By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: Ukrainian envoy to India Dr Igor Polikha’s drawing comparison of Russian attack on his country with the Mughal assault on Rajputs irked Muslim leaders and noted historians, describing the ambassador’s utterance “Islamophobic”. They alleged that the Ukranian envoy might have been misled by Indian advisers with “Sanghi mindset” with a view to provoking the New Delhi for adopting a neutral stance on the war.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Polikha described the Russian attack on Ukrainian people as the “massacre arranged by Mughals against Rajputs”
“It’s like the massacre arranged by Mughals against Rajputs. We are asking every time all influential world leaders, among them Modi Ji, to use every resource against Putin to stop bombing and shelling: Dr Igor Polikha, Ambassador of Ukraine to India on”
In his tweet, Asaduddin Owaisi, MP and President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, said the Ukraine ambassador should keep his half-baked knowledge about medieval Indian history to himself.
Wonder where the envoy got the idea of using “Mughals” to get the attention of India’s Prime Minister, Owaisi asked and added that the statement reeks of Islamophobia.
https://twitter.com/MKFaisy/status/1498979686776709124?t=7eCjiVP1HpgGOE0Zy-0yXg&s=08
His Excellency should keep his half-baked knowledge about medieval Indian history to himself. It reeks of Islamophobia, besides being an inaccurate representation of what’s going on. Wonder where he got the idea of using “Mughals” to get
@narendramodi
’s attention?
Echoing Owaisi’s sentiments, M K Faizy, national president of Social Democratic party of India, took a dig at the knowledge of envoy Polikha.
Reacting on the statement, Faizy tweeted that Polikha seems to have a sanghi advisor. His statement of “Mughal attack on Rajputs” is a Sanghi statement ad verbatim. Ignorance is bliss for the right wing Hindutva forces.
https://twitter.com/MKFaisy/status/1498979686776709124?t=7eCjiVP1HpgGOE0Zy-0yXg&s=08
Poor Ukraine ambassador to India, Igor Polikha seems to have a sanghi advisor. His statement of “Mughal attack on Rajputs” is a sanghi statement ad verbatim. Ignorance is a bliss for the right wing Hindutva dastards. The ambassador shud have avoided such an Islamophobic utterance
Muslim Political Council of India leader Dr Taslim Ahmad Rahman also condemned the statement of Ukraine envoy. He tagged an open letter to Ambassador of Ukraine regarding his untrue statement about Mughal-Rajput massacre.
Dr Rahmani said the ambassador’s statement is historically incorrect as Mughals did not attack Rajuput kingdom to grab power. Babur’ army fought Delhi ruler Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi’s army at the battle of Panipat in1526. He further pointed out that no Muslim ruler in the subcontinent arranged the massacre of local people during their rule. He also wondered who told this utterly false thing to the Ukraine envoy. Dr Rahmani feared that such irresponsible statement from a foreign diplomat could make adverse impact in a very diverse country like India.
Concurring his views, Ashok Swain, Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, also tweeted that Ukraine’s ambassador should have avoided to use such language as it will further demonize Muslims under the Hindu Right Wing regime in India.
“Today, Ukraine’s ambassador to India, Igor Polikha, said Russia’s war against Ukraine is like a “massacre arranged by the Mughals against Rajputs.” It would be better if he didn’t talk the language of the Hindu Right Wing regime in India & further demonize Muslims. “
Noted historian and Professor of Medieval History, Prof Harbans Mukhia said its shocking statement.
When the Mughals arrived in India they aligned with the Rajputs. Raja Man Singh was Akbar’s closest confidant at the time said Prof Mukhia and claimed that during Aurangzeb’s reign, Maharaja Jaswant Singh and Maharaja Jai Singh held the top positions in the court, and the Marhats were also held high positions.
He said the battles were never perceived as Hindu vs a Muslim during those times. Mughal and Rajput conflicts, Mughal and Sikh battles, Mughal and Marhat battles, Mughal and Jat battles have all occurred.
Prof Mukhia also highlighted that not a single Hindu Muslim riots had occurred during the 550 years of Muslim rule as British historian James Mill portrayed it.
There was bloodshed in these conflicts, but no sectarian riots in the 550 years of Muslim rule, as James Mill portrayed it.
“There was bloodshed in these battles but not a single sectarian riot in the 550 years that James Mill called the era of Muslim rule”.
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Disclaimer: Ukraine’s envoy equating Russian attack with Mughals ‘invasion’ shocked Muslim leaders, historians; call it Islamophobic - Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Latheefarook.com point-of-view