Indian Muslims are the victims of three evils:

• Regressive religious leadership
• Vote bank politics
• Anti-Muslim agenda of RSS/BJP

According to the Sachar committee report, Muslims are the most backward and poverty-stricken community in India. Their economic condition is worse than that of Dalits in many areas.

The main reasons for this backwardness are the lack of liberal leadership in the Muslim community, the lack of political will by successive governments, and the villainization of Muslims for all the wrong things happening around.

Congress’s claim that they have lifted up the Muslim community is not completely true. BJP’s claim that Muslims have benefited at the cost of Hindus is completely false.

The community is stuck with the regressive religious leadership who are blocking all the necessary social reforms within the community. The unfortunate fact is that no major social reformers have emerged from the community to reduce the influence of regressive religious leaders.

Vote bank politics has reduced them to political tools. The Muslim hatred and their villainization by RSS/BJP is alienating Muslims from the mainstream society. The plight of Muslims under the Modi government is worse than ever in the last 70 years. Lynching and mob violence have become the new normal.

Muslims today are in a dilemma. The progressive verdict on instant triple talaq (Talaq-e-bidat) is seen as an attack on Islam. They are not able to differentiate between better and worse. It is true that the BJP doesn’t wish the progress of Muslims, and it is invoking the triple talaq issue only to annoy Muslims. But Muslims should stand up for what is right and what is wrong and support the reforms within the community, whichever party proposes them. If they are stuck with the regressive religious laws and the pathetic religious leadership, the community will stay backward and a victim forever.