United We Stand

United We Stand...

1986 9 September 14-15 United We Stand... (436) Year after year, hundreds and thousands of Muslims go on pilgrimages by sea, but they have no share whatsoever in the Shipping business. Petrol is being imported into India from Arab countries in large quantities, but Muslims enjoy no place in the petroleum industry. Muslims publish innumerable books and journals, but own no paper-mills in the country.

How can this be explained? It is because major commercial and industrial enterprises, in no matter what part of the world, can come into existence only through joint stock companies or Co-operative Societies. Muslims, being in a state of disunity, cannot afford to launch themselves upon such ventures. Worse, there is no great awareness amongst them that this is a thoroughly unsatisfactory state of affairs.

The famous East India Company, whose activities laid the foundations of imperialism in India, was a joint stock company which was established in 1600, a great many Englishmen having invested their money in it. In 1601, its first factory was established in Surat. The Mughal rulers, on the contrary, were acquainted only with the power of the sword and knew nothing of industry. They generously allowed the East India Company to spread its tentacles in India and, within a short span of 25 years, it had established its centres in many Indian cities. Its progress was so fast that it rapidly gained control of the whole country.

Following the pattern set by the western companies, many other Indian communities followed in their footsteps and prospered to a very great extent in their joint ventures. But the Muslims of India have lagged far behind in this field. According to one estimate, about 16 percent of the population is associated with the industrial sector. But of this, the Muslim proportion represents less than even one percent. It would appear that if Muslims are hesitant to run large-scale projects, it is because any really large undertaking would require their working together in a co-ordinated fashion. And of this they do not seem to be capable.

Since commercial enterprise affects almost all spheres of human existence, the ineffectuality of Muslims in this field has led to their being forced to fall behind others in all walks of life. This has had serious repercussions which has adversely affected the general standing of Muslims in the life of the nation. Their inability to co-operate, their lack of a sense of unity, may appear to be purely subjective matters, but we should never overlook the fact that it is exactly these shortcomings which has placed success beyond the reach of vast sections of the population.

United we stand, divided we fall.