Of Love Jihad And Demographics

I have been meaning to comment on what Frog ji wrote earlier. What are my views on “Love Jihad”? The usual caveats apply, I have no data regarding this, what follows is based on hunch and in presence of data this may not longer be true.

 

Even if we concede (and it is a big if because it is not that clear) that some Muslim men are marrying Hindu women in order to convert them, the numbers involved are going to be so minuscule as to be of no relevance. What this issue is about feelings. For many Hindu Fascist conversion of Hindu women evokes the same emotions as the specter of enemy tribes raiding and carrying off women of your tribe. I have to confess, I get bothered about this in my moments of funk. All said and done, however, it is not a matter of concern and in a way similar to worrying about minarets.

 

Having said that far more important is the issue of demographics. Now allow to me reclaim my Hindu Fascist cred here, I don’t wish to live in a Muslim majority nation, nor do, if I happen to have any descendants, wish for them to live in a Muslim majority nation, nor for India to return to fold of Ummah in future. Having said that I do find concern about demographics overwrought, and I say as someone who himself fretted over this. My personal experience suggests that Muslims both of middle class as well as of lower class have concerns similar to others, i.e. prosperity. Sure on average Muslims are more religious than Hindus, but demographics is not their major concern, having said that, the real problem is ghettoization of Muslims, physical as well as mental of both the classes, which isolate those inside from the wider social dynamics.

 

I think if people are serious about cultural nationalism, they should instead focus on breaking the chains which shackle the Hindu conscious.