Communal Azam Khan must learn to behave
No amount of severe condemnation of Samajwadi Party leader and Minister in the Uttar Pradesh Government, Mr Mohammed Azam Khan's remark that only the Muslims had fought for India's victory in the Kargil conflict, will be sufficient. It is a shocking attempt at trying to infuse the poison of communalism in the country's Armed Forces. Indian soldiers, regardless of their caste or community, have battled for the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. The Armed Forces are among the few institutions left in the country that have not been tainted by divisive tendencies. This appears to be a problem for the likes of the malicious Mr Khan. It would have been understandable had he been merely acknowledging the contribution of Muslim soldiers in the Kargil war with Pakistan. But clearly that was not his intention, because the Minister went a step ahead and said during a rally in Ghaziabad recently that “those who fought for victory in Kargil were not Hindu soldiers but Muslim soldiers”. He made this distasteful, inappropriate and even erroneous comparison deliberately. His remark is as dangerous as any demand for reservation in the Armed Forces on the basis of caste and community would be. It would in fact not be surprising if the Samajwadi Party's motormouth was to raise this demand some day. For the likes of Mr Khan, the sanctity of even the Armed Forces is worthy of being breached by parochial considerations. The Muslim soldiers he has referred to would surely hang their heads in shame and embarrassment over the Samajwadi Party leader's crass comment. Moreover, Mr Khan has insinuated that ‘Hindu soldiers' — whatever that means — had not contributed to the Kargil victory. This is why he appealed for a greater representation of Muslims in the forces because they can “guard the country better than others”.
But demeaning the country's Armed Forces was just one of Mr Khan's intent. The other was to polarise the electorate at the time of the lok Sabha election. The Samajwadi Party is fighting a losing battle in Uttar Pradesh, and it is desperate to communalise the environment with a view to mopping up the minority votes. That desperation became more acute after the State Government antagonised the community by mishandling the issue of the Muzaffarnagar riots and relief and rehabilitation of the displaced victims. This is the reason why Mr Khan has launched a vituperative campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Amit Shah who, as the party's in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, has turned the tables on the ruling Samajwadi party there. Mr Khan may believe that he can win the minority community over by pandering to cheap sentiments even at the cost of maligning the Armed Forces, but that’s not going to happen.
Besides, Mr Khan must stop paying lip service to the brave Muslims who have fought for the country, and put his money where his mouth is. A memorial in the memory of Param Vir Chakra awardee and the 1965 India-Pakistan war hero, Havildar Abdul Hamid, had been lying in waste in Ghazipur for years before a Member of Parliament, not belonging to either his party or any of the so-called secular parties, but an Independent, used part of his MPlAD funds to restore its respect. The State Government had obviously done little in that direction. It's good that the Election Commission of India has taken note of Mr Khan's divisive statement. The country's political system will be better off without the likes of this Samajwadi Party leader. One can only wish that the people will in due course of time teach Mr Khan a lesson.