First, they laid hands on Waqf land
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The words of a German Lutheran pastor, which can stand repetition once again: “First they came for the Communists. And I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists. And I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Jews. And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me. And then there was no one left to speak out for me.” If Martin Niemoller, who criticized the German intellectuals who supported Hitler's racist madness with indifference and silence while various communities were being victimized, had lived in today's India, he would have seen history repeating itself. Those who, while targeting the Muslim minority through the Waqf Amendment Bill, strengthened that racism not by silence but by open support should have noticed two things that happened immediately after the bill was passed in Parliament. One, how skillfully the Union government bypassed the detailed discussion that should have taken place on Manipur. Two, the speed with which the racial eye that first fell on Waqf land then fell on Church land.
In the Manipur riots, which are considered the largest Christian persecution in the country, according to official figures, more than 250 people were killed; about three and a half lakh people lost their homes. Nearly four hundred churches were destroyed. Despite being one of the biggest failures of governance in the country, the NDA government justified it. The Prime Minister walked away without visiting the state or uttering a single word. He refused to hold a debate in Parliament. Finally, when thee was no alternative left, the BJP forced the Chief Minister to resign and imposed the President's rule. Since it required the approval of Parliament, an opportunity for a detailed discussion was opened. This is where the government's 'strategy' was revealed. After 12 hours of continuous discussion and a two-hour long vote on the Waqf Bill, the government presented the Manipur resolution to the exhausted members of the House at midnight. It obtained the approval without giving them a chance to talk about the Union government taking over the administration from the state government- which had lost its majority- its circumstances and consequences, the difficulties faced by the people, and the suffering experienced by the Christian minority.
At the same time, some leaders who have forgotten Niemoller's words are supporting the same government for the law to unjustly seize waqf land. An article that appeared in the Sangh Parivar weekly immediately after the Waqf Bill was passed by Parliament gave it away that the communal eye is also fixed on the land owned by the Church. An article on the website of the RSS mouthpiece 'Organiser' said: "According to official figures, the Catholic Church owns more land than the government. The properties of the Waqf Board come after that." The church owns 17.29 crore acres of land in the country, worth over Rs 20,000 crore. “The Union government issued an order in 1965 stating that the lands leased by the British government should not be considered as church property, but it has not been taken back,” the Organiser reminded in the article. Although Shashank Kumar Dwivedi’s article was withdrawn from the website when there was an uproar over this, it revealed the thinking of the background forces controlling the government. Fascist regimes have proven that democracy can be dangerous if justice is absent. Minority protection in India is not granted as a mercy of the majority but as a constitutional right. At the same time, a government that has demonstrated anti-minority mind-set and bias against the castes, Dalits and tribals through its policies has succeeded in creating distrust between religious groups. Signs are visible in Kerala, among others, that they are succeeding in this. Although the NSSO estimates that the upper castes, who make up less than 25 per cent of the population, own about 40 per cent of India's land, encroachment and migration are taking place in tribal areas. Discrimination in positions of power is even more evident. Therefore, the solution is for those who are marginalised to recognize that the struggle for justice is not limited to any one group and embrace other victims.