Politicising Iftars

What started by Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna as an innocuous attempt to neutralise communal forces is now an all-embracing political culture to mobilise minority votes. Both ruling and opposition parties indulge in this game of ‘Dawat’. Iftar once stopped riots but today it is public relations exercise aimed at influencing voters, more precisely minority community voters.

 In the month of Ramdan in 1974 Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow witnessed bloody Shia-Sunni clashes for weeks. Ironically Shia-Sunni violence erupted at a time on the Muslim calendar year that represents peace, prayer, reflection and a sense of brotherhood. Bahuguna being the Congress chief minister of the state invited Shia leader Ashraf Hussain for truce and peace talks. Hussain expressed his inability to meet the chief minister because he was fasting. Then Bahuguna requested him to end fast at his residence. And thus began the Iftar party. This humble beginning paved the way for Iftar political culture. Bahuguna boldly tackled communal riots and his Iftar party is now being widely politicised by politicians of all hues. Over the past 50 years, these Iftars have become shows of political strength and effective non-political platforms to organise minority community people and forge alliances. Iftar opens space to woo elite Muslims for the community’s votes. Iftar is more like a short-cut for politicians to signal ‘inclusion’.

Barring BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP), all political parties, national or regional alike, now politicise Iftars to gain extra-mileage in vote market. But BJP Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee attended Iftar party. In truth Vajpayee had some compulsions to appease his alliance partners in his heterogeneous coalition government.

For one thing political Iftars do hardly serve poor Muslims. It is the wealthy class that could mediate with the larger Muslim population, gets focused in the media for their extravaganga.

President Pranab Mukherjee continued with the practice of Iftars even under the rule of BJP Prime Minster NarendraModi. But Mukherjee’s successor RamnathKovind discontinued it.

Most anti-BJP regional parties like Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress etc resort to Iftars with a lot of fanfare with the sole purpose of sending message to minority community voters. In a sense Iftar is now a time-tested weapon in the hands of smaller parties to prove their secular credentials. Chandra Sekhar who would briefly become Prime Minister made Iftar somewhat official by organising it near the Jantar Mantar in Delhi where senior politicians, bureaucrats and prominent religious leaders would grace the event. Indira Gandhi too used Iftar for her revival but failed.

But increasing tendency to utilise government funds to throw Iftar party is now being opposed by concerned citizens. In a letter to Mr A Revant Reddy, chief minister, government of Telangana, Justice Chandra Kumar, Retd Judge, High Court, Telangana, LubnaSarwath, social & environmental activist and many civic society bodies, expressed serious concerns over diversion of funds from Minority Social Welfare department to state-sponsored Iftar. They vehemently opposed the allocation of minority social welfare funds of Rs 70 crore for Iftar party. All called for removing corruption from Minority Welfare Department and urged the persons in power to conduct Iftar at their personal levels from their personal or party funds. They condemned the grandiose show business and lavish expenditure when the bare fundamental needs of poor people are ignored. They see no valid reason to allow politicians to feed each other at the cost of taxpayers’ money. They are not really protesting against the much publicised one-time 7-star meal but what they are trying to convey to the government that minority welfare fund is for empowering minority community people who need better education, health and job. They need better roads, sanitation, footpaths, pollution control and    most importantly corruption free   administration.

24-03-2025

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Vol 57, No. 42, Apr 13 - 19, 2025