Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accuses opposition bloc of doing even a " Mujra - (Courtesan Dance) to appease and get votes from the muslim community - India bloc hits back - Mujra is a controversial term - an artform with purists and among commoners used derotagorily

 

 

Poll Fever Reaching New Heights of Banality in Sizzling Indian Summers – PM Modi accuses INDIA bloc of doing “Mujra”(a courtesan dance) to appease Muslims for their votes – Opposition hits back

By Ashe N Ayer

The more the election rhetoric in India reaches new heights of banality during the on-going general elections for the 18^th lok sabha, now in its last legs (concludes June 01), the more I am convinced that the Indian elections should not be held in hot summers, should not be long drawn over 45 days, should be One Day Election as the government tries to bring in an equally a One Nation One Election.

Tough as they may sould for the election authorities namely the Election Commission of India for deplying the polling officers and mobilising law and order machinery in terms of CRPF soldiers , the manner in which the election rhetoric is going from both sides of the aisles – the ruling and opposition – it leaves far behind a narrative less desired of politicians of stature.

The ECI recently warned the leaders of the two major political parties BJP led NDA  and the 27-party coalition of the INDIA bloc for using terms and language that were divisive . The Election Commissioner particularly referred to PMs speech at Banswara at Rajasthan where he referred to the muslim community as “ infiltrators” and people with large families. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi referred derogatorily to the govenrments Agniveer and One Rank One Pension scheme floated by Prime Minister Modi. He asked BJP party chief JP Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Karge to rein in their STAR CAMPAIGNERS without mentioning the names of either Modi or Rahul Gandhi.

PM Modi had gone on record in an interview with News18 that he would be last person do induolge in the hindu- muslim controversies and the day he did that he was “ unfit for politics “. But since the statement the prime minister has been raising the muslim bogey to win hindu votes as alleged by the opposition parties.

As only one more phase is left to go , June 01, the Prime Minister hit out at the opposition in his elections rallis in Bihar . The latest touched its nadir in political speeches not befitting the stature of a prime minister, opposition parties alleged. What did the PM say? The Prime  Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the opposition bloc could do a “ mujra ( a courtesan dance) to win the muslim vote banks. But he would thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the INDIA bloc which he accused of "enslavement" and performing "mujra" for Muslim vote bank.

Addressing back-to-back rallies in Buxar, Karakat and Patliputra Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, the prime minister also charged the opposition coalition with indulging in "scaremongering", and claimed that he had been working "without fear" to wipe out terrorism and root out corruption.

"Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of the INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank," the PM said.

Modi also alleged that the people of Bihar have been hurt by insulting remarks against migrants of the state from leaders of the Congress in Punjab and Telangana and the DMK and the TMC in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal respectively, and claimed, "These RJD people who keep doing 'mujra' with their lantern (poll symbol) do not have the courage to speak a word in protest."

He also alleged that the opposition alliance was banking on the support of those who were indulging in "vote jihad" and referred to the Calcutta High Court order that struck down the West Bengal government's decision to include a number of Muslim groups on the list of OBCs.

Modi claimed that the opposition alliance has "decided that if they are voted to power, the first thing they would do is to change the Constitution so that even the court is unable to overrule their attempts to divert reservations to Muslims. I have been challenging them to refute me in writing but they have been reluctant because they have a guilty conscience".

He spelt out names of several deprived castes, including Yadavs who have been traditionally RJD supporters, which "could end up losing their constitutional rights if the INDIA bloc succeeded in its alleged plans".

The PM, however, asserted that the opposition coalition was "heading for a defeat" and on June 04 when the results will be out, "RJD and Congress workers will be seen tearing off each other's clothes. The 'shahi parivar' (royal family) of the Congress will put the entire blame of defeat on Mallikarjun Kharge and leave for a vacation abroad".

"The INDIA bloc is like a balloon that has got deflated today when voting is taking place for the sixth and penultimate phase of the elections," claimed the PM. "Modi has been working to stamp out Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, naxal insurgency and corruption without fear. The INDIA bloc has tried to stop me at every step with scaremongering," he alleged.

Recalling the resolve he displayed in commissioning the surgical strikes and scrapping of Article 370, Modi vowed to continue crackdown on corruption, and indirectly referring to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his family, he remarked "those who have snatched people's land in return for jobs will be firmly dealt with".

Referring to Prasad’s son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, whom he did not mention by name, Modi remarked "the shehzada (crown prince) will spend his time, after June 04, protecting his inheritance (amaanat) and securing bail (zamaanat)".

Referring to Akhilesh Yadav, who heads the Samajwadi Party, the BJP’s principal rival in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the PM said, "His own party workers stood laughing when he predicted a defeat for Modi in Varanasi and boasted that the INDIA bloc will win all 80 seats in that state. The bicycle (SP poll symbol) stands punctured. The shehzada of UP seems to have drawn inspiration from the shehzada of Congress (Rahul Gandhi)”.

Modi, known for his ability to connect with the masses, also asked the people to remember that "every vote for every NDA candidate is not just to elect the local MP but the prime minister...when you go back to your homes please tell your neighbours and family members, who may not have come here, that I have sent my greetings (Jai Shri Ram). Also, please visit the nearest temple and offer prayers for a developed India on my behalf".

Addressing the rallies, Modi said, "You have your Modi, whose actions and intentions you have known for 10 years. On the other hand, you have the motley group called INDIA bloc which is full of people hoping for the prime minister’s post, even if just for a year.

The PM also promised the people that his next five years in power would ensure faster development for Bihar with better electricity supply and more pucca houses even as he slammed the previous Congress-led UPA government for lacking the resolve to provide free foodgrains to the common people.

Addressing the rallies, he also referred to "the 'PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' which seeks to reduce to zero your electricity bill, no matter how much you consume", in an obvious bid to counter freebies on offer in many states ruled by parties opposed to the BJP.

Mocking at the predictions of many pollsters who have forecast a dip in the NDA's tally, Modi said, "INDIA bloc has come up with its exit polls even before the elections are over. Soon they might go back to crying hoarse on EVMs."

On INDIA bloc of opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said they could perform a mujra (dance) before their vote bank if they want but he would never allow them to take away the reservation benefits accorded to SC, ST and OBC community members by the Indian constitution.

I can give you a guarantee that till Modi is alive, I will not let them snatch away their rights, he said while addressing a public rally in Bihar.  If they want to perform mujra (dance), they are free to do it, Modi said. I will still stand with the SC/ST/OBC reservation, he said.

Inputs : PTI , HT, images by PTI photos

Whats is Mujra in Indian dance - an pristine art form or a heritage or just plan courtesan dance - Controversy dogs the term 

Veteran film maker recently screened " Heeramandi " an 8-part TV serial on the OTT platform Netflix which the network claimed was the most expensive scerial to be made and screened on its medium.

The serial which took 27 years inthe making from a script form to a TV serial seeks to trace the heritage of a bygone era of "Mujras" as an artform during the british occupation of India and frequented and paatronised by the Nabobs, the rich pagentry of the elite class of Lahore of undivided India. It also shows how the british used the mujra girls for their personal gratification to smoke out independence rebels and ultimately terrorised the nabobs and without their patronage the houses of art form descended to house of ill fame and the worst of all flesh trade to survive.,

But in general the Mujra is referred to as an art form generally by purists and but later by the common people in derogatory terms.