Social commentator Hameed Chendamangaloor has criticised secular political parties for what he described as “their selective criticism” of threats to freedom of expression.
Opening a debate to mark the 25th anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of rebel Muslim religious scholar Chekannur Moulavi here on Sunday, he remarked that the soft approach to minority fundamentalism had fuelled majority fundamentalism. The meeting was organised by the Quran Sunnath Society, founded by Chekannur Moulavi.
Meesha row
Mr. Chendamangaloor pointed out that major political leaders in the State as well as socio-cultural activists and writers had expressed solidarity with S. Hareesh when his novel Meesha had to be withdrawn from the Mathrubhumi weekly after threats from Sangh Parivar outfits. However, the same group of people had kept mum when poet Pavithran Theekkuni had to withdraw his poem Pardha following threats from Muslim fundamentalists.
Similarly, widespread protests were witnessed after the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, Communist leader Govind Pansare, academic M.M. Kalburgi, and journalist Gauri Lankesh, allegedly by Hindutva outfits.
Farooq’s death
“When H. Farooq, an atheist, was hacked to death by Muslim fundamentalists in Coimbatore last year, no tears were shed,” Mr. Chendamangaloor alleged. He claimed that Chekannur Moulavi’s disappearance and alleged murder too had not evoked much of a response then as he did not “carry a vote bank in his pocket”. “Had Chekannur been a leader of a mainstream Muslim organisation, political parties on the Right and the Left would have competed with each other for championing his cause.”
Mr. Chendamangaloor also alleged that the secular parties and secular cultural activists were oblivious to the threat posed by minority fundamentalism. One of the reasons for the rise of the BJP to the seat of power in Delhi in 2014, Mr. Chendamangaloor claimed, was the soft approach of the secular parties towards minority fundamentalism. “It is this approach which helped the growth of Hindu fundamentalist parties,” he said, adding that any opposition to fundamentalism should include a critique of minority fundamentalism too.
‘His only crime’
R. Hameed choked as he spoke at the meeting about his son Farooq. “Muslim fundamentalists hacked my son to death. His only crime was that he spoke against Islam,” he said.