– Mohammed Atherulla Shariff
26 March 2024
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked if the Sangh Parivar would renounce the slogans ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Hind’, as they were first raised by two Muslims.
Pinarayi claimed that the slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ was coined by Azimullah Khan, who was the Prime Minister of Nana Saheb, during the 19th century. He further added that the slogan ‘Jai Hind’ was raised by an old diplomat Abid Hasan Safrani. “The Sangh Parivar who tries to deport the Muslims to Pakistan, should probably read the history,” he said.
Just recall now the various lynching incidents across the country that took place in the last decade where the victim Muslims were asked to say Jai Hind and Bharat Mata Ki Jai, without the rioters knowing that Muslims themselves are pioneers of these slogans, which the perpetrators are proud of now. What an irony!
The Chief Minister also emphasised how Dara Shikoh, the son of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, translated 50 Upanishads from Sanskrit into Persian, which put the Indian texts in the international limelight. He highlighted that the Muslim rulers, cultural leaders and officers have played a crucial role in shaping India’s culture, as well as in the country’s freedom struggle.
He was addressing the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally held by CPI(M) in Malappuram. The Kerala government has repeatedly said that CAA will not be implemented in the state, as it creates a communal division. The anti-CAA rally was launched by the ruling CPI(M), after the centre announced the implementation of CAA.
