani’s statement is a reflection that the Muslim community wants a recalibrated relationship with the parties that they traditionally support. Syed Ahmed Bukhari, shahi imam of the Jama Masjid and someone who has been politically active in issuing fatwas in favour of one party or the other, with varying degrees of success, says that times have changed.
0 comments:
Post a Comment