Let me confess in the very beginning, do not be fooled by the quotation marks. Yes I am an extremist Hindu. Plain and simple. Extremist in very sense the left-liberal media would paint me to be. I say yes to that. Without having any remorse or guilt. I am an extremist Hindu. I am happy that Ram Mandir has come up on that site where once Babari mosque stood. This is a moment of pride to me. And if that makes me extremist then I would love to be one.
Things weren’t like this always. I remember when was very young, someone asked me “Do you eat meat?” And I said “Yes.” And the person astonishingly said “But you are a Brahmin”. I was never raised in a household where religion was taught or gods were worshiped.
I also remember I went to RSS Shakha. I went for roughly a month or so. It wasn’t very attractive for me. My life was like any other boy in India. I stayed away from all the influence of Right wing, Hindu extremist till I get matured.
It was during my college days when I started reading the news, reading history, analysing the events happening around me. Two big events took place during my college years that shook the world and India as well.
First was attack of 9/11. Al Qaeda carried out the attack. Osama Bin Laden claimed responsibility on television. That gave Gorge W Bush Jr. to carry out attack on Afghanistan. Muslims latter came up with many conspiracy theories about how attack was carried out by American establishment itself. I did went through those theories and I feel some questions needs to be answered. But I have never seen many Muslims showing remorse due to death of the innocents in the twin tower attack. They claim it was done by American establishment at the same time celebrate the attackers as Mujahidin.
Second thing that shook Indian politics was Gujrath riots. Lot is written, said, filmed and talked about it. Years and years went into inquiry. Special inquiry/judicial inquiry was set up. Cases moved outside Gujrath. After all this deliberation and cases being fought tooth and nail till Supreme Court Naredra Modi was vindicated. But still today Narendra Modi is painted as villain of Gujrath. The world has moved on, but some people are have not outgrown 2002.
Things were moving on for me as well. I went to daavat to my Muslim friend’s house. His mother cooked for us yummy mutton biryani. We all friends sat around a round plate on a stand, and ate together. After the meal we were having discussion. One of his friend said “Have you heard the news that Maulana of Haj house arrested in scandal” He was clearly trying to see how we (Kafir) react. To which I said, “Even Shankaracharya of Kanchi was arrested, these things keep happening. People near to the god sometimes think they are above the law.”
I genuinely believed that to this date, that people who are near to the god start playing god. I must admit I came to know much latter that Shankaracharya of Kanchi was acquitted and on line news was published on page 8 of some newspapers. But remember when he was arrested. News ran for weeks, constantly. Like some pope was arrested. Shankaracharya does not command authority in the life of average Hindu like any Imam of Masjid or Padre of Church does in the life of their respective religion.
Over the years I started observing a pattern. Anything Islamic became secular, anything Christian became religious while anything Hindu became communal. These things even though were very subtle, but you could recognize them. Like Iftar party as a concrete example for you. I saw from 2004 to 2014 many prominent Indian politicians enjoying Iftar party. There were photographs with Film celebrities & leaders enjoying Iftar together. But have you heard lighting on Diwali done through government’s funds? Forget about government funds, we were denied basic necessity. I remember pick of load shedding in Maharashtra when there was electric supply during Ramzan month but during Diwali there was power outage.
Then there was long contested issue of Haj Subsidy. I was surprised, when Haj subsidy was equated with Amrnath Yatra. Haj happens in Saudi Arebia. Majority of money was spent in Saudi Arebia towards provision of tents, water and such other facility. Money flow from India to Saudi Arebia. Amarnath Yatra takes place entirely in our land. Each and every penny spent in spent in India. Money flows from Delhi to J&K. In what universe are they same? And all this happen under the constitutional frame work of Secular government.
Every time every small thing made me realize that I am paying price to be Hindu in this nation. It is like jiziya of the modern age.
I was quietly observing all this. None of this was impacting my life drastically. Till it came to dark decade of UPA rule.
First minority appeasement policy of UPA that directly affected me and my family was 26/11 Mumbai attack happened in November 2008 of UPA-1 period. That ordeal went on for 3 full days. In the richest and busiest part of the town. Entire city was held hostage. I was following Pakistan very closely during those days. Because of the internet it was easy to watch Pakistani channels. On the night of 27th November 2008 some guy in red cap (Lal Topi) started saying that attack was done by Hindus. He based his claims on the sources from India and also started stating names of these guys. Even though we caught one terrorist alive.
In December of 2010 a book was launched by Aziz Burney with Mahesh Bhatt and Digvijay Sing titled “26/11 RSS ki Sajish” (26/11 RSS’s Conspiracy). Even after catching one terrorist alive, we were targeted for “Majority Terrorism”. This was Digvijay Sing’s exact words from that book launch. Please note the words. He is not saying RSS is guilty, he is not singling out any particular community. He is singling out majority of this country. Saying majority is doing terrorism.
2008 was also the same year when Col. Purohit, a serving army men was arrested and tortured. Sadhvi Pradnya was arrested. Both were kept in jail for 10 years and for what? For using them as a justification for new law.
If you weren’t aware in 2013 UPA-2 was bringing a law which stated that Majority of a locality will be guilty until proven innocent of any mob violence. It was called Communal Violence Bill. Under this law if there was any riot like it happened in Delhi, it would be presumed that Majority of that region will be guilty.
Things does not end here. An Oxford educated PM one rally during 2014 declared that “Muslims has first right on the resources of India”. This was his actual quote. I am a student of finance, and could understand basic economics. I have learned economic theories of Admin Smith and Dr. Marshal. But even without that you will be able to make that this makes no economic sense. Dr. Manmohan Sing has not retracted this statement yet. The justification that was put forth was “Muslims are poor and poor has preferential right hence Muslims has first right”. Can you see the religious hatred towards Hindus? If poor has first right just say poor has first right. You raise your right saying you are poor and claim your share on the basis of your religion. So the only way poor dalit, poor Adivasi could benefit from such nonsensical policy is by converting to Islam. And who would have paid taxes for those benefit? Majority of Hindus. Little I knew that this mind set, this superiority complex of Muslims grew with me.
It was in late 1980s when I was just a toddler congress took a pro Muslim stand when things started changing. Remember Shah Bano case? That was pivotal moment in the political and social history of India. It was then the All India Muslim Personal Law Board AIMPLB proved it’s superiority over the Supreme Court of India.
Even today AIMPLB said in a tweet that they will built Ram Temple in Ayodya stating out right that they does not accept supremacy of Indian constitution and courts established by it. They did not agree in 1985 they do not agree in 2020.
I wasn’t a Hindu by birth either. I was born atheist forced extremist. Because there is no space left for an atheist or Hindu to be in this society. You can be Muslim or you can be a minority concentrated in your own locality, like Jains, Sikhs, Paresis or you can be extremist Hindu, a right winger a bhakt.
What choice do they left me with? I have to be extreme right because Muslims went extreme left. To balance the society I have to change my view and align it with extreme right. Otherwise the whole social structure will collapse. There won’t be any social justice left. A majority will always be persecuted until proven innocent. A poor lower cast Hindu tribal will be denied financial aid over a Muslim, because a great economist said so.
The hypocrisy, the bigotry the hate is appalling.
Yes I celebrated when Ram Temple was built by destroying Babri Masjid. And millions like me did the same. We were never extremist. You made us out of your hate for us. I never knew what word Kafir means when I sat with my Muslim friend on Daavat. I sure do now. I didn’t knew what Gazhwa E Hind is, what Sipah E Sahaba was or why my friend had a slate “Live like Ali die like Hussain”
Now I know. And now I know you. Don’t blame me for extremism. Look inward.
