Hhpi 19 09-2004
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This document discusses creating a new political initiative called Hindustaan Hamaara (India is Ours Too) or HHPI to represent minority groups in India, particularly Muslims. It proposes establishing HHPI as a body that brings together people of various faiths to ensure constitutional safeguards through legal and political means. This would involve creating HHPI, developing it into a political party, supporting allied candidates, and eventually fielding its own candidates to contest elections and have a voice in decision making. It discusses setting up an organizational structure, functional areas, and symbolism for HHPI and raises questions around membership, funding, data resources, and establishing state and district cells to operationalize the initiative.
Hhpi 19 09-2004
- 1. Situation of Muslims Why do others feel insulated against reaction ? Minorities : Who are ? Who will be ? Threat perception. Trend towards decadence, acceptance of aberrations. Decadent societies self destruct : our survival at stake. What now ? How ? Participative politics ? “No lose” situation ? SWOT analysis ?
- 2. Assessment • No leadership at present, Muslim or Hindu • No innate qualities of leadership • Hindu leaders products of politics of power-brokering • England, Asians had no outstanding leader, no Martin Luther King • Immigrants organised, became aggressive with strategic intent • Didn't expend energy on fighting for their "difference" • Seized, from opponents, the initiative on what defined 'Britishness' • Demanded right of British citizen to live in own country in peace • 'Britishness' thrown as challenge was redefined • Indian citizenship, Constitutional rights a potent reply to racists
- 3. …assessment… • This is what Muslims in India must learn to do • Be aggressive not with hysteria of cornered, but strategic political intent • Use 'Indianness' and citizenship as weapons, provided by the Constitution • Right-wing Hindus remind Muslims of their duties as Indian citizens • Muslims need to remind right-wing Hindus of their rights as Indian citizens • These rights are subjugated in India, except in case of affluent few • Time Muslims seized initiative, replied with the argument of 'Indianness' • Time they used legitimate aggression—not fatwas, or explanations
- 4. …assessment… • We share our living spaces with person who cooks food, drives car • They often have radically different views from us • The political choices these people make matter more than ours • However, we believe they are politically insignificant or irrelevant • So we never engage them in a dialogue : they are not our equals • Social isolation confines liberalism to an island, takes away its power • We grow used to living on our island, and confuse it with our country • We can’t just write about and criticise the right wingers • We have to become able to go to the streets and confront them Source : Amit Chaudhuri vis. Prof. Columbia Univ., Sahitya Akademi award 2002
- 5. S W O T analysis : Strengths • Unifying belief and religious text core • Spread to even remote corners : same identity abroad • Tableeghi Jamaath and Jamaath-e-Islami reach • Common understanding of siege situation • Intellectual and political willingness to try afresh • Possibility of raising finances better than in the past • Threat perception of non-Muslims for own survival and prosperity • Non-Muslims’ willingness to speak up for Muslims • Growth of judicial activism and responsiveness • Constitutional guarantees and freedoms • Enhanced power of the media and the press • Possibility of tapping contributors world over
- 6. S W O T analysis : Weaknesses • Cohesive unified ummah a dream; ego clashes; no unified command • Religious leaders, holier-than-thou ego clashes; judgmental attitudes • Political leaders, their ego clashes and differences • Sub-denominations : I-am-right-you-are-wrong problems • Intellectuals safer as group but generally dreamers, unrealistic, egoistic armchair critics, too many leaders no soldiers • No money, sources, implement-able plans, manpower • Inability to organize funds, use coherently, except in sections • Tendency to exclude different types, be judgmental of others • Inability to carry along the masses, no mass-base/appeal • Lack of sustained interest, absence of momentum in specific directions • No agenda as a community, no projection of future needs
- 7. SWOT Analysis : Opportunities • Political participation an absolute must : do or die : no options left • Mere voting insufficient : become vote-able • The ummah, especially youth, needs a change, seems ready for it • Existing leaders seem stale, unable to deliver, undemocratic : “common worker there will never rise to the top even if the most capable” mindset – opportunity for emergence of a “by us from us for us” substitute : HH • Others rate present Muslim leadership as uncertain, Muslims as vote-bank • PR skills, media savvy approach now possible, can yield dividends • Muslims-under-siege issue-based focus usable : who among you is next ? • Increasing educated Muslim youth a fertile cadre-breeding ground • Youth’s need for issues, to feel instrumental in creating their world the way they want it : fire their imagination : “Its your life ! Shape it yourselves !!” • There is a vacuum to be filled and we can, will do it – we have to do it
