Hypocrite Nation


So Salman Rushdie won't enter the country to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival. And this is a “victory for democracy”, as per the Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband. Wow! This wasn’t decided by a vote, at the general population level or in Parliament (you know Parliament, right? It’s that entity that our politicians say overrides Anna Hazare, er, decides the laws of the land) or even in some state assembly. But hey, this is Islamic style democracy: send assassins from Mumbai and get your way. I guess the kafir West, India and Japan never really understood the true meaning of democracy!

The Congress, the paragon of secularism and democracy (no, the 1984 riots and the Emergency never happened) started off sensibly at the Center by saying they couldn’t prevent Rushdie from entering the country since he was a PIO (Person of Indian Origin) and thus didn’t need a visa. Then, they did what all politicians do: backtracked through other channels. The Congress state government in Rajasthan said they couldn’t guarantee security for Rushdie. So we are to believe that Rajasthan can't protect a writer but don't be surprised if they claim to be able to give the PM or Rahul baba security tomorrow! Also imagine the response from the “secular” Indians if Narender Modi or the Shiv Sena expressed the same inability to protect a certain community!

The so called believers in freedom of speech who fought for MF Hussain won’t say a word for Rushdie. Apparently, Hussain being forced out of India was a national shame, a reason to hang our collective heads in shame, but what has been done to Rushdie since 1988, ah, that’s totally different. If that’s not double standards, what is?

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