Golden Bird

 "Golden Bird" ,20cmX 30 cm , Acrylic on Canvas.2005-2006 Painting by Ashutosh Kaul

How would you react if the home minister announced that Mohammed Ajmal Amir kasab , the notorious terrorist can not be prosecuted?  Why ? because he shares his name with the prophet of Islam and his prosecution is blasphemous. It will hurt the  religious feelings of a group of people ! No he can not say that ! Did you say , I am on weed and suffering from hallucinations? Wait a moment.  What if we take a stroll in Mumbai's Kamathipura one evening. It does not have to be  evening either, even  early afternoon is fine ; but anyway. This is the traditional red light area of the city. Let us ask all the commercial sex workers plying the trade; their names and ask the same question of their pimps ,aunties and madams. What do  you bet that not only will you find the names of most of prophet Muhammad's sixteen wives  , you'll also find individuals with his and most of his companion's names too ? In fact do yourself a favour ,don't bet or  you'll lose. Just because you'll find  it to be true. Today, it is said that there are so many brothels in the area, that there is no space for the sex workers to sit in. They hang around in the streets, solicit customers and then rent an available bed by the minute.  Just the number of registered muslim voters in these 14 lanes is 15000.  Many more are not even listed.

Would you give credence to anyone who'll declare these woman to be pious and most exalted and their pimps as God's chosen role models for the society because they share such names? Obviously not! You'd have to be a complete lunatic to relate these  real individuals with the original historical figures. Imagine the absurdity of protesting about fictional characters in a book with similar  names .

One would imagine that injustice of this situation in Kamathipura will infuriate people. This travesty will offend them no end. They will feel insulted that articles of their faith and symbols of their belief are being disrespected on a daily basis.  Only it does not happen ! There is no fatwa forthcoming. No one declares that rivers of blood will flow if a single customer sets foot in those lanes. No element of the establishment secretly warns people not to visit  kamathipura since a contract is out on their head.  No policeman throws the book of laws at the organizers of this fest. From morning till late night everyday everything that is inviolable in islamic tradition is rendered asunder with impunity.

To show their  religiosity, piety , faith in rule of law and secularism all they can find is a work of fiction to object to. Those who are not bothered to lift an eyebrow against naked reality, choose to be so offended by a fictional story that they will kill or get killed! Satanic Verses is a book for God's sake written by a human being. A book is readable or it is  not readable. You like it or you dislike it. You agree with it or you disagree with it. It is just a book. You'll fete the writer or you ignore him. You ignore him and you disagree with him but you can not threaten violence just because you do not like the story. If you are not offended because a real prostitute is forced to work right under your nose with a name like Ayesha ; what logic do you have to get offended by a fictitious  character in a mediocre novel that is named Ayesha or whatever?

Satanic Verses is that golden bird that everyone  plucks when they feel like it.  It suited Western sensibility of the time so it got awarded Booker. It then provided a perfect stick for ayatollahs to beat the west with and showcase their adherence to faith.For years this book was the war theater between west  and Iran. And so on and on.  Deoband madrassah has found it to be a convenient tool to raise heat and generate some buzz that'll allow it to get a higher price for muslim votes.  The book  is again being bashed to provide a platform that will  provide the gathering point for Muslim votes in the local elections in India. Sadly no one is  mindful of what this kind of appeasement politics and supping with rabid elements is doing to the polity.  Government is least bothered in fact they have an active role in fanning the flames.

Chairman of United Jihad Council and supreme commander of a terrorist  organization Hizbul-Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin is a known murderer and  terrorist actively engaged in armed violent action against the Indian state . He today addressed the press in India by telephone on communication links provided ,maintained  and controlled the Government of India http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Jan/25/salahuddin-hails-separatists-for-raising-day-to-day-issues-58.asp 

However Salman Rushdie a known author with a family home in Solan; Who is not engaged in any activity against India; is not only stopped from  visiting India by official threats, deceit and lies ; he is denied the  use of a communication link to address a group of other writers from abroad .  All this to emotionally blackmail Muslim voters  in UP to vote en bloc for a particular disposition. It is  that kind of a republic day .