Readers weigh in on Muslim patriotism and renewable energy

IOL News

15-05-2025

Decline of Muslim patriotism in India
Despite the rise of the extremist right-wing Hindutva movement around the turn of the 20th century, the majority of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians were opposed to the fragmentation of what many hoped would become a united India following independence from British colonial rule.
Even during the early wars with Pakistan – primarily over the disputed territory of Kashmir – most Indian Muslims stood firmly with the country of their birth, not with Pakistan. Many of the soldiers who gave their lives defending India in those conflicts were, in fact, Muslim.The National Defence Remittance Scheme, conceived by interim Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi, aimed to raise 'loans' from Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) living and working abroad. These foreign currency contributions were intended to support India's defense efforts during the 1965 war with Pakistan.
Significantly, many Muslims living in the U.S., the U.K., and even South Africa contributed generously to this patriotic cause – despite knowing that the funds would help finance military action against a Muslim-majority country. My own relatives in India were among those who expressed unwavering loyalty to the nation of their birth. Such was the depth of patriotism among Muslims, both within and beyond the borders of Bharat.
So, what has changed?
The answer begins with Kashmir. The only Muslim-majority state in India was originally temporarily annexed by India, pending a promised referendum to determine whether it would join India, Pakistan, or remain independent. That referendum never took place. Instead, in 2019, Article 370 of the Indian Constitution – which had granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir – was unilaterally revoked. Kashmir was downgraded to a Union Territory, effectively erasing its remaining autonomy.
This move triggered widespread repression of the local population. Lockdowns, curfews, and an extended military presence have become the norm. Unfortunately, this authoritarian approach has had a chilling effect not only on Kashmiris, but on Indian Muslims more broadly.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government, religion has become a tool of political power. Muslims, in particular, are regularly branded as Pakistani sympathisers or even terrorists. What we are witnessing resembles a form of apartheid – not just in the sense of 'separate development,' but in the elevation of Hindu nationalist ideology as a form of political supremacy. Using this Hindutva idealism, Modi maintains his grip on power by fuelling division.It is no wonder, then, that many Muslims no longer feel welcome or valued in India. When a community is so thoroughly marginalised and vilified, how can one reasonably expect its members to demonstrate sincere patriotism?
In my view, the current Indian government is becoming its own worst enemy. Rather than uniting the country's diverse communities against external threats, it undermines internal cohesion through discriminatory policies.
Instead of gradually and sincerely winning over the hearts of the Kashmiri people – as was once legally promised – the government displays deep insecurity. It has deployed the highest per capita number of soldiers in the world to Kashmir, enforcing a deeply undemocratic form of rule. By encouraging an influx of settlers from other parts of India, the BJP appears to be manipulating the region's demographics, hoping to engineer a future electoral victory by changing the population balance – while outwardly claiming a return to 'normalcy.'
Given this context, is it really a surprise that many Indian Muslims – whether in India or across the globe – feel profound disillusionment and diminishing patriotism? | Ebrahim Essa Durban
Common sense on energy wins
A report in your sister paper, The Mercury commendably exemplified the adage 'hear the other side' by juxtaposing three articles on the issue of renewable energy from which it is obvious which ones purvey truth and reality.
The whining of Blessing Manale of the Climate Change Commission about 'misinformation' is ironic in the extreme. He wants free speech defended but only if it adheres to the narrative of the World Economic Forum that climate change is caused by fossil fuels. A confused man indeed, particularly as climate change is a natural phenomenon proven by science and history.
Immediately below Manale's misinformation about fossil fuels is an upbeat article about the anticipated economic boom which oil and gas exploitation heralds for Namibia and its economy. Absolute common sense!Below that positive report, Dr Adrian Blanck explains how and why Spain and Portugal had a power blackout. It's the engineering, stupid! is what he unpacks.
Renewables, which the Iberian peninsula has embraced 100%, are unreliable and not sustainable as energy sources because, in the first place, they are intermittent in what they produce which makes them incompatible with how grids work besides being ultra expensive.
The best part of Dr Blanck's broadside on the green fantasy is: ' Engineers, system architects and real specialists must reclaim their voice in energy policy debates…. Europe has no future following absurd decisions by ignorant policy makers.'
That said, one hopes that no further printing ink and space is wasted on the false rhetoric of the likes of Blessing Manale and the devious renewables agenda of the WEF. | DR DUNCAN DU BOIS Bluff