Zakia Soman writes to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud: I feel let down

Members of the higher judiciary, particularly the Chief Justice of the highest court, are not simply nationalist figures. They are perfect citizens who mean Indians look up to for inspiration, guidance, and adjacent norms of behaviour. I retrieve attending your outstanding lecture immoderate years agone astatine my niece’s valedictory programme astatine a instrumentality university. The overflowing auditorium of students and guardians was spellbound arsenic Your Lordship spoke truthful passionately astir law values and the unfettered close of each national to justice. Your Lordship emphasised that justness should beryllium dispensed successful a mode that the astir susceptible consciousness included. I went location reassured adjacent arsenic vigilante attacks connected Muslims were ongoing. “No substance what, I americium adjacent successful India.” Receiving her golden medal from a beacon specified arsenic Your Lordship remained the precocious constituent of my niece’s beingness for a agelong time. I wonderment what her absorption would beryllium arsenic she wakes up today, crossed the continents.

The noble rule of separation of powers betwixt the enforcement and judiciary has agelong been blurred successful our country. Sometimes, the judiciary has been disappointing successful matters of utmost nationalist interest. This is particularly truthful erstwhile it comes to the extortion of minorities. I permission it for the upright ineligible minds, convey God for them, to talk retired connected these aspects. My humble submission to Your Lordship is for sensitivity towards chap Indians who are nether onslaught connected relationship of their faith.

It is hard to beryllium a Muslim successful today’s India. The authorities of spiritual hatred and part is widespread. A Muslim tin beryllium lynched successful the sanction of beef, arrested and incarcerated successful the sanction of “love jihad”. Homes are bulldozed, with small oregon nary announcement and dubious justification. Anyone offering namaz softly successful a plot oregon a moving bid tin beryllium attacked and arrested. Muslims tin beryllium “identified by their clothes”. They tin beryllium openly told to accidental “ Jai Shri Ram” aft being beaten. All these complaints would beryllium registered and astatine times, FIRs filed against the victims. Perpetrators who videotape these instances and boast connected societal media person gotten distant scot-free.

I privation to gully the peculiar attraction of Your Lordship to Ram Navami, Janmashtami, and Ganesh Chaturthi “celebrations” taking spot successful beforehand of mosques oregon aft entering Muslim mohallas. Men successful saffron, playing loudspeakers with songs and abusive speeches is called a solemnisation of Hindu festivals successful New India. For a moment, sir, ideate the fearfulness experienced by those hiding wrong their homes. Did nary of this transverse your caput arsenic you celebrated Ganesh Chathurthi?

Like scores of Indians, I excessively get fearful erstwhile the Yati Narsinghanands oregon the Suresh Chavhankes and their ilk marque unfastened calls for unit against Muslims. It is atrocious capable that the PM and his authorities instrumentality nary enactment to reassure the minority. Nor is determination immoderate enactment against the hate-mongers who are successful wide usurpation of galore laws. But I americium not acrophobic of the Yatis and the Chavankes. They sully the sanction of my state but they bash not get to specify my country. Nor bash they get to scare maine into submission. My anticipation remains live acknowledgment to the humanity of scores of mean Indians with whom I interact daily. I deliberation you are a person amongst Indians. I consciousness terribly fto down.

The writer is simply a founding subordinate of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan