I found a very interesting connection between Indian Elections and the Advertising Industry. Both the Industries (if I may call the voter-luring-exercise an industry) scare their audience or at least a section of it. While the Advertisement industry takes the whole fear-psychosis thing at a very shallow level, the reach of the Indian Election Industry is quite wide and pretty deep. Scaring Muslims
Now what is the difference between these two Punchlines?
Arvind Kejriwal said “If you do not vote us to power, corrupts will rule”
Clean and Clear Face Wash says “If you do not use this face wash, your face will be infested by pimples”
Fundamentally these two are similar statements intended at the sole purpose of scaring the naïve audience so that they are persuaded to buy the product – The candidate and the face wash respectively. And for Muslims in India, election times are a scary affair. Because Election time in India is a major Muslim Scare Fest.
So who scares the Muslims in India? Scaring Muslims
The so called Secular parties, the so called communal parties, the right wing fringes, clerics, madrassa teachers, Rich and well settled Muslims, Waqf Boards, Hindi Press, Urdu Press, National Media, Social Media?
I believe everyone, every organization and every party scares the Muslims. Some scare them to shoo them away and some scare them to lure them in. But Scaring Muslims is a real business in India. Just scroll through an Urdu Paper (make someone read it for you) in Bihar to gauge the performance of the scaring industry. Muslims are being scared of dire consequences. An editorial in Roznama Sangam warns Muslims with this amazingly and hilariously scary note: ‘Bihar’s politics is passing through a very sensitive period at this time. The people of the state’s secular, moderate and minority groups have a big responsibility to defeat BJP at every cost. For this, they will have to offer every kind of sacrifice”. So Muslims apart from working their asses off in fields and roads and organizations and factories to feed their families have an additional responsibility. To defeat the BJP. AT ANY COST. Do you see the Face Wash connect here?
Scaring Muslims
Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav the self-proclaimed custodians of all minority rights in Bihar are having their secular-gasms like never before. Their gimmickry is so rotten and phoney that even a 5 year old would giggle and scoot away. And their populism tactics are right on your face. Nitish Kumar raised the grant for the Shia Waqf Board from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 80 lakh. The remaining money has come from CM’s Emergency funds. The grants for the Sunni Waqf Board has been increased to Rs 2 crore from Rs 50 lakh. My naïve mind fails to decode how the Waqf Boards work and how do they help an ordinary Muslims in India? And to counter these faux Muslim agents of fear, we have an ‘asli’ Muslim agent of Fear – Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). He flexed his political muscles with a massive rally on 16 August rally in Kishanganj. His motive was clear and simple – Establish both BJP and the Secularists as the usurpers of Muslim rights and sell his own product tried and tested in Hyderabad.
Scaring Muslims
So you see, the stage is set. The dates have been announced. The target audience has been identified. The numbers have been analysed. With 37 percent in Purnea, 41 percent in Araria, 43 percent in Katihar, 78 per cent in Kishanganj and overall 17 per cent of Bihar’s voting strength, Muslims are a force to reckon with. And the mega fest of scaring Muslims has begun in grand style. It is shameful politics that alienates an entire section of the society but that’s how it is.
Picture Credits: www.thehindu.com