Indian Muslim(s) after Liberalization

Author: Maidul Islam
Reviewed by: Manjari Katju
Available at: Oxford University Press, ₹995.. https://www.amazon.in/

Review:

‘Indian Muslim(s) after Liberalization’ review: The ‘othering’ of Muslims

How do we look at the Muslim-question in India today? In what ways has the era of liberalisation transformed the identity question? From which vantage points have Muslim identity and Muslim politics been looked at in India? Has the academia and progressive politics failed to understand the Muslim predicament in all its nuances? Do we need some course correction or modification here? These are some questions which are dealt with by the author in Indian Muslim(s) after Liberalization.

The Muslim question in India envelops various strands and it has been a subject of enquiry from different but typical standpoints. The “Muslim” has been studied through the lens of cultural identity; the majority-minority framework; the citizenship framework; the process of “othering”; the secular-communal axis, etc, to name a few perspectives. Since independence, there have also been efforts to designate Muslims as appeased, socially regressive and violent.

As the author points out, Muslims have carried the triple burden of social discrimination, economic hardships and being labelled anti-national. They have lacked a control over major means of production and have had no major say in policy-making. They have been targets of majoritarian violence and propaganda. With the political rise of Hindutva and economic liberalisation these attacks have become more vicious and economic deprivation is still an issue.…