Ex MP Mohammad Adeeb in conversation with Vision Muslim Today correspondent Wasim Akram Tyagi
Q- How come the election that started with the issue of ‘jangalraaj’ is now being fought with ‘gau mata’?
Answer- I feel that the Modi government can do anything to come into power. When they do not have any good work to show to the voters they have resorted to using communality for creating some kind of polarization just as they did in Muzaffarnagar. This policy is not good for the unity and brotherhood in the nation. It will not fare well for Modi too; history will hold Modi responsible for spoiling the secular fabric of the nation. It is the bad luck of our nation that we have got a Prime Minister whose mindset does not suit the post of the Prime Minister. It is sad to have a Prime Minister who takes 15 days to speak on the communal murder of Mohammed Akhlaq, the murder that the whole world decried, but is too ready to condole the son of Asha Bhonsle.
The writers are returning their awards. It is now an international shame that the writers in India are being killed for voicing their opinion, singers are not being allowed to sing, cricket is not being allowed to be played; I can’t help but recall what Farooq Abdullah said borrowing word of Jinnah that in free India minorities will not be safe. The image of the nation in the twentieth century has taken a severe beating in the last thirteen months. We used to say that the congress has been a bad government but in the last thirteen months NDA has done more damage than UPA’s ten years.
Q- What about the cow issue?
Answer- Muslims do not eat cow, they simply do not have the taste for it. I further request the Muslims to withdraw from any trade or business that involves cow. Let the cow stay with their owners forever or let them roam the streets and feed on whatever they could after being shunned after losing their productivity. What exactly is the worth of the bulls and cows since the coming of the tractors? The cows and bolls have been replaced by the tractors and buffaloes. But since it could be used for inciting communal fervor it will remain useful for BJP politics. Let us see how many bungalows and flats could have cows as a family member.
Q- What do you think will become of the communal hatred that is being infused into our youngsters?
Answer- In my seventy years of age I have not seen what I am seeing at present. The same people who used to criticize us and The Quran for having a few verses about the fighting and war are now telling the world that their books hold human life less important than the life of a cow, and that the cow eaters or killers should be killed! It all is very amazing! And then again the same people do not touch Justice Katju, Rishi Kapoor, Shobha De or even the beef exporters and the government who has shown 25% growth in beef exports! I can’t understand why they are killing only us! Babar was the first king to ban cow slaughter. After him Bahadur Shah Zafar made a law against cow slaughter. What law has the NDA/ BJP government made for the protection of the cow? And the fact is that the Vedas favor consumption of the cow’s meat as food.
Q- So what could be the purpose of RSS mouthpiece when it published the article claiming that Hindu religious sculpture justify killing of the cow killer?
Answer- They want to create a new Hindu religion that is far from the real Hinduism and close to extremist Taliban. I also agree with the statement that came from Shiv Sena that Godhra and Gujrat riots are Modi’s real identity. Had the Sangh Parivar really cared about the cows we never could have seen them roaming the streets like orphans, don’t they have enough will or money to shelter these cows in their Shakhas or Gau Raksha Kendras
