by B. R. GOWANI
jAgne wAlo jAgo magar, khAmosh raho / kal kiyA hogA kis ko khabar, khAmosh raho
the awakened ones can stay awake, but must remain silent / who knows what happens tomorrow, you must remain silent
Poet/Habib Jalib; singer/Naheed Niazi; music/Khalil Ahmad
song lines from a Pakistani film Khamosh Raho (1964), filmed on Gulrukh
she played a character who was deceitfully turned into a prostitute
but Jalib’s words were also directed at Ayub Khan’s dictatorship
i.e., Pakistanis aware of Ayub’s cruel rule should keep their mouth shut
India’s Modi government wants no criticism of its heinous regime
it has been going after all those who point out his horrific policies
Indians protesting against Modi turned to poets for strength & solace
one of the poets they found is Pakistan’s Habib Jalib, who once wrote:
Hindustan bhi merA hai aur Pakistan bhi merA hai / lekin in donoN mulkoN meiN Amrika ka derA hai
India is mine and Pakistan is mine too / but the US dwells in both countries too
many Indians uses Jalib’s poem Dastoor (custom) to oppose Modi’ regime
(Watch/hear Habib Jalib recitation here & read the full poem on Rekhta.)
(corrupt Pakistani politicians also use Jalib for their own politics
see former Punjab governor, brother of former premier, recite at 4:51)
students at Delhi’s JNU recited Dastoor to challenge the government
so then Modi’s BJP party uses its Hindutva goons to silence or harass
Modi’s silence emboldens Hindutva thugs to act more fearlessly
fanatic Hindus act on their own due to constant incitement
people critical of government have been killed by Modi supporters
besides killing, they use other methods to terrorize/debase critics
Muslim women have been vocal in their criticism of Modi
he and his followers never miss a chance to scapegoat Muslims
last July, an app named “Sulli Deals” was created
where more than 80 Muslim women were put on sale
women filed FIR with Delhi police but no one’s arrested yet
this month another app called “Sulli Bai” popped up
(Sulli/Bulli are derogatory terms for Muslim women in local slang)
over hundred Muslim women were to be auctioned off
their photos/information from twitter and elsewhere was posted too
of course, these are bogus sales, no one was sold
the aim is to scare Muslim women who demand justice or are critical
famous actress Shabana Azmi is on the list
so is Fatima Nafees, mother of disappeared JNU student Najeeb Ahmed
Quratulain Rehbar, a journalist from Indian controlled Kashmir
Last year I wrote about how muslim women’s pictures were auctioned online where women felt haunted and humiliated. Today, after a year seeing my own picture in another trend #bullideals, besides other muslim womens’, makes me feel utmost disgusting.
Mumbai-based lawyer Fatima Zohra Khan, who’s on both lists, said:
“We got no response from Twitter, GitHub and Go-Daddy [web hosting company] despite Mumbai Police themselves requesting them to reveal data. These websites refuse to share information unless a court warrant is produced.”
Delhi-based journalist Ismat Ara, a victim, told Independent:
“This is not the first time that this has happened. This has happened repeatedly with vocal Muslim womenhttps://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/bulli-bai-app-arrests-muslim-women-b1988504.html who highlight issues that people don’t want to talk about.”
an airline pilot Hana Khan‘s name is there too
Hasiba Amin, a social media coordinator for the opposition Congress said:
on Eid Day, 13 May 2021, a Youtube channel ran “Eid Special” –
a live “auction” of Muslim women from Pakistan and India
“People were bidding five rupees (67 cents; 48 pence) and 10 rupees, they were rating women based on their body parts and describing sexual acts and threatening rape.”
radio jockey Sayema Rahman draws our attention to the real problem:
There are many Muslim names, including mine,in the obnoxious #BulliDeals, same as #SulliDeals Even Najeeb’s mother has not been spared. It’s a reflection on India’s broken justice system, a dilapidated law n order arrangement. Are we becoming the most unsafe country for women?
even Pakistan’s Nobel laureate Malala Yousufzai has not been spared
tech companies have gone silent too –they haven’t commented
this kind of material is very beneficial to the tech companies
it invites more traffic; which translates into more profit
this time three boys and one girl have been arrested
19-year-old Shweta Singh; boys are all 21-year-old
Vishal Jha, Mayank Rawat, and Niraj Bishnoi (“mastermind”)
the Mumbai police got all except Bishnoi, Delhi police’s catch
(Delhi police is under federal government, i.e, Modi regime
this time Delhi police had to act because of Mumbai police’s action)
Priyanka Chaturvedi (MP from Maharashtra’s ruling Shiv Sena) tweeted:
“I have repeatedly asked Hon. IT Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw ji to take stern action against such rampant misogyny and communal targeting of women through #sullideals like platforms. A shame that it continues to be ignored. https://t.co/Q3JLxZpNeC“
activist/writer Kavita Krishnan supported the Mulim women in a tweet”
In rage and solidarity with @IsmatAraa, Samreen and other Muslim women being subjected to vile online “auctions” by rape-minded Sanghi filth. Deliberate police inaction on #sullideals has emboldened the terrorists to resurface as #bullibai. https://t.co/gLC4WIoiPV
activist Muslim women in India are bold, brave, and brilliant
they are fighting back and as Fatima Khan’s account boldly proclaims:
ye khAmosh mizAji tumhe jeene nahin degi / is daur meiN jeenA hai to kohram machA do
this reticence to confront will not let you live / create hue and cry if you want to endure in this age
poet: Unknown
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com