A letter to my Prime Minister Shri Modi by Janab Ali Khan

A letter to my Prime Minister Shri Modi by Janab Ali Khan
URL - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-letter-to-my-prime-minister-shri-modi.html

Kudos to Mr. Ali Khan for writing a thoughtful letter to the next  Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. As usual one of our right wingers,  a Kiran Mehta see faults in it. Sadly,   the hardcore right and left are incapable of seeing another point of view but tearing up others – and of course their freedom must be valued without having to agree. In a democracy, the best thing to do is respond with a better answer. 

So, here is my response to Kiran Mehta’s five questions (at the very bottom of this entire note);

1.      He said, very few people – that is Muslims of India, have the honor and privilege of choosing their home land – compared to the 80% Hindu majority who did not have that option of choosing.
 
2.      He said, the new government will allow me to express my feelings of patriotism in my own language – that is Jai Hind, as opposed to Modi’s language he contrasted Bharat Mata ki Jai.
 
3.      Muslims, Dalits, Christians and other do not want any appeasements, handouts or favors, all they want is to have equal opportunities, access and equal say. Thank God India is a democracy that allows every one the freedom to speak  of which you and I are beneficiaries.
 
4.      He addressed the specifics – to be treated like an Indian as guaranteed in the constitution, but the right wing elements of India cannot see an India together, like the goon Giriraj, who does not treat other Indians as equals. Ali did the right thing by asking questions, that is the right of every citizen.
 
5.      Yes, Indian electorate has chosen development, and Muslims, Christians and Dalits have also chosen Modi in the same percentages as the Hindus.  Modi has the best answer for your question, he said, “whether you voted for me or not, I represent you, and I am your prime Minister’.
 
All Ali Khan letter must be admired, and I do hope that Mr. Modi invites him to the inauguration and gives him a hug and assures him that every Indian is his Bhai or Behan as he has repeatedly said.

What Ali Khan did was fulfill the duty of a responsible citizen to point out the flaws, so India can be flawless, that is Patriotism and we need to reward this guy for writing such a letter. Indeed, a true patriotic Indian is the one who takes the responsibility to tear down the government policies, if they are wrong, no matter who they are, God, Gandhi, Pundit Nehru or Narendra Modi.
  
More about Narendra Modi at my website site MikeGhouse.net.  I am getting convinced Modi is the right man to shape India’s rejuvenated destiny, when I read the letters like this.

Mike Ghouse
Dallas, Texas

A letter to my Prime Minister
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/counterflows/a-letter-to-my-prime-minister/
 
As a citizen of India I want to have faith in my government. No matter who is elected I want to feel that the only thing that matters when the government looks at me is the fact that I am Indian. Given that Shri Narendra Modi is about to be Prime Minister of India, I have some questions. Before I ask these I want to preempt the usual diatribes that will be leveled at me and say to those who might disagree with my questions, at least allow me to ask them because I do so in complete sincerity.

As an Indian I want to believe, in fact I need to believe, that the Prime Minister will not only be representative of me and all my fellow countrymen but will also continue the proud traditions of equanimity, equality, harmony and justice that I grew up with. I too want to celebrate democracy in my country and participate in welcoming a government that has promised so much but I do not want to feel that just because my views on certain things might be different I might be excluded.

There is no doubt that the Congress Party has yet again demonstrated an arrogant callousness about their role in politics in India. Compared to the well-managed, well funded and indeed overwhelming campaign of the BJP, the Congress' attempts suggest a complete dereliction of duty and are therefore inexcusable. Rahul Gandhi's snub of his own Prime Minister recently when he did not attend a farewell dinner, his un-remarkable speech and what could easily be interpreted as a supercilious expression during and after it only add to the public perception that the Gandhi family are disconnected and unconcerned about their role in Indian politics. He was a study in contrast to Tarun Gogoi who announced his decision to resign following the results in Assam, a state that has consistently voted for the Congress Party.

However, certain features of the BJP's campaign are worrying to me. I do not think that only a Muslim can represent Muslims or only a Hindu can represent Hindus but I do believe that whoever leads India has to instill confidence in all sections of society that they are impartial and non-partisan. Thus, what worries me is that although Shri Modi has only spoken using the rhetoric of development and has rightly castigated the Congress for its shortcomings, people who have openly declared hatred for sections of the Indian population are nonetheless in the BJP. There are many people who believe that religion is an inextricable part of Indian citizenship. Would this be the government's point of view?

Some time ago when I was in rural Uttar Pradesh, a state that has given the BJP a huge mandate, an old farmer said to me "Look! I eat bread from the same soil that my neighbor Shakeel tills. We used to go to the same well and now we share handpumps. The same wires bring us electricity, when I have crops to sell we walk on the same road and sell in the same market." As was implicit in what you said in Ahmadabad, and as I am sure you would agree, suffering and poverty have no religion.

Not long ago I, born 35 years after independence, was asked by a compatriot about whether Muslims regret not going to Pakistan? Very few people have the honour and privilege of consciously choosing their homeland. The fact is that millions of Indians chose to remain Indian after we acquired our independence and continue to be proud and happy to be Indian. Every single day since then many of them have prayed and prostrated themselves on the soil of the homeland they embraced 67 years ago and in doing so have affirmed their belief in the sanctity of this land. These feelings are borne out of their respect for and trust in our constitution and our institutions and so I am sure that arbitrary and unfair legislation will not be used to undermine these institutions or our bond to them. Today if some of my fellow countrymen persecute me or others on account of our views, beliefs or even backgrounds will you fulfill the duty of protection that the government owes to all its citizens?

History is more a prism to understand the present than a mirror that reflects the past. Our country is only 67 years old and before that many things happened which today would be unjustifiable. The reasons for injustices are manifold. They are not reducible to simple binaries. So would you agree that history should not be placed as a burden on any citizens of independent India? Especially not the overwhelming number who were born Indians, remain Indians and are committed to the idea of India?

Finally I would like to end by saying Hindustan Zindabad! I know that you began your speech in Vadodara by saying Bharat Mata ki Jai. I reaffirm and respect the extent of his veneration for our homeland but I hope the new government will allow me to express my feelings of patriotism in my own language. Jai Hind!
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@Ali Khan Mahmudabad Your silence is deafening. I am still awaiting a response to the points I made in my previous comment which I repeat here. When you say \"Very few people have the honour and privilege of consciously choosing their homeland\", ARE you seriously suggesting that those Muslims who chose to move to Pakistan were privileged?? Please clarify. 2) You conclude by saying \"I hope the new government will allow me to express my feelings of patriotism in my own language\". Are you seriously suggesting your freedom of speech to express your \"patriotism\" for India (in YOUR language) may be curtailed - now that NDA is in power? 3) Your blog smacks of a \"sore loser\" wanting to maintain a discredited status quo of appeasement and special treatment. 4) To be treated like an Indian, start acting like one. In the words of JKF \"ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country\". 5) The Indian electorate has chosen development over petty minded irrelevance that is evident in your blog.