The Catholic frill of communal forces
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Soter D’Souza
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The attributing of hate speeches and violence against minorities to ‘Fringe Elements’ within Hindutva is something that has always baffled me. It actually amounts to trivializing a crime or violation of human rights by deliberate intent. To believe that the Togadia, Muthalik, Giriraj and the rest are accidents in Hindutva politics is foolishness. This trivialization of ‘hate politics’ and denial of communalism by the educated class in this country is terribly disturbing. Attempts are now being systematically made to dissociate the importance of ‘secularism’ in ‘governance’. To speak about communalism in political discourse now invites ridicule and laughter in some quarters.
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Communalism needs to be looked at as the sum total of various fringe outfits that deny affiliation to one another, but yet subscribe to the ultimate goal of alienation and annihilation of hated communities. We should not forget that the communal forces employ a wide range of tactics ranging from rumours, distortion of history and such deceptive actions so as to confuse, disarm, conceal and lower inhibitions of their conceived enemy, in this case the Muslims and Christians.
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The recent deployment by the communal forces – ever since the Church in Goa punctured the balloon released across India about its coziness with the BJP – are decorative Catholic frill (not fringe) elements. Besides their Christian sounding name, these frill elements are hardly known for any constructive contribution in the Christian community. We will not be surprised if in the next two years there emerge a couple of such sounding outfits employed by the communal forces to defame and contradict the Church and mislead the minority communities.
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In these times of materialism and opportunism there is no dearth of Judases who will break bread and drink from the same cup with those whom they are expected to betray. The glare of attractive perks and positions blinds them and in the process they fail to distinguish communalism from secularism.
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The injecting of suspicion and division within the minority community and the desensitization of the community to certain propaganda seems to have already begun in preparation for the Goa Assembly Elections. The fringe elements in Hindutva politics cannot be mistaken for the fringe benefits and incidentals offered in a market economy. If peace loving citizens cutting across religious communities do not get proactive immediately, the ‘Good Friday’ in Goan democracy when blinded and mentally deranged mobs will take pride in crucifying ‘secularism’ and cheering ‘communalism’ is not far away.
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