BJP leader L. K. Advani and ex-Shiv Sena rabble-rouser Chagan Bhujbal, both together as erstwhile home ministers at the Centre and in Maharashtra State respectively, joined heads together to fashion a far-reaching and almost diabolic political decision to identify and demonize one exemplary Muslim organization that could be offered as scapegoat and/or a punching bag for extremist Hindutva forces.
Fate intervenes and both of the conspirators of this wily scheme now are effectively sidelined and counting their days and praying they do not get caught in the clutches of law that they were supposed to uphold.
However, SIMI remains summarily banned all over the country and its old membership list has become a convenient instrument for the home department and police, to systematically haul up innocent Muslim boys ---- merely to fill in the quotas to show that the police is on the job, while all around bombers of all hues are roaming the state free.
SIMI is filling the same role for the anti-Muslims in India, as the mythical Al Qaida, for Bush and his neocon. If SIMI was not there, they would have to invent it, to articulate and focus their hatred against their countryman from a different religion.
Besides the glaring injustice of the whole devious planning to target innocent Muslim students, who are now being criminalised even for possessing Islamic literature and for using their democratic right to plaster wall posters protesting against organized crimes against their community, State is seriously neglecting the more important job of tracking and hauling criminals who are with political parties and care a hoot about carrying out their criminal activities, under the very nose of law and order authorities and even in full cooperation with them, if acts of omission and commission are taken into account.
While the innocent masses are being fed the communal poison day in and day out, demonizing old SIMI members with media splashing their bearded visage as de facto sign of 'terrorism', government authorities are oblivious to the deepening of the divide in the polity, that may assume more menacing proportion and give open invitations to outside elements to exploits divisions among us, to impose their own self-serving solutions, that may not be in the best interests of the country and its future generations. This short-sighted and politically motivated manhandling of the Muslims should stop forthwith. And SIMI should be freed all over the country to take part in the rebuilding of the nation as an honorable entity that infused morals and discipline in Muslim society in the past, and will be in vanguard of a new beginning to bring about reconciliation and integration in the society. It is time a season of healing is officially inaugurated and celebrated by the administration. It is the need of the hour.
GHULAM MUHAMMED, MUMBAI