New Delhi: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked whether the Sangh Parivar is aware that it was Muslim people who coined key slogans like ‘Bharat mata ki jai‘ – ‘victory to mother India’ – and ‘Jai Hind.’
At a Communist Party of India (Marxist) rally at Malappuram against the Citizenship Amendment Act which was recently implemented by the Narendra Modi government, CM Vijayan said that the Sangh Parivar – comprising outfits like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – is insisting that citizenship be denied to people with Muslim names and attempting to erase the syncretic cultural history of India.
According to a report on Times of India, Vijayan said that it was Azimullah Khan, a Muslim person, who coined the slogan ‘Bharat mata ki jai’. The slogan is a rallying cry for Hindutva activists who often force minority citizens to chant it as proof of their nationalism.
“Some Sangh Parivar leaders who came here have asked those who sat in front of them to chant the slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Who coined the slogan? I don’t know whether the Sangh Parivar knows that his name is Azimullah Khan,” the chief minister said, according to news agency PTI.
He added that he did not know whether they would stop using the slogan as it was a Muslim who came up with it.
He also named former diplomat Abid Hasan Safrani as the person who coined the iconic slogan ‘Jai Hind’ and highlighted the fact that the patriotic song ‘Saare jahan se accha Hindustan hamara’ was also composed by Muhammad Iqbal.
“Sangh Parivar activists who yell that Muslims should be sent to Pakistan or should leave the country should realize this history,” he said.
He also added that Muslim rulers, cultural activists and officials “have played a big role in illuminating the country’s history and culture. Muslims along with other sections have played a big role in securing the country’s independence.”
