Heeding appeals from clerics, community leaders and imams, Muslim youths largely stayed away from the maiden protest of the nascent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on June 6 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Staying away from this highly-publicised and widely covered meeting of an outfit created in the backdrop of paper leaks of NEET and other exams is being seen by many as part of the Muslims’ “self-preservation” strategy.

Yes, in the era of “bulldozer justice” when homes are being destroyed selectively and places of worship are under the target, youths are under constant surveilance and community-run institutions face increased scrutiny, non-participation in a campaign against corruption-riddled educational system is being viewed as “once bitten, twice shy” syndrome.

But there is another side of the coin too. Caution is good. And one must not rush where devils tread, but insulating an entire youth community from issues of the day is nothing but surrendering to the climate of fear. This climate has been deliberately created to silence critics and quieten opponents.

This aloofness sets a dangerous precedent. If India’s largest minority keeps itself away from burning issues of the day in order to save its skin, it will be easier for the politicians and political parties to frame policies and schemes excluding the interests of the minorities.
Muslims already are marginalised in plotics.They stay at the bottom of the development index. Many industries like leather and cotton where the community had a sizeable presence are under deep stress due to stricter implementation of anti-cow slaughter and other laws.
Nobody says cows should be slaughtered, but who has given license to the mushrooming cow vigilantes to confiscate vehicles transporting animals and lynch individuals buying and selling cows? Textile towns like Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Burhanpur are witnessing mass migration of workers even as sustaining the industry for owners has become extremely difficult. Traditionally sectors like weaving, knitting, embroidery and tailoring have employed Muslims in large numbers. Shutting of many units in these sectors means unemployment of thousands of semi-skilled hands.

The meat industry is in red. A former union minister told me recently how a major beef (buffalo meat) trader in Uttar Pradesh had to shut shop because of a huge penalty running into crores was imposed because of alleged non-compliance of regulations. Yes, rules must be followed but a sympathetic regime gives its citizens time and space to shape up. Draconian rules are for hardened criminals, not for businessmen who might have fudged their ledgers. And these rules should be equal for everyone. Why should certain businessmen and industrialists be favoured while others must meet all the regulations?

One argument is that the community should focus on education and career and not get involved in raising voices against corruption or other irregularities rampant in our system. Because doing so will invite attention and trouble. This is a flawed argument for many reasons.

First, if the entire system becomes corrupt, the poor, including Muslims, do not have a chance to escape its dilitarious effects. If NEET and JEE exams are not conducted fairly, do you think the minority candidates have a chance to succeed? The rich will anyway survive as they have enough resources to buy seats at the best colleges in India and abroad. Look at where the children of ministers are studying. Have you found any of their children involved in mob lynching or raising slogans outside religious structures on festivals? So, where are they? They are at Boston, Oxford, Massachusetts, Cambridge and London School of Economics, preparing for a fabulous career in the corporate world. So that, if they do not inherit political power in the country, one day they can sit at the high tables in Davos. Meanwhile, the majority of youths back home fume and fret at paper leaks.

In this war against corruption, Muslim youths will have to play an active role. Just as their forebears were at the forefront of the freedom struggle.

Non-participation in political and social movements will also fuel a sense of isolation. Stay away from politics, from social.movements, and it will be easier to keep you away from the national mainstream.

Career-centric mindset births selfishness. It produces “I, me, my” syndrome.” I have observed that many Muslim civil servants and other professionals, who once benefited from coaching centres set up by founders of Hamdard and other Muslim philanthropists, become big careerists. They are more concerned about making hay while the sun shines than doing something for the poor students struggling to clear the tough competitive exams. Yes, many of these bureaucrats and professionals feel pangs for the poor in the community post-retirement.

This situation reminds me of a couplet by a humourist:

Baad Marne ke mere qabr pe aloo bona/
Taake mahboob mera banakar iska bharta khaye
(After my demise, grow potatoes on my grave/
So that my beloved should eat the mashed potatoes).

With some exceptions, by the time these elders in the community wake up to community concerns, they are almost a spent force. Too weak to make an impact. Physically, financially and in practically all other ways.

Muslims must play an active role in arresting the downfall in socio-cultural spheres of the country. Yes caution must be taken but complete withdrawal or non-participation will embolden the elements who want the erasure of their cultural andi religious identities.

Yes, the poet Basheer Badr articulated a new trend through this couplet:

Koi haath bhi na milayega jo gale miloge tapaak se)
Yeh naye mijaz ka shahar hai zara faasle se mila karo.

But maintaining too much faasla (distance) from national affairs is neither good nor advisable. Either for the community or the country.

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