Communal divide widens as politicians spit fire

Bengaluru / Mysuru: The words like 'Talibanisation', 'Islamisation', Hindu 'fundamentalism' and 'Jihad' have come into circulation again in the State following the hijab issue in the schools on the Coast of Karnataka. Udupi, Belagavi, Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Shivamogga have quickly caught up and expressions like these are being freely aired by politicos. Fiery slogans like 'go to Pakistan' 'go to madrasas' 'ban bindis and sarees' have crept into their speeches.

The first salvo was fired by former education minister Tanveer Sait in Mysuru on Saturday. "If we Muslims said ban bindis and flowers in plaits and sarees, what would happen?" Sait who has been in a sort of political hibernation for some time, suddenly materialised and made this statement leading to war of words with BJP leaders.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka, in a strongly-worded reply, said "This is not Afghanistan where hijab is sacrosanct. This is a country ruled by democratic values, we do not have two sets of rules, every democratic institution in our country follows one rule and Muslims are not exempted from it. In Afghanistan there is no permission for the girls to go to school, here we treat both men and women on equal terms. We teach in our schools, education that makes our children good citizens, those who want to take religious education there are other institutions".

MLA from Vijaypura Basanagouda Patil Yathnal was equally vehement: "We will not allow Muslims to Talibanise India with their extreme religious practices, if the Muslim politicians and their fringe groups want to practice Khattar Islam let them go to Afghanistan or Pakistan, here in India we live in harmony with our religious practices, values and rules and everybody who wants to live here must fall in line."

Khanij Fathima, MLA from Kalburgi, opened a broadside against the BJP and said she will go to Udupi soon in support of the girls who have been demanding that they be allowed to wear hijab in classroom. She said she will sit in the budget session of the Assembly clad in hijab, let anybody from BJP stop her, she challenged. Another firebrand Muslim woman leader KM Fathim Sherin was furious. "Muslim women are being insulted and their existence is being threatened by Hindus. If they are not allowed to wear hijab how can they do Ganapathy and Saraswati pooja in schools?" she questioned.

The social observers are getting nervous by the day as they see a total divide between Hindus and Muslims, sociologists in the universities feel that, this turmoil is going way out of context and soon many issues like cow slaughter, azaan, offering namaz in public places and many other issues will be raised by politicians. This has to end here or else things might be difficult in the coming days, say sociologists from Gulbarga and Mangaluru universities.

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If we Muslims said ban bindis and flowers in plaits and sarees, what would happen?

— Tanveer Sait, former education minister

This is not Afghanistan where hijab is sacrosanct. This is a country ruled by democratic values, we do not have two sets of rules, every democratic institution in our country follows one rule and Muslims are not exempted from it

— R Ashoka, Revenue Minister

Muslim women are being insulted and their existence is being threatened by Hindus. If they are not allowed to wear hijab how can they do Ganapathy and Saraswati pooja in schools

— Khanij Fathima, Kalburgi MLA