Opinion Kalam, the Other

In a TV interview, Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma has described the late president, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, as a nationalist and a humanist “despite being a Muslim”. He also added that Aurangzeb Road in New Delhi was renamed after Kalam because Aurangzeb was not an “ideal person”, whereas the late president was an inspirational figure. Sharma’s description of Kalam in such exceptional terms is an insult to the much-loved scientist and 17 crore-plus Muslims in the country. The suggestion is that Kalam’s nationalism and humanism stand apart in the community he belonged to. Implicit in his words is also the perception that the patriotism of Indian Muslims is generally suspect. It hints that Indian nationalism is inherently a Hindu space that Muslims can access only after they prove their nationalist credentials. Sharma, perhaps, is uninformed about the views stated on the idea of citizenship in the Constitution, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly referred to as the nation’s only “holy book”. Sharma took his oath of office on it and needs to respect the Constitution, if he wishes to continue in government and Parliament. The Modi government and the BJP must further clarify if they share Sharma’s opinion of Kalam and Indian Muslims. The clarification need not wait till the next Parliament session, which the Opposition may threaten to derail if the government fails to explain the culture minister’s comments.

Since a controversy erupted over the renaming of Aurangzeb Road after Kalam, BJP functionaries have tried to contrast the 17th century Mughal emperor with the former president in a bid to build a narrative of opposites. Kalam, in his life and career, strove to stay away from divisive discourses that pitted man against man on the basis of religion. He drew positive energy from the present and worked to build the future. The past, for him, was not baggage that weighed down the present. Sharma and others are doing a great disservice to Kalam’s memory by making him a warhead in their ideological battles.

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The BJP rode to power on Modi’s promise of governance. The PM has outlined his idea of governance by stressing on building a modern industrial economy replete with smart cities and forward-looking institutions. He has been travelling, especially in the Western world, scouting for friends and capital to build his dream. Ministers like Sharma who constantly harp on “Western encroachment” in culture, and glorify a hoary past over the present and future, paint the government in poor light. It is time Modi took a close look at his ministers’ record.