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Nothing new in Left intolerance
by B S Harishankar on 02 Feb 2020 15 Comments

On 28 December 2019, the inauguration of the 80 Indian History Congress at Kannur University, Kerala, witnessed unruly scenes with Left delegates staging a protest against the Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan, while he was delivering the inaugural address. As per the programme, Marxist historian Irfan Habib was not among the speakers at the inaugural function. Defying this, Habib started speaking, making aggressive attacks on the Central Government’s policy towards Kashmir and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

 

Governor Khan patiently listened to the violent outbursts by Irfan Habib and then started his speech saying it is a stage to speak about history and not politics. He indirectly opposed the violent protests against CAA in the country and said the southern state has not experienced the miseries of partition.

 

The audience at the history congress session burst into protest against the Governor’s public support for the CAA. Arif Muhammad Khan spoke of how Hindus were being discriminated against in Pakistan: “I came to know about the harassment that (former) Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria faced because he is a Hindu”. As soon as the Governor said this, more than half the 1,500 delegates stood up waving paper placards which they had smuggled into the venue inside files, and shouted, “This is not Pakistan but India”. (At history meet, CAA backlash in Kannur University, The Telegraph Dec. 29, 2019).

 

Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has gone viral on social media, saying that players refused to eat food with Danish Kaneria just because he was a Hindu. The 39-year-old Kaneria, who played 61 Tests for Pakistan, is the second Hindu to feature in the Pakistani cricket team after Anil Dalpat. Kaneria said he did not have the courage to speak, but after Akhtar’s statement, he will soon name players who had issues with him during his cricketing days. “The players who didn’t like to talk to me just because I was a Hindu” (Danish Kaneria mistreated by Pakistan cricketers as he’s Hindu, alleges Shoaib Akhtar, The New Indian Express, Dec. 26, 2019).

 

Governor Khan said if the delegates had the right to protest, he too had the right to speak and continued with his address. “Please don’t give too much importance to them. Please take your places,” he told those who stood up in protest. “You have no right to create violence or disturbance. You can’t silence me with protests. You can’t shout me down. You have come with an agenda,” Khan said, but by then he could barely be heard over the slogans (The Telegraph, Dec. 29, 2019).

 

Irfan Habib tried to disrupt the inaugural address on stage, questioning the Governor’s right to quote Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and shouting that he should quote Godse (Kerala Governor says historian Irfan Habib tried to ‘physically stop’ his speech, The Hindustan Times, Dec. 29, 2019).

 

Governor Khan clarified that he sent a renowned Malayali writer on his behalf to call those who were protesting for a discussion, but delegates said that they were here to protest and not to talk. So he said, “when you shut the doors of discussion then it creates an environment of violence and hate, followed by a sentence of Gandhiji. The moment I said this, Irfan Habibji got up from his seat and wanted to charge me. My ADC stopped him and then he (Habib) went behind the sofa and came from the other side. He was stopped by my security, ADC and others. Since he stood on the stage, some protesters created a ruckus there”. (Irfan Habib tried to charge me; was defending law which is my duty: Arif Mohammad, Business Standard, Dec. 29, 2019).

 

Irfan Habib said the delegates were provoked when the Governor started to speak about the CAA and denounced the Muslims (Indian History Congress did not invite Governor: Irfan Habib, The Hindu, Dec. 29, 2019). Later, Kannur University Vice Chancellor Gopinath Raveendran admitted there were protocol violations at the inauguration of the 80th Indian History Congress. Raveendran said that historian Irfan Habib’s speech was not listed in the programme (Protocol violations at Kerala Guv’s meet: Kannur VC, Outlook, Dec. 29, 2019).

 

Former ICHR Chairman MGS Narayanan said placards and other materials were prepared beforehand and the protests were planned much earlier. The Indian left lobbies and their radical outfits in our Universities have always turned down violent persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan who are coming to India as refugees. The United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in its recent report, ‘Pakistan-Religious freedom under attack’, has slammed Imran Khan government for discriminatory legislation that encourages people with “extremist mindsets” to carry out attacks on religious minorities.

