Some discovery this!

The euphoria that swept across the country when we won the recent World Cup match against Pakistan, was almost eclipsed by the another round...

The euphoria that swept across the country when we won the recent World Cup match against Pakistan, was almost eclipsed by the another round of hysteria which followed at its heels: the discovery, by the English press, that Indian Muslims — even those living in ‘mini-Pakistans’ — had actually clapped for India during the match.

What Muslim readers have thought of the exultation with which this discovery was reported — some reports were actually accompanied by photographs et al — is unknown, but one section of readers would surely have shared the English press’ excitement, even if not for the same reasons.

The way in which this section of the press went out of its way to monitor the conduct of India’s largest minority during this match, must have warmed the hearts of the RSS more than anyone else.

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By taking the RSS propaganda about Muslims seriously enough to find out if it was true, the ‘pseudo-secularists’ had validated the test of patriotism laid down by the RSS for Indian Muslims, and in doing so, had acceded to the RSS the right to decide whether or not a citizen of this country was patriotic.

Given this surrender to their ideology by a section which has, all of last year, strongly resisted their viewpoint, the actual findings of this exercise would hardly matter to the RSS. After all, one or two pockets couldn’t be said to represent all Muslim ghettos.

Why didn’t these reporters and photographers venture into Signal Falia? Or the madrassas on the Indo-Nepal border?

Not so long ago, a TV team had tracked down Muslims in a north Indian town, and its senior Hindi news anchor had reported in all seriousness,‘‘In this war (Kargil), even the Muslims are praying for India.’’

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At that time, some of Mumbai’s Muslims had demonstrated against Pakistan — the only community to do so as a community.

This time, some of Mumbai’s Muslims offered namaz on the road for India’s cricket victory over Pakistan, in full view of the press of course. Yet, this reporter heard at least one reader laugh as he looked at the picture, ‘‘Who knows which team they are praying for in their hearts?’’

One wonders whether the roles could ever be reversed. Could the Urdu press dare to swoop down on a Hindu ghetto and ask the residents how come they were clapping for India?

Would a policeman ever be found sitting right in the middle of a chawl in Mumbai’s Lalbaag in front of a community TV set to check out whether the Kulkarnis and Jadhavs and Mores cheered every time Sachin hit a boundary? And would Hindus — even in Kashmir — ever feel the need to prove their patriotism?

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