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In this explosive fantasy by Saeed Naqvi, India is confronted with the disappearance of its Muslims
Scene I of the play ‘The Muslim Vanishes’.
Saeed Naqvi
Quotes from the play: :
Brajesh: Isn’t that the most obvious part of this mystery? You beat them with shoes and humiliate them; you kill them in broad daylight; you rape their mothers, daughters and sisters; you lynch them on cooked-up allegations of having killed a cow. And all this happens next door to Delhi, in Haryana. Then, the videos are played on the news all day, and you are forced to relive it over and over again. Come to think of it, the disappearance of the Muslims may prove to be a major landmark in the case for a Hindu Rashtra.
Anand [puzzled]: The Muslims have nothing to do with this. We have never forced our beliefs on them. It is the Hindus who have suffered under foreign rule.
Brajesh: Times have changed. This is the age of Hindu assertion. I am a liberal but believe in the values of staying true to ancient Hindu traditions.
Anand: Are you suggesting that this was not possible while the Muslims were here?
Brajesh: They do not know our ancient culture. How could they? It predates their arrival. Although Muslim rulers, from Akbar to the later Mughals, adored our culture. But why go into that? It is irrelevant now that the entire community has disappeared [shrugs]...