My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist.

M A Hossain

In 2010, the multi-award-winning Bollywood movie" My name is Khan" where Shahrukh Khan(Rizwan Khan) portrayed the character of a Muslim righteous man with Asperger's syndrome. This movie scintillatingly showcased a message to the society that terrorism should not be generalised with the Muslim names only. In that movie, the protagonist conveyed a message to the most powerful president, "My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist" who went through racial discrimination and suffered religious bigotry due to his Muslim heritage.

During the last couple of years, while flipping through the Daily Newspapers, I, quite frequently came by a few names, Pehlu Khan(April'17), Akbar Khan(July'18), Faisal Usman Khan (January'19), Junayed Khan(Haryana, 2020), Mudassir Khan(2020), Asif Khan(2021); only to find that these men were lynched by mob in different places just for the sake of their Muslims names; although they were not found to have been imputed with any crime from any corner. These scoops reminded me of the iconic dialogue of Shahrukh Khan in the above-mentioned movie. Unfortunately, the number of people being enlisted in such an ill-fated procession of death, with the name of Khan, is increasing day by day in India.

In my article, I will try to demonstrate how the history of demagoguery of the politicians is repeating to grab power under the facade of religious frenzy in our subcontinent and as to how the Indian religious minority faced systematic discrimination and repression by the right-wing Hindu extremists.

During the British colonial era, being imbued by the 'Divide and Rule' policy, East India Company continued subjugating the people of this Subcontinent predicating on the religious and socio-religious difference. The company's unprecedented success in this regard was largely ascribed to its expertise in pitting Hindus against Muslims. With the advent of 'Hindu Nationalism' by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1896, the Hindus of the subcontinent began to be inspired by the religious identity. He organised the ' Cow Vigilance Committee' all over British India and emerged with his ideology with the tales of Shibaji who fought gallantly against the Muslim rulers, especially the Mughal. Swami Shraddanand organised a movement named "Shuddi ovijan (reconversion to Hinduism)" to convert Muslims into Hindu forcibly. This movement was arguably the conspiracy of the East India Company and may have been galvanised by the company in order to thwart the increasing amity between the people of different religions. In 1920, the politician cum author V. D. Savarkar first articulated Hindu nationalism in his book"Hindutva: Who is a Hindu". In 1925, Hindu nationalist leaders Satya Dev and Lala Har Dayal led the movement  'Sangathan Andolon' (organisation movement) and openly declared to convert the Muslims into Hindus lest they would be expelled from the soil of India. A Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteers group, Rashtriya Swayamasevak Sangh (RSS) was founded in 1925. In 1947, the cataclysmic partition of British India took place on the basis of religion which is undeniably the 'farce of the century'. The two main political leaders, Nehru and Jinnah were behind this partition, and they were never practitioners of their religion. This division was permitted as a collateral of the avarice of power. Even the father of the Indian nation, secular great leader Mahatma Gandhi, was assassinated by an RSS member when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the Home Minister. RSS claimed that Gandhi was biased towards Muslims and in 2019, Mr Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) recognised and honoured Sardar Patel by erecting the world's tallest statue of him. The British departed but their seed of anti-Muslim hatred was grown up to a banyan tree as BJP. 

India is diversified with religion, ethnicity and linguistic communities. Though India has a secular Constitution but could not protect the 200 million Muslims from systematic discrimination, prejudice and violence. Even secular Congress leader Indira Gandhi exploited religious division to bring Congress to power in 1980. Her son Rajiv Gandhi further favoured Hindu to stay in power. In 1990, BJP, the political wing of RSS emerged through a series of nationwide "Rath yatras(chariot procession)" as a show-down of Hindu nationalist power. BJP's Hindu nationalist agenda first surfaced with the destruction of Babri Masjid in 1992. Then their anti-Muslims shows further appalled us in Gujarat riots(2002), Muzaffarnagar riots(2013), Delhi riots(2020). 

Mr Narendra Modi brought BJP to power in 2014 only with an anti-Muslim rhetoric. Modi's BJP made widespread immunity for mob violence targeting Muslims. The atrocities are getting different dimensions in different names like"Love jihad", "Cow vigilante group", " Ghar wapas". The government has taken a step to stem Muslims access to a political and economic power with the name of Citizens Amendment Act(CAA), and National Register of Citizens(NRC). It is believed that after NRC, Muslims will lose their voting rights and become stateless across the country. Muslim dominated Jammu and Kashmir was brought under the Central Government repealing Article 370 of autonomous rule. The UN Human Rights Commission termed all Modi's activities as "fundamental discriminatory". 

BJP government galvanised its administration and judiciary being tilted against Muslim. Law enforcement agencies were seen as reluctant against perpetrators targeting Muslims. The court overturned convictions or quashed the cases of Muslim repression. The BJP leaders, convicted for destroying Babri Masjid, were acquitted. No criminal was convicted or brought under Justice for murdering Muslims in the form of mob lynching. The Hindu -Muslim riot in Delhi '2020 caused 60 Muslim death and made 5000 Muslims homeless. Muslim houses, businesses, shops were burnt but interestingly, the administrative fact-finding committee did not find any involvement of Hindu leaders where the whole world could watch the hate and instigated speeches by BJP's firebrand leaders on YouTube and the Internet.

