Prof. M. K. Bhat
Intolerance of any ideology is against the very ethos of Indian nationalism. India has got rich by its diversity and any attempt to sabotage its pluralistic fabric will be unfortunate. Our nationalism is neither a subject of any religion, caste or ideology nor it is an easy passage for majority bashers or minority appeasers. It has over the years assimilated different faiths within its fold and allowed them to prosper. Coexistence has been its beauty for centuries without being secular in its modern sense. People since 1947 used religion as a tool to make safe vote bank, they applied threat techniques and became saviors of minorities to propagate their own self interest. This divide and rule helped them to grab power in an easy way and also lead to the encouragement of hate mongers in the society. This secular brigade only used minorities especially Muslims without doing anything good for them at the ground level.
Intolerance of divergent expressions is not new but the en masse return of Sahitya Academy awards definitely is a new interpretation. The current resentment by authors has raised more questions than it has answered. Some lament that the ascendance to power by BJP has lead to an increase in religious intolerance and the other side terms the present gimmicks by writers as manufactured ideological intolerance. The writers instead of using their pen to point out things in clear terms to people have resorted to returning of their Sahitya Academy awards. This makes one to suspect their intensions as their conscience was not hurt when peace loving Kashmiri Pandits were being made to leave their homes or Sikhs were being butchered ruthlessly in 1984 or Bhagalpur riots or by the excesses during emergency. They hardly feel for the pathetic conditions of minorities in the last seventy years of independence. They got hurt by the lynching of a person at Dadri, killing of M.M.Kalburgi etc but neglected that administration is a state subject in India. How Modi comes in it, when Samajwadi party and congress are left out of the net, despite the fact that Dadri falls in UP and Kalburgi was killed in Karnataka- a Congress ruled state, makes one to doubt their intensions. They also fail to realize that, if beating of a legislator for hoisting a beef party is wrong but equally wrong is inciting the religious feelings of legislators by hoisting beef party in the MLA hostel, when the case is sub judice. Does this not amount to highhandedness or utilizing minority title for self interest? The lope sided condemnation only amounts to partial truth and gives rise to further intolerance.
It is no doubt that Congress over the years promoted only one ideology and tried its level best to suppress all those against its ideology, be it a political party or any leader. This intolerance can be held as the root cause of present frustration. Those who enjoyed at the cost of others and those who were fed on it feel it quite difficult to adjust with the change in the party at the top. The suppressed also feel free to speak and sometimes neglect their limit. Secularism was made a holy cow and no discussion about its practical implications at ground level was allowed to be held, some took it as majority bashing for being in the limelight.
There are three types of people who resort to intolerance for their own benefit, the first comprises of attention seekers; the media makes this group hero out of their criminality. The undue attention given to them helps them to cultivate the things in elections. This cheap publicity not only leads to polarization but also makes some so called leaders too much tall in the eyes of the innocent people of their community. This group tries to make their leadership by giving indecent statements because they know that they will get publicity through such statements and have nothing to lose, they are bothered for their self aggrandizement. The second group of the ilk is those who propagate it as if the heavens are going to fall and there is no escape route left behind, this group also has its interests mostly political in nature. They become saviors of the faith. The third group comprises of those who actually perform such acts they are generally people on the lowest rung of the society and at times work out such things for getting their living.
How long this intolerance will continue is a big question? Why we cannot think about our common enemy like poverty, unemployment and other such evils? We have to think seriously to avoid the recurrence of such incidents. We have failed time and again to understand the agony of those who are looted, raped or burned alive. People cannot absolve themselves of their responsibilities. They have to hang their heads in shame every time for such incidents. Since 1947, more than 5000 communal riots have taken place in our country and every second incident was more horrible than the first one. We shirk to debate these things and put them simply under carpet, which helps the anti social elements. It is no solution to this disease. Time has come when we shall rise above hypocrisy and prove to the world that we are mature enough to find a solution to such problems.
The solution to this menace lies in three things: First: Politics has over the years been used by one and all to polarize people on the bases of religion, caste and even sub caste .This polarization has been responsible for nurturing hatred over the years. It would be prudent to restrict the entry of such elements in the law making process.
The second important reason has been the education system of the country. It lacks value system and has created a valueless society which hardly adjusts with the real life. The education shall contain things pertaining to value, ethics and patriotism. The students need to be taught about other faiths, the composite culture and great history of the country.
The third and the most important factor is the fear of law to get punishment for using or abusing any religion for self interest .The law has to come out with quick decisions .The state has to be equi-distant from all religions and appease none. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly advised people not to pay any heed to those who talk of hatred. It is not only people but political parties too shall denounce those playing the role of hate mongers.
(The author is Deputy Director (MAIMS) Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University New Delhi)
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