Ignite Minds, Not Candles

As usual, the latest fanatical comments against Mother Teresa are being masticated, ruminated and will ultimately get eliminated without any lessons learnt. The Hindutva fanatic fringe in this country must be feeling pleased with itself and even more encouraged to openly practice its ‘Politics of Terror’. The victims of terror, on the other hand, are content with ridiculing and condemning the aggressor and thereafter, both will continue to live as if nothing had ever happened. The victim in some cases may even collaborate with the aggressor for ‘parivartan’ and ‘acche din’ and justify it as an ‘action in good faith’. After closely observing, it appears that it is the fanatic fringe which so to say is increasingly ‘pulling the strings’ when it comes to the thinking and behavior of the minority community. 

Ignorance among citizens about the ‘politics of terror’ is a far greater enemy of peace in society than the occasional utterances of sick minds and attacks on religious places. Playing into the sinister designs of fanatical groups with predictable reactions only goes to further embolden these forces to step up their nuisance level. We somehow seem to deny the fact that these social disruptive elements feel encouraged to do what they do because of a sizeable silent political constituency, probably 30 percent or more, that actually expects and seems to enjoy and endorse such attacks against minorities. The malignancy of Hindutva hate politics is amply manifested when industrialists, poets, theatre artistes and MLAs/MPs sponsor and participate in such programs on minority bashing. 

To believe that ignorance about other faiths becomes a breeding ground for Hindutva fanaticism is perhaps an understatement. If ignorance was the cause, then how will one explain the mind of those Hindus who studied and worked in Christian managed institutions, their Hindu faith having remained intact even after 30 years of exposure, and yet subscribe or even spear-head the hate and conversion propaganda against Christian missionaries? We need to realize that this cancer of communalism is not so simplistic as to get dispelled with candle light and bouts of verbal diarrhea. 

Candle light protests can do nothing. The focus needs to be on educating the public on the complexities and the multiple faces of this politics of terror. We need to know how a ban on cow slaughter actually has little to do with religious sentiments or animal rights and more to do with causing social, political and economic harm to the minorities. We need to understand why the ban on alcohol consumption, which is more taboo to Hinduism, supported by the Constitution of India and the cause of serious social evils in comparison to beef consumption, does not become the priority for fanatic Hindutva groups. 

This politics of terror cannot be repulsed through mere inter-religious dialogue and inculturation. It demands a far broader and rational counter-approach, commitment and action from peace loving citizens of all faiths.