Why can't Ansari become APJ Kalam?

The nation is curious to know that after Ansari Sahib himself rose as the spokesperson of Muslims overnight, has he planned to travel from village to village to spread the light of education among Muslims?

While residing inside his grand majestic bungalow of Lutyens' Delhi, Mohammad Hamid Ansari has again commenced saying that the Muslims of India are feeling insecure. In a seminar of the American Muslim Council, he reiterated what he is saying today. He said that Muslims of India have felt insecure since 2014. In a country where everyone has complete freedom of speech, one is free to say anything.

However, one cannot help but wonder if he would say such things if he had become the President after the Vice President? This question in itself may seem a bit hypothetical to some. But, this is a question of grave significance. The nation is curious to know that after Ansari Sahib himself rose as the spokesperson of Muslims overnight, has he planned to travel from village to village to spread the light of education among Muslims?

The country also expects him to call upon the Muslims to present their side to the government regarding employment and better health facilities in a democratic manner. As he has never worked among the poor-Guruba Muslims or actively taken initiatives to help his brethren, there is a lingering uncertainty regarding how many Muslims will heed his advice. As an officer of the Indian Foreign Service, he lived abroad for decades. The same was also the case for other ambassadors of India in many countries. Even when they stayed in India, they enjoyed exclusive government facilities and lived a comfortable life.

After being relieved from the post of Vice President, Mohammed Hamid started living in an extravagant government-allotted bungalow in the heart of New Delhi's elite area. In addition, they also enjoy several government facilities and top-notch security. Even though they do not miss any opportunity to berate the current Central Government, directly and indirectly, they do not have any shame in taking government privileges provided by them. They are coming across as convenient revolutionaries. It would be meaningless to expect any kind of sacrifice from them. Ansari Sahib was the Vice President. When I was a member of the Rajya Sabha, he was also the honorable Chairman, so he should also be asked why he represents the interests of Muslims alone. Why hasn't he expressed any concern about the Dalits, Backwards, and Adivasis or any such person standing in the last line of the society? Why does he want to be like Asaduddin Owaisi, Azam Khan, or Farooq Abdullah? Why does he not stand up for everyone? He only seems to care about Muslims.

Has Ansari Sahib ever raised his voice against the rampant corruption in the Waqf boards? He could have done all this as the Vice President of India but remained silent. He was also silent on the dreadful practice of triple talaq among Muslims and never spoke in favor of Pasmanda Muslims.

Everyone knows that Muslims are divided into Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal categories. Shaikhs, Syeds, Mughals, and Pathans are called Ashrafs. Ashrafs are those Muslims of Afghan-Arab origin or those who converted from the forward castes of Hindus. Altaf is a class of Muslims that converted from professional castes. The third class consists of those Muslims with whom the rest of the Muslims do not consider their own. They are called Pasmanda Muslims.

In theory, there is a practice of casteism in Islam as it challenges the leprosy of caste. Despite this, in practice, the entire Muslim society is trapped in the quagmire of caste. Among Muslims, different castes have their separate graveyards. Non-Punjabi Muslims are prohibited from entering the cemetery of Punjabi Muslims in Delhi. Shias and Sunnis have their separate graveyards. Why does Ansari sahib not raise his voice against such discrimination? For how long will he avoid answering such questions? The nation as one demands answers.

Ansari Sahib represents those Muslims of India who lived their lives in comfort and luxury. They only talk about rights but start sweating bullets when reminded of their duties. As Mohammed Hamid hails from the same affluent Muslim noble family as the infamous Mukhtar Ansari in Ghazipur one can understand his magnitude of wealth and prosperity. He never bothered to increase the income levels of small farmers of Darbhanga, of a punctured person in Delhi, or of Muslims working in a mosque in Bihar Sharif. Ansari Sahib and Salman Khurshid can wear their sherwani and participate in any seminar at the India International Center.

Ansari and Salman Khurshid are two sides of the same coin. One must remember that Salman Khurshid also recently compared Hindutva with terrorist organizations ISIS and Boko Haram. While addressing a Congress rally in Azamgarh Uttar Pradesh on February 10, 2012, Salman Khurshid said, "When I showed the pictures of Batla House encounter to Sonia Gandhi, her eyes started watering and asked me to consult the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. He had made a mockery of the martyrdom of a brave police officer like Mohan Chandra Sharma, who had sacrificed his life fighting the enemy.

Like Ansari, Salman Khurshid also never bothered to raise the issues of Pasmanda Muslims. The country gave everything to these people, but they remained displeased. Ansari sahib should self-reflect and question himself what he has given to this country. Maybe then he will feel a little ashamed of what he has done. He needs to realize that when the entire country respects Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as its hero, why would no one give him even a speck of the same. India needs more heroes like Kalam Sahib. Leaders like Ansari and Salman Khurshid will come and go in hundreds and be forgotten. History will erase such selfish, mean, and cowardly people from existence.

(The author is a senior editor, columnist, and former MP)