In his address Tuesday, Modi mentioned up to 12 upcoming festivals till the top of the year but did not mention Eid.
The Prime Minister of a nation with 172 million Muslims didn't mention Eidul Azha, which is in August, in his address to the state Tuesday. Narendra Modi rattled off the names of all upcoming festivals like Guru Purnima, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Durga Puja, Chhath Puja, and Kati Bihu. He even announced an extension of the Centre’s free-ration scheme till the top of November and detailed what proportion wheat, rice, and chana families would get.
But there was no mention of Eid.
"From July onwards, the atmosphere of festivals begins to develop. Now see, we've Guru Purnima on 5 July. Then Saawan (month of Hindu calendar) will start. we'll then have 15 August, Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam. If you progress further ahead, we've Bihu, Navaratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath Puja," he said in his 15-minute address.
Guru Purnima is that the closest upcoming festival, followed by Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Janmashtami, all of which fall within the month of August. But Modi decided to require a convenient leap till Diwali, Durga Puja, and Kati Bihu, completely skipping Eid, which can get on 31 July – 1 August.
This is a new India where Muslim festivals are often ignored. But is that this an act of omission or commission?
A deliberate slip-up
Asaduddin Owaisi, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMM) president, acknowledged that Modi made it some extent to say chana in his address, but did not mention Eid. Nonetheless, Owaisi wished the PM Eid Mubarak. Activist-scholar Umar Khalid questioned Modi’s popular claim of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.
Modi, however, isn't someone to miss such details. He often extols the material of India. he's cognizant that his words, or his omissions, are going to be noted and analyzed — and he wants them to be. it had been nothing but a deliberate skip, a design to harm Muslim sentiments and deny them visibility.
Some will say that he tweets on Eid. But that he does because not doing so would invite direct questioning and international attention.
Pick up any of Modi’s addresses, he rarely includes Muslims or Christians. this is often robust signaling to his core constituency that dreams of a 'Hindu Rashtra'.
Only apathy
Many years ago, Modi refused to wear a skull cap during his sadbhavana fast in Gujarat. Today, he ignores a Muslim festival, even in such grim times of unemployment and widespread morbidity caused by an epidemic.The only time Modi notices Muslims is when there's a protest on the streets. He recognizes them by their clothes, then his supporters spread Islamophobia identifying Muslims on the idea of their names, beards, and burqas.
A Prime Minister who espouses slogans like 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' would have a minimum of shown the humility of acknowledging Muslims, who followed his lockdown call to remain indoors during Ramazan, while mosques remained shut. But Modi only has apathy to point out for the community. Clearly, the thought of diversity is simply a diplomatic postcard for Prime Minister Modi.
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