As if attempts to politicise our Armed Forces were not bad enough, certain politicians have now sought to infuse the venom of communalism into this fine institution. That they shall fail monumentally in their designs, is certain. Indian soldiers live and die for their nation, and when in uniform their allegiance is to the Tricolour. Religious, caste and regional identities do not matter. And when an Indian soldier is martyred, the entire nation mourns and salutes him, regardless of his religious affiliation. But politicians such as Asaduddin Owaisi are not content; they want to drive a wedge even here. A few days ago, he claimed that enough attention had not been paid to the fact that among those martyred in recent terror attacks, were Muslims. He also berated the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar for its leaders’ failure to attend the funeral of one such Muslim martyr. In the first place, a martyr is a martyr — Muslim or otherwise — and is given the honour that is due to him and his family. Owaisi wants to segregate the Armed Forces along religious lines. Does he even realise the dangerous game he is playing?
The Armed Forces is a secular organisation and nothing should be done to destroy this credo. Owaisi is not illiterate, and he fully understands the import of his remarks. He is, therefore, doing it on purpose with the parochial aim of bolstering his vote-bank. But Owaisi’s brand of politics has been consistently rejected by the people across the country, and it is only in some pockets of Hyderabad that he is heard. His party failed to make an impact in the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar elections, and he is now getting desperate to make a mark as the 2019 Lok Sabha election approaches. Sadly, some of the mainstream national parties, such as the Congress, have been ambivalent towards him and have not categorically condemned him on past occasions. They have even done business with him. But Owaisi got a fitting reply from the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt General Devraj Anbu, who said that “those making (such) statements don’t know the Army well”. He said that no soldier’s patriotism is doubted on the basis of his religion. This was in direct response to Owaisi’s allegation that “there are people in our country who doubt our loyalties”.
Nobody doubts the loyalties of Indian Muslims towards their nation, but when certain individuals make statements that go against national interest, they will and should be taken to task.
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