 

The European Union Parliament has also released a report, ‘Religious Minorities in Pakistan’, which alleges a State role in institutionalized discrimination and prosecution of these groups. Recently, the Arria-Formula Meeting of the United Nations Security Council on ‘Advancing the Safety and Security of Persons Belonging to Religious Minorities in Armed Conflict’, came down heavily on Pakistan and China for persecution of religious and ethnic minorities. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member, Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, stated in the National Assembly in May 2014 that around 5,000 Hindus migrate from Pakistan to India every year due to persecution.

  

The Indian Left targets Muslim nationalists who support India. When Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam led the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in May 1998 as chief scientific adviser to PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, director, Defence Research and Development Organisation and chief coordinator of the Pokhran II project, the Left attacked Pokhran.

 

Aijaz Ahmad said “as a full-scale reactionary agenda begins to unfold, it is becoming clear that the ‘consensus’ behind the BJP’s dangerous nuclear adventure is an attempted consensus behind Hindutva” (The Hindutva Weapon, Frontline Vol. 15 - No. 11, May 23 - Jun 05, 1998). N. Ram commented that not surprisingly, the Pokhran nuclear explosions worsened regional tensions and already troubled relations with Pakistan. Ram said for a Hindu Rashtra to succeed, it must be able to mobilize people around an aggressive anti-Muslim platform and create a permanent divide between Hindus and Muslims that can justify an authoritarian state (What Wrong did this Man do? Frontline, Volume 16 - Issue 10, May. 08 - 21, 1999). Following Kalam’s candidature for President, he was dubbed one of the ‘fathers’ of the Indian bomb.

 

Currently, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has clarified that the resolution passed by the Kerala State Assembly demanding scrapping of the CAA has absolutely no constitutional or legal validity. He added that the petition filed by the government in the Supreme Court demanding scrapping of the CAA is in violation of protocol.
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Congratulations , Harishankarji, for this timely write up, highlighting the Leftists Intolerance against a patriotic Muslim scholar who is also the governor of Kerala .It is comforting to know that there are a few good Muslims like Arif mohmd khan who have chosen to be impartial and patriotic. Bharat will be a heaven on earth ,if thousands of muslims follow such truly patriotic leaders.
Another person worth of mention,is KK Mohammed archeologist,who boldly exposed the Leftist Historians like Irfan Habib for misleading the Muslim community in the Ram janma bhoomi issue.He appealed to the muslim brethren to hand over the Ram janma bhoomi to the Hindus as it legitimately belongs to them.
A few weeks ago , the Leftists critised Gen Rawat ( now CDS) , for merely speaking on leadership qualities . There was no reference to any political parties and politicians. He only stressed on the importance of discipline needed by today's youth ,yet the Leftists politicised his speech .
Panikkath Krishnanunni
February 02, 2020
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Imagine a BJP ruled state like Gujarat treating Governor appointed by Congress like this.Other day they did not allow Dr Swapan Dasgupta to speak on CAA at an event in WB.For these rowdies democracy is a toy that they can play or break when they want.BJP govt should get more aggressive with these crooks.It should warn that next time if a Governor is insulted like this it will result in dismissal of the state govt.
Jitendra Desai
February 02, 2020
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Thew left parties are aggressive and violent. For their agenda to succeed they shall attempt any protest including bloody violence. Kerala Governor Khan was not physically assaulted since the left lobbies feared communal twist and dismissal as outcome.
Satyapal Singh
February 02, 2020
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Just compare what happened for Governors in Bengal and Kerala. Any one who talked supporting CAA were assaulted.
Ashok Kumar
February 02, 2020
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The protest against CAA is to change Indian demography bringing Muslim population from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The left lobbies shall not tolerate any move to block their agenda.
Uma Chidambaram
February 02, 2020
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One has to live in Kerala to fully realize the Communists' extreme intolerance of Hindus and all things Hindu. Kerala is the only South Indian state that deserves to put under permanent Army rule.Else, it will soon become India's new Kashmir.
P S Nair
February 02, 2020
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There was a report that a couple of days ago, in Tiruchirapalli, a BJP worker who was speaking about the CAA was brutally assaulted and killed by a Muslim fundamentalist.

