Four weeks ago, I wrote a column titled ‘Twin threats: Bushism and Islamist fascism’. Since my column also gets published in Prajawani, a leading Kannada daily, among the readers who sent their comments was Hafizurrahaman from Badami. The letter, written in Kannada (my mother tongue), was appreciative of my views, especially my assertion that terrorism, though inspired by extremist Islamist ideology, should not be equated with Islam, which I believe is a religion of peace and universal brotherhood. What struck me as curious, however, was how he signed off the letter. ‘Salaamagalondige (with salaams)’, he wrote, instead of ‘Vandanegalondige (with vandanas)’, the term normally used in Kannada. It made no difference, since both mean the same thing—‘with regards’. If a Muslim Kannadiga, under the influence of Urdu, wishes to use salaam instead of vandana, so be it, I said to myself. After all, hadn’t my dear friend Bharat Bala, who teamed up with A R Rehman some years ago to produce a spectacularly popular music video on Vande Mataram, use the line ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam to convey the emotion of the national song?

I remembered this as I watched We The People programme on NDTV last Sunday on the unfortunate controversy over Vande Mataram, which has surfaced yet again. Two Muslim participants explained their objection to the song by saying what a section of the Muslim community has been saying since pre-Partition years. ‘‘Islam does not permit idolatry.’’ ‘‘Vande Mataram portrays Mother India as a Hindu goddess.’’ ‘‘Islam forbids us to worship anyone except Allah.’’ I couldn’t help telling myself: ‘‘Why are they deliberately obfuscating the matter?’’ What objection can any Indian, irrespective of their religious affiliation, have to the first two verses of the song, which are nothing but a reverential eulogy of Madar-e-Watan, a proudly used term in Urdu? Who says vandana means worship and where does the national song require Muslims to worship Mother India or any Hindu goddess? Did Rehman, a devout Muslim, commit shirk (an unforgivable sin in Islam since it means ‘setting up partners in worship with Allah’) by singing Vande Mataram? If there is so much noise about non-existent Hindu symbolism in India’s national song, what about Pakistan’s national anthem that has obvious Muslim symbolism (‘Crescent and Star’, ‘Citadel of Faith’)? Can the Hindus, who have been reduced to a microscopic minority, and Christians object to its singing in Pakistan?

... contd.