Statement issued by PM on Indian Muslims

[Guest guest]

Statement issued by Prime Minister

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

February 21, 2001

 

Statement issued by Prime Minister

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

 

I am saddened by the reaction of certain political parties to my

appeal to Muslim voters in my speech at an election rally in Varanasi

on February 19, 2002. One political party has accused me of trying

to "divide the people of India". Another party has gone to the extent

of demanding my "disenfranchisement"! It is unfortunate that the

level of political discourse in our country has dipped so low as to

be devoid of even elementary concern for facts.

 

 

First, the facts. Here is what is said at Varanasi:

 

 

"... I have a word for my Muslim brethren. Many parties are telling

our Muslim brothers that they should defeat the BJP. Why? What has

the BJP done? Our government has been there in the state. Our

government is there at the Centre. There has been no discrimination,

there is no insecurity--we have treated all sections of society

equally. Moreover, there is the Constitution; a Human Rights

Commission has been set up; there is the judiciary; and there are

newspapers. If there is any injustice against anybody, then that

injustice can be removed by recourse to these institutions. They can

initiate stern steps against such injustice.

 

"However, to urge our Muslim brothers to vote in such a way as to

defeat the BJP, that connotes a very wrong way of thinking. For one

thing, the BJP is going to win even if they vote against the Party.

But my question is: Why should they vote against us? During our

tenure we have established good relations with Muslim countries

across the world. The way we have governed the country for the past

two-and-a-half years is a testimony to the truth that we do not

discriminate on the basis of religion. For us, Muslims are not merely

Muslims. In our eyes, they are human beings. And not only human

beings, we look upon them as Bharat Mata ki Santan (the children of

Mother India). Muslims too are fighting for India on the borders.

 

"Muslims are in a majority in Kargil, but they did not side with

Pakistan. Even Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir do not want to secede

from India. Which is why, terrorism has been encouraged there.

Pakistan talks of ascertaining the views of the people of Jammu and

Kashmir. It should know that elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir

every five years. People express their views in these elections.

After some days, the state is going to polls once again. The people

will once again give their verdict. Doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani ho

jayega. (Truth will come out as truth, and falsehood will be

exposed.)

 

"However, Pakistan knows that Kashmir does not want to merge with it.

Which is why, it is doing jabardasti, it is aiding and abetting

terrorism. They have already lost to our army in open wars. Because

they could not win against us in open wars, they have resorted to a

proxy form of war. And that form is terrorism."

 

By no means does my statement indicate that the BJP does not need the

support of Muslims. On the contrary, in rally after election rally, I

have stated that we would very much like them to support us on the

basis of our performance and our promise. Far from seeking to divide

the people of India, it was aimed at fortifying their unity.

 

 

Many of the BJP's critics have for long excelled in sketching scary

scenarios for minorities in general and Muslims in particular in the

event of a BJP or a BJP-led government They have predicted it would

endanger the lives and property of Muslims. When we were not in

power, Muslims of India had no opportunity to test the truth or

otherwise of the charges that our political opponents leveled against

us. But now my Government has been in office for nearly four years.

It was indeed voted back to power in the last Parliamentary

elections. The BJP has also been in power in Uttar Pradesh for the

past few years. So, my Muslim brothers and sisters now have an

objective reference point to know whether the alarmist predictions or

our critics have indeed come true.

 

 

The shrill propaganda that the BJP is anti-Muslim has indeed had some

influence on Muslim voters in the past. But the situation is

changing. Muslims in India have seen that the BJP has been growing

from strength to strength despite our critics' farrago of lies about

us. At the same time, they have also seen that those parties that

make monopoly claim over secularism and project themselves as the

sole saviors of Muslims have been doing so principally to get en bloc

votes of Muslims and nothing else. The lot of Muslims has not changed

when they have been voted to power with significantly greater backing

from Muslims.

 

 

It is astounding that those opposition leaders who have criticised me

have done so even without verifying my complete statement. Moreover,

it is not that they do not know me. Never in my long life in politics

have I played the communal card to win elections. My life and my work

are a testimony to the importance 1 attach to harmony between Hindus

and Muslims for the sake of national integration and India's all-

round development.

 

 

I have given this lengthy rejoinder in the hope that our critics will

stop this unfortunate diatribe by taking a relook, with an open mind,

at my actual statement in Varanasi, my arguments above, and, most

importantly, the actual performance of my Government in the past four

years.