'You Voted For My Marginalisation!' An Indian Muslim's Open Letter To 'Certified Indians'

To my ‘certified Indian’ friends,

I don’t know what is in store for us – ‘the unverified Indians’, in future. I do have a vague idea about it, but I am not really sure. When my time comes, I will accept my destiny with dignity and grace. But, there are questions for all of you who know me, respect me, like me, and love me.

What role did you play? What steps did you take? Are you responsible somehow? Did you raise your voice? Or did you just sit and relax when my rights along with the rights of millions of people were being looted by those who you supported. You say to me that we know you are a good person. We are not against you. We are against anti-national Muslims. Some of you say we are not against Muslims, we just support the political ideology of the party in power.
Political?

What politics is this that calls for the marginalisation of those you call your brothers? What political ideology is this which discriminates between the citizens on the line of religion? Economics, Healthcare, Education, Law and order are in ruins. You know this, no matter how much you defend it. Certainly, you know that India is performing poorly in all these sectors.

It is because you have been brainwashed into hating. Your leaders daily come to news channels and talk of Hindu-Muslim and Pakistan. Why don’t you ask them to talk about the rising onion prices? Why don’t you ask them to talk about increasing unemployment? It is because you are satisfied. You enjoy it.

You enjoy hearing “Musalmano ko Pakistan chale jaana chahiye“. No matter how many Niharis you enjoy at Akbari Gate; how many bowls of sewai you enjoy with your Muslims friends on Eid; how many Muslims are on your quick-dial or how many Muslims you call your brothers, in your heart somewhere you support the Pakistan narrative of news channels.

You have voted for my destruction. You have voted for stripping off my rights. You have voted for my marginalisation!

I am afraid. I am afraid of my future. The future of my family and the future of millions like me in this country, who are being reminded daily that they are a second class citizen in this nation that they call their home.

As a kid, I thought that only illiterate, uneducated, and economically backward classes of society indulge in Hindu-Muslim fights. But, as I grew up, I realised that no! the poor, the rikshawalas, the vegetable hawkers, they are too busy worrying about how to feed their family.

Do remember. The time will not forget. God will not forget. We will not forget. I will not forget. We will remember those who stood with us in this battle against injustice and tyranny.

We will remember those who saw beyond the lines of religion and treated us like their fellow citizens. They tried their best to stop people like you from marginalizing us. You made memes on them, ridiculed them, called them libtards, presstitutes, anti-nationals. They failed in your eyes. But, they will be remembered. They will be remembered as those who were like a torchbearer in these dark times.

We will also remember those who made a mockery of love, friendship, brotherhood, justice and equality. We will remember those wolves in sheep’s disguise who talked, laughed and ate among us and stabbed us in the back inside the polling booth.

Do remember. I did my job. I did what was in my power. I wrote. I tried my best to show you the mirror of truth. I tried my best to awaken your intellect. I tried my best to save you from committing this crime. But you didn’t listen. You didn’t pay attention to the crisis. You unfollowed me. You muted me. You ignored me.

I know though you have been brainwashed, you still have goodness inside you. You still have conscience inside you. Your wisdom is clouded by hatred.

If you have read this so far, there are 90% chances you are one of the torchbearers in the dark times. But, if you are one of the ‘brainwashed Hindu Supremacist’, I request you to please reconsider your ideologies. I request you to please stop watching news channels. I request you to read and research. Please stop attending ‘WhatsApp University’. Those forwarded messages and videos have turned you into a weapon of mass destruction. Look beyond religion.

Look what this hatred has done to you, to us, to this country. What is our discourse? What are our priorities? You are being used. They don’t care about you. They care about their power. Their money. They are making a fool out of you. By keeping you busy in Hindu-Muslim and Pakistan narrative. They are diverting your attention from asking the right questions. Wake up and help us. Help yourself.

I am ending this letter with a quote by Imam Hussain, “Even if you don’t believe in any religion, at least be free from tyranny and ignorance”

Truly afraid,
An Indian Liberal.

(The letter is written by Faiz Haider from Lucknow, India)

Also Read: Explained: How New Citizenship Bill Will Pave Way For ‘Hindutva Version Of Pakistan’ In India