It is time that the silent majority spoke up and protested such acts.
Mainstream media will not talk about it.
Dr. Vijaya Rajiva
February 02, 2020
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I have always been and will continue to be a fan of Harishankar. I had previously urged and will continue to advocate that he publish his articles as a short collection for public dissemination. That we would be timely in today's charged environment.

What I say now may lead to others attacking me. That said, I care for my religion and civilization that I need to say what I will say. I will not reply to attacks.

We all know that the enemy is the adversary. But is our response credible? We had a stable Hindu Government for the first time in 1999, 52 years after independence. Alas, it was unable to win a second term in 2004. We finally regained control over the levers of power in 2014 and then in 2019 but seem to be now shooting ourselves in the foot once again.

There is pervasive bad press on Modi, the CAA, the alleged repression of student protests, with the uninhibited use of terms such as fascism and Hindu supremacists, not just in the English language Indian media and in the foreign Anglo Saxon media as was the case until recently, but also now in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Gulf [fairly supportive of Modi until recently], Sri Lanka and continental Europe. The BJP’s name is muck and it has no convincing counter narrative. It has lost the pitch.

I concede that the criticism is unfair and unfounded. But perception always trumps reality. Perceptions have to be managed.We are also dealing with powerful actors such as the church.

If the loses the Delhi polls as it did Jharkhandand and the Bengal bypolls, it will tell me in no uncertain terms that Amit Shah has to be jettisoned as Home Minister and Modi shaken up. The hope lies in building Jaishankar, alas without a mass base, and Nitin Gadkari as potential alternatives. The BJP is currently snatching defeat from the jaws of victory a la Maharashtra.

All this was badly managed. And only China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the church will gain.

So let's focus on how we can regain control over the narrative instead of dissecting the enemy. The adversary will as always be an adversary. How can we instead regain control over the narrative.
Anon
February 02, 2020
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Ajit Doval is also good.
Anon
February 02, 2020
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@Anon:
I agree with you that the M-S combine did not act wisely but the bad press does not worry me. Sooner or later that will change. The first and most important point they keep forgetting is that to mobilize Hindus for a common cause you need Hindu unity. Now Hindus are more concerned about caste benefits and the Dalits have not been socially and psychologically integrated into the H society. That is why we see the Bhim Army joining with M protesters against the NaMo govt. The least the MS team could have done was to first bring a bill to free the temples, then remove the exclusion of H institutions from the RTE act or make it mandatory on all institutions thus bringing a level playing field in the education sector. These would have ( I hope ) galvanized the H. They should have then set the stage for the CAA by constantly highlighting the plight of the Dalit refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan and draw a parallel with the internally displaced Pandits. Having laid the groundwork they could have initiated the CAB. I must blame the govt. for not having done anything to rehabilitate the refugees from Pakistan. They could have started on that without a formal act and let all Hs know that the govt.is serious about ensuring their welfare. The MS team is bold but in addition they must sometimes use discretion and clever strategy.. Now they must stand firm and not let the protesters blackmail them. The radical M groups are behind the protests, the badly beaten INC and Left are being used by the M. Some gullible H are also fooled by them.
Govindan
February 02, 2020
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While enjoying the best protection under democracy ,they use every means to defame it.
Nageswaran
February 03, 2020
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Thank you, Govindan. The Government should rely on individuals like Harishankar, Sandhya and you. M-S emphasized discretion and strategy when it came to Kashmir but later abandoned those very principles on account of hubris.
Anon
February 03, 2020
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Bengal and Tripura has virtually gone out of Communist clutches but still they mark their presence. CAA protests in India were virtually fuelled by Popular Front and communists. Governor Khan is another target in CPM ruled Kerala with strong Popular Front presence.
Paurnami
February 03, 2020
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Just visit JNU to witness Pre 2019 Jammu Kashmir once again. Irfan Habib exposed in this article. Thanks.
Balkrishna Vinayak Ranade
February 03, 2020
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Indian History Congress and other academic organisations hijacked by communists are used to execute their anti national agenda.
Brinda Gopal
February 03, 2020
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