Coming from choice is a lot different from coming from options. Even when we have no options we can choose! For example take death. You can choose to end your life. In India it is generally accepted that it is our responsibility not to infringe on the rights of others whilst exercising our own, especially deliberately mocking or denigrating another’s sacredly held beliefs. However havoc is caused by extremists, religious and narrow minded sects or groups and those who say their sentiments are hurt!
It has become our national character to take offence at the slightest provocation or even rumor with arrogance, selfishness, intolerance and utter lack of humor! States whose duty it is to maintain law and order, fail in their duty by giving in to these elements. This won’t do for it makes the silent majority of all communities irrelevant! It will also kill the modern progressive democratic India story. If we are extremely sensitive of offending Hindus but less so about Muslims or any other community it speaks of selective tolerance, immaturity and double standards. A true mature democracy is not possible without implementation of rule of law without fear or favor! The sacred book for all has to be the Constitution which recognizes and guarantees every citizen’s freedom and rights in equal measure! Any dilution/change in Constitutional provisions has to be passed by Parliament and also stand the test of law.
India must remain a secular democracy to encompass its vast diversity in religions, languages, customs and traditions, cuisine and culture. We must be free to choose what is good and reject what is harmful. It is freedom of thought and speech which makes it possible to protest against injustice and infringements of others rights! A book is written, picture painted, movie/documentary made or article written and often someone instigates their castes or religious groups, and people will agitate that their sentiments are hurt and want to impose a ban or react violently. This culture of banning, censoring or shooting the messenger is spoiling India’s image more than anyone’s opinion, book or documentary could! Righteous official arguments follow and civilized discussion seems next to impossible with fanatics.
Religion is a force for unity and must not be made the fulcrum around which politics swivels. The Hindu hardliners are making the peace loving silent Hindus irrelevant. Similarly peace-loving Muslims worldwide have been made irrelevant and will eventually become our enemy if they don’t collectively speak up. These are the two largest groups in India. It appears that love, friendship, respect do not unite people as common built up blind hatred.
ISIS, Taliban and such groups are expanding and committing inhuman atrocities in the name of Islam or God. Women are denied freedom and education, most kept forcefully under purdah to produce a future generation with the same warped mindset. Russians wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to reportedly kill a staggering 70 million people. The same applies to the Holocaust. The rise of Hitler was possible because the silent majority saw in Hitler the building of national German pride! We have fanatics in all religions and in a democracy we have to tolerate all shades of beliefs and opinions if this nation is to prosper and not disintegrate.
In India our strength is unity in diversity. Unfortunately we already had one of our greatest painters (Muslim) forced to live in exile, books being banned, editors and media offices attacked by mobs, movie houses and Christian churches vandalized, concepts like ‘love jihad” and “Ghar wapsi” being implemented. The drubbing the BJP got in the Delhi elections made Modi realize he could keep silent no longer! Breaking his silence in Parliament the PM went against the hardliner’s doctrine with “My government’s only religion is India first. My government’s only religious book is the Indian Constitution. No one has the right to take law into his own hands”. He elaborated adding that he saw only the tricolor and no other color! It was his responsibility not to allow “anaap shanap”(ridiculous) comments in the name of religion. Whilst this takes the wind out of the Opposition sails and pacifies the minorities, the PM’s stated resolve has not stopped the anti minority tirade or regressive thinking and militant behavior. Modi has to now ensure that BJP strictly implements his writ accordingly. Most of his promises are awaiting conclusive practical implementation!
The more the space for dissent shrinks, the more the need for satire and challenging sacred cows. The iconic R.K.Laxman agreed “cartooning is the art of insult and ridicule”. “Stupid” people and “mad” scientists, artists, intellectuals and writers force us to challenge entrenched norms, especially where blind faith and false values prevail. They are responsible for some of our greatest discoveries, inventions and progress! In a democracy, permitting dissent and freedom of choice is essential. If your sentiments are hurt, by your actions you may be hurting other people’s sentiments? Tolerance is the key to harmonious co existence. You have options to choose: don’t watch, don’t do, and don’t read! If need be use your creativity to legitimately retaliate in kind or the law to counter. It is high time that the silent majority becomes relevant by speaking up loud and clear, standing up together against certain powerful sections taking the law into their own hands and with zero tolerance for violence and the culture of banning.
(The author is a retired naval officer).
