The Muslim Question

In the time of polarisation politics and othering, how to respond to the banality of hate?

- Tanvir Aeijaz

In the Indian electoral democracy, the Muslim question, inescapably, is one of the most pressing questions. For the major political parties, and even for some of the regional ones, this question continually upsets their political imagination in redeeming democracy. Their perceptions about Muslim citizenry as an electorate is mired in the convoluted sense of polarisation politics, which reproduces the binary of ‘‘national—anti-national’’, particularly in the backdrop of the ‘‘us-and-them’’ rallying cry. During election campaigns, the acerbic speeches against Muslims, the call for their genocide, annihilation and violence, and the flagrant appeals for stripping of their dignity have become one of the leitmotifs of political mobilisation since the ascension of Hindutva politics in India. Hindutva rhetoric, and the consequent political dividends, flourish on Islamophobia. Certainly, the spectre of what is called the Muslim question haunts the political parties in their strategic electioneering course. So, is there an answer to the Muslim question? Before the answer, it is crucial to deconstruct the Muslim question.

The Marginalisation of Indian Muslims

There are three issues, among others, that lead to the marginalisation of Indian Muslims, both in terms of electoral and socio-economic aspects. These are: Muslims’ high political underrepresentation, socio-economic exclusion and impoverishment, undergirded by the elements of fear, discrimination, and violence. The Muslim question, essentially, as to what needs to be done to reverse the marginalisation process and to build safeguards against the tyranny of persecution, is at the core of Muslim politics in India.