So, the Indian nationalist chauvinism always starts with the cow vigilante program. Even after 75 years of Independence, the virulent tactics of ethnic cleansing have not changed. Once the secular state of 1.3 billion used to take pride as "Indian". No caste, ethnicity, linguistic difference tilted its 'All Indian' ideology. But today, in the 21st century, a vested Hindu extremist quarter is trying to resurrect virulent bigotry amongst the Indian. If secularism or religious rights are at stake in India, the largest democracy, then it will definitely destabilise regional harmony in South Asia.

This article published at:

1. South Asia Journal, USA,10July 21

Social degradation will put our development in a fiasco.

M A Hossain

The economic growth of Bangladesh has made the global leaders frown. What Bangladesh has achieved today within 50 years of its birth is the mission impossible task for many nations, especially in our region. But our social and moral fabric has not upgraded with the development and economic growth. Needless to say, a nation's development sustainability index solely depends on its moral and institutional values. So, whatever development we do today, that will be turned into Frankenstein tomorrow unless we prepare the competent next generation.

In my article, I will ponder upon that how our moral and institutional degradation is going to eat up our all achievements.

In everyday newspapers, it becomes a routine scoop that parents-children, husband-wife are killing each other for petty interest and moral turpitude. Our stars'(social and filmy) exhibit disgusting misbehaviour which is totally unacceptable in a healthy society. Top corrupts are going scot-free. Independent and self-ruled institutions are contesting on sycophancy for power groups. In parliament, there is a mock opposition party. The lord chief justice accused of moral turpitude. The administration tries to be authoritarian over the republic. The public servants(from the driver/peon to members of Parliament) are accused of moral degradation. These alls are not sporadic incident but to understand the fathom of our moral and social erosion. In my opinion, as a nation, we are careless about these erosions rather we want to take pride in our developments. At times, we forget that these developments will no longer sustainable unless we create a competent generation and society.

Bangladesh, as a state, was never stable institutionally. We fought and paid heavy blood for our independence on four fundamental principles. Within 4 years of our independence, it changed one principle(democracy) of the spirit of our liberation war. Military ruler President Zia another two principles(secularism and socialism in economy) and President Earshad substantiated Islam as a state religion, which starkly opposed the spirit of liberation. Then comes democracy interval with pseudo-military rule and now a voter less democracy. After 50 years of Independence, we still need to shout for freedom of expression, and rule of law. At this stage, we can not show disrespect and disgrace to the liberation of war as well as martyrs. These frequent deviations from the spirit of liberation make the social and political institutions fragile. That's why we are lacking ideal Democratic political parties. In absence of this political institution, there creates opportunists and oligarchy in the society. Such a pseudo-democracy only can widen the substantial income inequality in the country. 

Bangladesh has tremendous achievements in per capita income, average lifetime, producing rice and fish, sanitation, child mortality, maternal health, etc. At the same time, it also observes that all the political parties are a bit reluctant on narrowing socioeconomic gaps. The World Bank reports said, our 35% of wealth are in the hands of 10% rich and fortunate people. The cause behind the birth of Bangladesh was also emancipating from unequal distribution and discrimination of the country's wealth. If our policymakers don't wake up now, then our social structure will be crashed in the near future. This socioeconomic imbalance paves the way for making easy money for the opportunists. There comes corruption, rogue and unnatural attitudes in society. If we don't develop our moral values with the continuation of economic development then it creates problems in our psychology, relation, tolerance, means to achieve and overall social structures. Gang culture, elitism, moral turpitude, a poor state in rule of law, freedom of expression, governance and family bondage are the outcome of socioeconomic inequality. 

All wakes of protectors have turned into predators in our society by involving themselves in the nexus of political and social corruption. For example, the spread of drugs in every level of society keep us awaiting our apocalyptic destruction ahead. It's alarming that after gun downing hundreds of drug dealers brings no change in society. Still, our society is no longer sensitive to the issue of violence, elitism, injustice and discrimination. Another example, I know uniformed personnel, who involved in a sensitive murder case for professional reason in Bangladesh. After the incarceration of that person, his whole family was put on media trial and this society has compelled his wife to divorce her husband to be freed herself from social atrocities. Malpractice of our society dragged the innocent family members into an ordeal.

Our economic growth mainly depends on agriculture and ready-made garments. Our peasants do not form any syndicate to manipulate the market, or garments workers do not launder billions of dollars from our country. In the end, all these corrupt echelons are from ruling elite groups.

I am optimistic, our ruling party led the nation to become independent in 1971. So, before it is too late, our government has to take a concerted effort to recover the moral and institutional values. Moral education, volunteer activities, charity, social awareness must be inculcated at the primary to tertiary level to strengthen the social and moral values. The present generation should be brought up with patriotic and sensitive to immoral mindset. Again, present executive echelons should be put on the hawkish eye by ensuring good governance and rule of law. Thereby, we as a nation could minimise the cost of generational transition. Only this bipartisan strong and motivated political agenda can save our future.  

This article published at:

1. South Asia Journal, USA, 09July 21