The Case Of 9/11 In India

So, the date today is 9 November, 2009. 9/11/2009.. Is this India’s or Maharashtra’s 9/11? 20 years back, this was the day when the Berlin Wall was broken, precisely on 9 November, 1989. As per European date system, it is 9/11. It is credited to be the first force that made globalization possible. Such a beautiful event signifying the unity of Germany. The other 9/11, and more famous one was destructive. But, what I see in today’s 9/11 is a wall being created inside India, which might even prove destructive. The lawmakers turning out lawbreakers.

The issue started all with the oath of Abu Asim Azmi being taken in Hindi. Okay, now let me remind you that a politician from Belgaum in Karnataka was made to resign from ministership as he was not able to talk proper Kannada. Rajnikant Gaikwad is a bigger – than – God famous superstar in southern India. He happens to be a native Maharashtrian. Ambumani Ramadoss wrote and alarmed the Tamilian people that certain non – Tamilians, non – Dravidians, outsiders are eyeing to take the seat of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The media made hoopla on this as it was all indicating towards Rajnikanth. This famous superstar knows Tamil very well but still the words made by Ambumani Ramadoss, a leader of Indian National Congress and not of any regional party makes such comments.

Coming to point, let me remind the official language of Maharashtra is only Marathi. Hindi is not an official language of Maharashtra. The official languages of India are English and Hindi. Even when it came to Hindi being the official language way back sometime in 50s, it was made so only because of one vote. That is what Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s book written in 1955 says. There was a tie once, and the second time, only one vote additional in favor of Hindi. As per Wikipedia, what it said was ‘there is no national language of India’. Now, the edit is removed as something happened in parliament in May 2008. Even now, I do not find anything concrete on Wikipedia stating ‘national language of India is Hindi’. All it states is ‘Hindi is the official language of India’.  From May 2008, there is no one national language of India, but in fact, they are multiple. Every other regional language generally known is now a national language of India. The list of national languages in India from May 2008 can be found here: Funny thing, English, Hindi and Marathi are all one of the national languages of India. Then why is this issue on Marathi being whipped up all of a sudden? The population of Marathi speakers in Maharashtra is 68% as per 2001 census. Now, it is said to have gone down to less than 60%.

And Azmi is not the only one to take the oath in Hindi. One Thakur from Kandivali too did it. This MLA runs a group of institutions that have a Bhojpuri minority. He is involved into development activities. He never issued any statement of distributing sticks or so, and nor is he involved in any bomb blasts. That is why MNS has no enmity with him and the House was absolutely silent when he took the oath. Azmi was first requested to take the oath in Marathi and later on warned by MNS. The issue is not all against Hindi, but against Azmi who happens to be a key enemy of MNS. Girish Bapat of Pune took the oath in Sanskrit, and many Maharashtrian MLAs did it in English. Azmi was the only target owing to his credentials earlier.

As for today’s issues, I don’t know what has been reported in Hindi media. But, every MLA of the INC, ShivSena, BJP, MNS was in favor of taking the oath in Marathi. Especially, the non – Marathi elected MLAs were in absolute favor of speaking in Marathi, and almost everyone in the House had requested Abu Asim Azmi to take the oath in Marathi. But, he is a 1993 Mumbai blast convict, supposedly having close ties with Dawood and undoubtedly the earlier busted Indian terrorist outfit SIMI. He published a notice in all newspapers that he would take the oath in Hindi and did the nuisance, even after knowing the present scenario in politics of Maharashtra. When a person doesn’t understand the language of request, what does he understand, especially concerning the fact that the person in consideration is a Bombay blast convict? It was only 4 MLAs coming down to the level of violence whereas the other parties kept restraint. I do not wish to see a person like Abu Asim Azmi entering into the fold of Maharashtra politics at all. Hindu Muslim tensions, Bhaiyya – Marathi tensions are all sure to come into the fore once such a nonsensical person is present. He was the same man to speak of sending 20,000 people from Azamgarh along with distributing sticks in Mumbai. The remaining 9 MNS candidates along with the support of almost every other MLA would take care of Azmi in the coming time using the right language which he understands. Let’s hope. I just don’t want any problems in daily life of some ‘bandhs’ from either sides and all the bullshit followed.

This incident reminds me of something that took place 55 years back. The Samyukta Maharashtra Movement. It was the time when a Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti and a Gujarat Mahaparishad had unanimously decided to form two different states out of the then Bombay State or Maha – dwibhashik – rajya. A majority of other states in India were found on linguistic basis. Even then, 105 people have to DIE owing to the pressure of the police enforced by the Indian Congress Party. The place where deaths took place is called Hutatma Chowk and is located in south Mumbai. Motilal Nehru had made a statement long back that ‘Maharashtra is a dirty and rusty part of India that should be straightly cut out of India’ at some point of time. (Source: an article of Prabhodhankar Thackeray written sometime in 1950s, published in a Marathi magazine ‘Marmik’ issue of  16 August, 2009) The legacy seems to have passed to Jawaharlal Nehru and the death of 105 for no real reason only reconfirms it. Okay, coming to the actual point of convergence, today almost all MLAs were united against Abu Asim Azmi on taking the oath in Hindi. But, what we see is the Hindi media and our uneducated politicians from the traditional northern belts whipping up against Raj Thackeray on dividing the nation.

The Assembly was not the right place to beat Abu Asim Azmi.. Somewhere on the streets would have been better. It wouldn’t have suspended the 4 MLAs! Call me extremist or whatever, but such a person who has a clear motive to cause mischief deserves it.