Holi has arrived. We sensed it when police officers and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began hurling muck and stones of hatred from all sides. Since childhood, we have observed that those who celebrate Holi are not satisfied with the joy of applying or throwing colours on each other. There is a different class of ecstasy in injuring others with muck and stones.
The element of coercion in Holi sets it apart from other Hindu festivals. The rowdiness in the name of Holi is considered kosher. Concessions are sought for obscenity and violence by saying, “Don’t mind, it’s Holi”. Those who object and resist are mocked. Can they not tolerate this much during Holi? Holi has traditionally been seen as an occasion when one can exhibit their sexual perversions and demand tolerance for rudeness and violence.
Taking advantage of this nature of Holi, BJP leaders and their supporters are assaulting Muslims with the filth of their anti-Muslim hatred. However, we know that they do not need the pretext of Holi for doing this. Throughout the year, every day, they keep hurling their hatred under one pretext or another. It intensifies in the times of Hindu festivals. Whether it’s Ram Navami, Durga Puja, Shivratri, or Diwali, Muslims are subjected to verbal and physical violence using different kinds of excuses.
Now it is not only the BJP functionaries who do it. State officials are joining their hateful ranks. There seems to be a competition between them in this matter. The Circle Officer of Sambhal, Anuj Chaudhary recently gave a sermon to Muslims , “Juma (Friday) comes 52 times a year, but Holi comes only once. Those who have a problem with the colours of Holi should stay indoors and offer their prayers there.”
This statement was made without any provocation. Holi this year is falling on a Friday, Juma. On that day, the major Juma prayer takes place in the afternoon. Since it is the month of Ramzan, Juma prayers are more special. But have Muslim in Sambhal said that they want a pause in the celebration of Holi during the Juma namaz period? Was such a demand made to the administration? The answer is no. Then why did a government official make such a statement at all? Is he not creating a provocation where none exists?
These officials have recently been acting more like BJP workers than government officials. We have seen Chaudhary himself marching in a procession with a Hanuman mace. Police officers get themselves photographed massaging the feet of Kanwariyas and showering flowers on them. The sub-divisional magistrate and police chief of Sambhal were recently seen moving around looking for lost temples, cleaning them and doing all kinds of rituals there to resurrect them.
Generally, we expect the state officials to work for peace and harmony when there is any possibility of tension. In normal times, administrative or police officers would publicly appeal before Holi for enthusiastic types to moderate their excitement and respect boundaries. They would ask them not to throw colours on those who have a problem with it. They would make arrangements for the collective Juma prayer to take place peacefully and not be disturbed by unruly behaviour of those celebrating Holi.
Times have changed however, and so have our state officials. Now we are being told to tolerate lumpen behaviour since it is part and parcel of Holi. Those who have a problem with it are being advised to stay indoors. But what is being said is something more sinister. Hindus are being told that Muslims have a problem with their way of celebrating festivals. So Muslims need to stay indoors.
Chaudhary specifically mentioned Juma and hinted that Muslims have objections to the colours of Holi. Some people rightly pointed out that non Muslims might also have objections to colour and muck. Some might be allergic to colours, some might just not like them. Such people are not necessarily Muslims. Also why force colours on those who don’t like it! But now a new argument is being made: those who celebrate Holi have the right to do anything they want, and those who do not like it should stay indoors. In short, coercion and rowdyism would not be restrained. It is the others who need to save themselves from such rowdy behaviour. Roads, public spaces belong to these Hindus. Others need to keep themselves away from it. It is like telling women to keep away from roads because men cannot be stopped from harassing, molesting and raping them. It is their nature. That cannot be resisted.
Chaudhary’s statement shocked us. In normal civilised times the chief minister should have reprimanded him. That was not to happen because the chief minister is from the BJP. We cannot expect harmony and civility from the BJP.
So, Adityanath said, “Holi comes once a year, but Juma prayer is offered every Friday. Therefore, the Juma prayer can be postponed. If someone wants to offer the Juma prayer, they can do so at home. It is not necessary for them to go to the mosque. Or if they intend to go to the mosque, they should not have a problem with colours.” This was Adityanath justifying what his officer was telling Muslims to do.
Taking inspiration from the chief minister or driven by their communalism, a minister-rank politician said,“The administration is on alert in view of Holi celebrations and for the ‘Juma namaz’ (Friday prayers) but some people have their objections. To those people, I would request that like the women there (ostensibly referring to Muslim women) wear hijab, and mosques are covered using tarpaulin, they can make a hijab of tarpaulin for themselves, and can move (from one place to another). They will not face any inconvenience, and will be able to offer namaz easily.”
Read and listen to these statements carefully. Observe their tone. Muslims are being mocked and humiliated. All this is being done brazenly with an assurance that Muslims cannot react and all Hindus endorse this hatred. This is not being done by a common man on the street but state functionaries are doing it. Political masters and police and administrative officials are the perpetrators of this verbal violence . The constitution has mandated them to safeguard all people, including Muslims. But they treat Muslims as their subjects and second class citizens.
Should we tolerate this anti Muslim hate propaganda? Are they just words and Muslims should not mind it? The way they say, “Bura na mano Holi hai (don’t mind it, its Holi)?”
We as a society are relishing it. We allow this sewer of hatred flow and we bathe in its filth. Adityanath had vomited his hatred in an India Today event. What did the elite sitting there do apart from baring their teeth and applauding his courage of conviction? How many editorials have we seen condemning this outbreak of anti Muslim hatefulness? We have not done anything to show that this is not permissible.
The result of normalising anti-Muslim hatred by tolerating its daily expression is that the most important official of the BJP in Bengal has threatened that all Muslim MLAs will be thrown out when their turn comes. It would have caused uproar and outrage but that then is how civilised societies react to hate and uncouthness and we definitely are not one.
We should not silently give space to this hatred. Hatred, expressed through speech, is violence in itself, and it is followed by physical violence. This hate propaganda is forcing Muslims to remove themselves from public places. It is very difficult for Muslims to find out who are the Hindus who believe in this hatred and who do not. It should shame us Hindus. Where is redemption for us when we start taking pride in what should shame us?
This piece was first published on The India Cable – a premium newsletter from The Wire & Galileo Ideas – and has been updated and republished here. To subscribe to The India Cable, click here.
