RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui recently commented that he has advised his children to get jobs abroad and settle there, in comments that are in wide circulation online. He made the comments while referring to what he alleged was bias against Muslims in the country. Bari’s son is studying at Harvard and a daughter has a degree from the London School of Economics.
As expected, the BJP slammed his remarks and suggested that he should “move to Pakistan.” As the year 2022 ends, the relentless persecution of minorities, in particular Muslims and Christians, continues across the country. Not a single day goes by when a report of assault or humiliation of minorities by right-wing Hindutva groups is not reported. For many, in particular Muslims, it is also reaching a breaking point. The TV news is filled with anti-Muslim and biased reporting, painting them as villains. The television anchors behave more like spokespersons of the BJP/RSS than a journalist. This organised attack on minorities and spewing of hatred is now reaching to our state Arunachal Pradesh too. The RSS has made deep inroads into the tribal society too here in Arunachal Pradesh. In the guise of saving tribal faith and culture, they are brainwashing tribals into hating Muslims and even fellow tribes who follow the Christian faith. Often, fake stories are implanted in the minds of tribals, trying to create a relationship between tribals and Hindus of mainland India.
The Arunachalis should not fall into this Hindu-Muslim division narrative. The tribal society has absolutely got nothing to do with it. It is a problem for mainland Indians, in particular north Indians. Even in the southern states, barring maybe Karnataka, the people largely remain unaffected by this divide. The Hindu-Muslim divide in north India has more to do with the partition era hangover.