Asaduddin Owaisi has insulted our martyrs who sacrificed their life for the country by giving the martyrs a religious identity. Our country doesn’t give identity to our soldiers on the basis of their religion. They are Indians first and Indians last. For any country dividing the Armed forces on the basis of religion is a dangerous proposition. By making statement for five of the Indian soldiers martyred in the Sunjuwan terrorist attack, Owaisi has betrayed his communal and jaundiced mindset. He has made light of himself. Owaisi’s remark to divide the nation’s Armed forces on the basis of religion is an act not less than an act of treason.
By his uncalled for statement Owaisi has hurt millions of Indians. Owaisi is known for indulging in communal politics and he keeps himself afloat on news by making all kinds of irrelevant and controversial statements. This time he dragged the Indian Army. Our soldiers consider themselves as Indian first. Rest is secondary.
We all know that in the 1971 war, it was Gen Sam Manekshaw who led the Indian Army to crush Pakisan in then East Pakistan and liberated it as a free nation of Bangladesh. Gen Manekshaw was a Parsi. Lt Gen. J F R Jacob was also in the war field. He was a Jew. Lt. Gen. J S. Arora was another military commander in the war who forced the Pakistani Army to surrender in the war. Lt Gen Arora was a Sikh.
The Nation respects our Armed forces and hold them in high esteem. Only the other day, in an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir, Armed forces of all faiths including Muslims joined special prayer function on the day of Maha Shivratri. But these facts and the values have no meaning for a man like Owaisi who indulges in petty politics on communal line.
Mr Owaisi you come from Hyderabad. Your ancestors were Brahmins. The Nizam of Hyderabad got himself converted to Islam for greed of money and power.
Don’t you know Mr Owaisi about Idris Hasan Lateef. Lateef was Air Chief Marshal of Indian Air Force. He was chief of Indian Air Force from September 1, 1978 to August 31, 1981. Lateef was a fighter pilot. As a fighter pilot he participated in the war with Pakistan in 1965 and in 1971. He inflicted heavy casualties and destruction on Pakistani installations during the war.
You May Change your Religion but not your Ancestors.
It should be remembered that ‘Bharat and Hindu’ are synonyms. Just by changing your ways of prayers you can’t change your ancestors.
Maulanad Omar Ilyasi, a scholar of Islamic studies considers himself as a descendant of Lord Krishna. When he meets someone, he greets them with ‘Adab’ but also does have any reservation chanting ‘Radhe Radhe’. This country needs people like Ilyasi and not people like Owaisi.
Veer Abdul Hamid
It is indeed very unfortunate that Owaisi in his statements never talks or discuss about brave hearts of Indian Armed forces like Abdul Hamid and Mohammad Hanifuddin who laid their life for the nation fighting Pakistan in the war. In fact Owaisi insults our brave hearts like Abdul Hamid and Md Hanifuddin by raising communal identity of our Soldiers.
Abdul Hamid belonged to Gazipur in Uttar Pradesh. He joined the Indian Army in 1954. During his service Hamid was decorated with Samar Seva Medal, Sainya Seva Medal and Raksha Seva Medal. During the 1965 war with Pakistan Abdul Hamid was awarded posthumously the Paramveer Chakra, the highest gallantry award. It was due to soldiers like Hamid that India was able to defeat Pakistan in the war.
Abdul Hamid was fighting in the Khemkaran Sector on the Western Front with Pakistan. The Pakistani Army had attacked India with American made Patton Tanks. It was September 8, 1965. The Indian soldiers did not have any support of tanks when Pakistani attacked us. The Indian soldiers were fighting with their three not three rifles and light machine guns. Havaldar Abdul Hamid had a gun mounted jeep which was like a toy in front of Paton Tank. Abdul Hamid was attacking Paton Tanks and destroying the Tanks armoured parts. He led in the front and made the battle field a grave yard of Paton Tanks. But in the process he laid his life for the country. The village Asaal Utargaon in the Khem Karan sector still remembers the brave Havaldar Abdul Hamid.
Jameeruddin Shah who recently retired as Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University served the Indian Army for decades. He held the rank of Major General in the Indian Army and fought the Pakistani Army in the war of 1965 and 1971 with great valour. Can we forget the bravery of Lt Hanif Mohammad?
People still recall bravery of Indian soldiers in the Kargil war of 1999. The Pakistani Army entered our territory as infiltrators in 1999 and captured some Indian posts.
To repulse the Pakistani infiltration, India launched Operation Vijay in which more than 30,000 Indian soldiers were deployed. The Indian Navy also moved its war ships to encircle Karachi port. It was during the Kargil war that Mohammad Hanifuddin fought the Pakistani invaders. He was a resident of Mayur Vihar in New Delhi.
This country will not allow Owaisi or anyone else to divide our Armed forces on the basis of religion. Someone should tell men like Owaisi that in our Armed installations, place of worships of all faiths are there.
R K Sinha
(The writer is a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha)