- 8. SWOT Analysis : Threats • Vested political interests’ resistance to other emerging power centres • Resistance in ummah : our non-orthodox appearance/approach • Unwillingness to contribute + tendency to use money unwisely • Absence of preset, organized channels for collection/use of money • Inexperience and untested skills, no political lineage to build on • Unwillingness to do dirty work, only “lead” : no cadre, no training • Concerned with others’ image of us, apprehensive of being branded • No time-bound thrust, sense of destiny, ideology, charismatic ideologues • What issues face us ? Muddah-manufacturing factory yet un-built ! • This knee-jerk ends with this jerk (pun intended !) • Personal needs that disable one from greater participation • Seeing ourselves as different : from mullahs, disco-types, high-fliers…
- 9. Unifying present groups unlikely. Then what ? • Alternatives : 1. create, 2. join-mould, 3. join-take over • Possibilities of 2nd and 3rd options remote, lead to ideological suicide • Become creators of our own organization based on a positive approach • Plan for next ten years; after first five, re-evaluate, et seq in 10/5 steps • Create an objective, scientific, equipped body of our good thinkers • Equipping in terms of capability, commitment, quality is needed • Material equipment can be achieved with money when available • Present equipment of individuals can be utilized as a staggered office • Manpower takes time, effort, screening : methods to be devised for it • To attract talent it must be worthwhile for the targets who we want • Anyone who is good will be busy, have to be induced to enlist • The talented will have to be asked to work for us, and need to be paid • It is OUR project and not their own : we are a corporate they will serve • They will have to be paid well, at least of the level they are now making
- 10. Creating THE NEW ORDER Hindustaan Hamaara ( a Political Initiative) • India is ours too; a political presence a must, this is our initiative : H H P I • Inclusive, covering all defined by term Minorities : c-p-m-s and also Hindus • HH would be a coming together of a number of people of various faiths including non minorities, in order to ensure that Constitutional safeguards are secured through interventional legal process and political activism • Political activism would be, step-wise, by 1. creation of such a body, 2. its development into a political party, 3. its supporting candidates who stand for similar values, 4. helping them actively in getting elected, 5. using the hands-on experience to field HHPI’s own candidates, 6. contesting elections, 7. forging alliances and winning seats and 8. securing a voice in decision making in legislative assemblies and parliament thus 9. ensuring we are no longer taken for granted, and have a voice in any State response to any situation
- 11. The body plan of the organization
- 12. hhpi ~ main structure
- 14. functional areas of working - indicative
- 15. symbol, design, colour : illustrative : name obvious, hand writing destiny, identity symbolized by flying standard, saffron-green-blue… representing various groups, light-your-way symbol can be replaced with something more electorate-acceptable
- 16. SYMBOL : same considerations, an added focus on “coming together as partners in progress” symbolized, name simplified and a slant towards the rural or farming communities
- 18. Questions… o tradition of throwing out foreign elements to be redefined ? o form with only muslims initially ? include which other varieties now ? o whom among muslim groups to include ? what varieties are there ? o whom to exclude from muslim groups ? the “threats” to progress o certain groups ought not to be excluded – acceptability benefits o destructive groups need to be excluded – destructive work hurts o if so draw the line – identification process – data availability o are we in a position for exclusionary exercises – can we do without ? o would we not need “toughs” also in the political games people play ? o what in the context of exclusions would be our own acceptability ? o what would be response of one already with political affiliations ?
- 19. Questions… o would political groups see benefits to themselves ? o would their followers/cadres accept the shift ? o would they participate ? would they set terms ? o how far can we go to accommodate such ? their eventual presence… o should not ladies be in main body rather than separate “women’s wings” ? o where would the money we will need come from ? crores of rupees.. o how do we select the first group to work as an ad hoc nucleus ? o can we do something to filter out destruct-ons ? o do we have or can we source the data on which to work from ? o should we create a clearing house of information ? o located where ? access to whom ? need-to-know ? o generate other questions to ask ourselves ? such meetings help o regularity of meetings, exchanges of views require formal structure o data library in clearing house ? people ? timings ? access ? o authentication of material from our database ?
- 20. Questions… • role allocation to be worked out how ? • do we secure some form of registration ? • how do we regulate membership ? • hierarchies, need-to-know basis of access, etc ? • retention of funds after finding them ? • are we naïve, idealistic… will this work ? how long will it take ? • how do we crystallize the final documentation, structure, etc ? • how do we set up state-wise or district-wise cells ? • how long with the mechanics of that take ? • yeh jahaan cheez kya hai, loh-va-qalam tere hain… write your destiny ! • jalwa e toor maujood : musa hi nahin… we benefit, others benefit !! • on the path of truth, cosmic forces in step with you, can you at all fail ? • can you have a better win-win situation ? for you now to take it ahead.
Editor's Notes
- #13: schematic framework or an organizational set-up required with suggested constituents and areas of concentration ~ this version is the first and is obviously open for amendments, recasting, or complete overhaul, if not a full-fledged substitution