The Dream of Akhand Bharat

There has been a lot of clamor about AKHAND BHARAT (Monolithic India) on social media, especially from the virulent supporters of India's right wing nationalists. This undivided fantasy land would extend starting from the border of Burma in the East, ending at Afghanistan in the West, encompassing Pakistan and Bangladesh, both Muslim majority nations which were part of India before its independence from the British in 1947.

That's not imagination, rather an Utopian, mirage forming huge hallucinations - strictly fantasy. It is a pipedream in the current vitiated environment bordering on miasma. It will be impossible for the Muslims to assimilate with Hindu majority of Akhtand Bharat, especially those from Pakistan and Bangladesh who harbor no love lost towards India. Such a proposition of humongous United India is simply unpragmatic and an absolute nonstarter.

In spite of so many cultural and linguistic commonality, Hindus and Muslims differ like chalk and cheese, like oil and water they will stay separately even if you try to mix. Each community look at each other with deep suspicion, the usual disclaimer applies. They widely differ in their religion, food, dress and cultural habits. Islam is monotheist while Hinduism is polytheist. Hindus revere cow as "GOMATA", their mother while Muslims have no qualms about eating bovine meat. You can identify Hindus and Muslims from their names as they are so different, so also their genitals as unlike the Hindus, Muslims  circumcise.

Once during my childhood I was visiting my Brahmin dominated native village near Puri. I was attending a marriage reception. I was sitting next to my grandfather when Banana leaves were handed to the guests squatting on floor before the food was served. In dimly lit light I put the Banana leaf on the ground the other way round. I was soundly chastised by Grandpa- "TU TA PATHANA TA KIRE" (Are you a Muslim ? Muslims in Odisha are often called Pathan though they are hardly related to the famed western tribe). He promptly overturned my banana leaf to spread it the correct Hindu way. I realized that day that Hindus and Muslims were like east and west, the twain won't meet.

The distrust, animosity, deep hatred in history
between Hindus and Muslims is nothing new and existed much before partition happened in 1947 when Britain quit India. It's a myth that the British created the division between Hindus and Muslims. As we say in Odia the two major religious communities in India had a "AHI NAKULA SAMPARKA" (a relationship between snake and mongoose who can't live amicably without fighting). The division existed status quo and the English were smart enough to use it to their advantage following their classic divide and rule policy.

When freedom was in air and India was getting closer to its independence, the Muslim minority got uncomfortable and increasingly insecure to live under the same roof with Hindus, but were looking for someone to take up their cause. Jinnah immefistely filled the leadership void and was popular amongst the Indian Muslims like a rock star.

Khushwant Singh mentioned in his autobiography that when he used to study in Govt College in Lahore before partition, Jinnah was extremely popular amongst Muslims. He was rather a rock star amongst them. Majority of Muslims were not comfortable to live under a Hindu leadership post independence and were looking for leadership. Jinnah, even in private he was pork eating and wine drinking, immediately filled into the void. It would be unthinkable for a Muslim with pork and wine consuming background to be a leader these days , even in secular countries like India and Turkey.

Per eminent writer Khushwant Singh who lived in Lahore before partition, the partition was already there on communal lines in the college campus where he studied. Muslims in the college campus had their own mess and befriended only Muslims. Khushwant Singh had a muslim Manzur Qadir as his best friend. The unlikely friendship between a Sikh and a Muslim was the talk of the town. Except few superficial mixings during marriages and deaths there was hardly any social interaction between Muslim and Hindu-Sikh communities. 

The court where K. Singh worked as a lawyer, a Muslim would trust a Muslim lawyer, a Hindu or Sikh someone from their community. If the judge happened to be a Hindu or Sikh his decision would invariably go in the favor of their community, same as with a Muslim judge to his own. The Muslim dominated Punjab police was openly partisan in West Punjab, as the Hindu-Sikh law enforcers sided with their brethren in the eastern part of Punjab where they were in a majority. The partition was complete.

Not much has changed since the partition days. It is another matter to daydream about Akhand Bharat. But there is huge difference between fantasy and reality. Do the dreamers have a plan of action on how to administer considering it would be practically impossible to unite Hindus and Muslims from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in their current dispensation under the same umbrella ? Widespread unrest will be the call of the day. Riots will be a daily affair and Civil War will wage on forever. No one wants that at this point when not just the Indian subcontinent, but the whole world is sitting on a tinderbox. So dream on folks. Good luck on Akhand Bharat !!!