This virus, spewed with communal venom, is being spread fast, openly and also clandestinely, with orchestrated support from vested interests
It is globally accepted by every reasonable citizen that India is the finest example of its people practising the equality of all religions. Not only this, the ancient Indian philosophical thought repeatedly asserts the essential unity of all human beings. One can locate it in most of the scriptures, and in practice even today at every level in the society. Indians understood it much earlier that every religion essentially aims at the same goal, practice does differ but the final percept is no different. There have been aberrations emanating out of ignorance and vested interests. These have resulted in social and cultural deprivations amongst communities, and have also created inter-faith acrimony. There, however, have been luminaries who have corrected it at various stages of history. At the highest level of intellect, Adi Shankaracharya learnt his lessons on body and spirit in Varanasi. Kabir taught the masses the same philosophy, in their idiom. In the contemporary context, we recall Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and several others. It also remains a hard fact that divisiveness remains dear to many, and is thriving even in the 21st century.
Unfortunately, the virus of divisiveness persists; often dormant till it is awakened by the few bereft of social and cultural moors. This virus, spewed with communal venom, is being spread fast, openly and also clandestinely, with orchestrated support from vested interests. It is impossible to estimate when human beings first discovered divisiveness, but one could state it with certainty that it has persisted all along. No measure of philosophical sophistication, cultural evolution or scientific advancement could check it at any stage. The world has witnessed the horrors of such pursuits. But it exists even in unexpected quarters, in various ways.
Once a professor of a reputed university narrated to me how his Vice-Chancellor indulged in unfair practices, appointing only Kanyakubj Brahmins, ignoring the Saryuparin! I cite it to indicate our expertise to incisively locate some reason or the other to create divisions, and as follow-up, dissensions. While some may prefer to wink away at such instances as individual immaturity and ignorance, it becomes highly injurious when issues pertaining to two major faiths are brought up in the arena. We in India have — for centuries together — presented a model of having learnt to live together with different religions and cultures that arrived at different points of time. Have we just not learnt from the experiences gathered over centuries? The level of social cohesion and religious amity in Indian villages and small towns is indeed exemplary. For the last couple of months, we are witnessing disgusting efforts by disgruntled elements to create differences between communities and, more than that, in spreading the mischievous narrative of ‘growing existence of divisiveness’.
Certain elements — within and outside — would like to disturb this fine social fabric, but that has to be resisted at all costs. They have succeeded in spreading abroad bloated versions of actual and imaginary instances of what they call “attacks on Islam” in India, thus offering a golden opportunity even to a country like Pakistan to sermonise India on how to treat its minorities! The Government has rightly and firmly responded to OIC, and particularly to Pakistan. It is common, and repulsive, when TV panel participants shout, scream and use intemperate language against each other. The need to have a statutory Media Council of India has emerged very clearly, and it should be done at the earliest. The particular debate that led to the upsurge of comments from outside India could have been judiciously examined by the Media Council. The matter could have been resolved with firmness, based upon facts and constitutional values. The Media Council could issue guidelines on civilised behavior that would be mandatory for TV channels and participants.
Today’s world is beset with numerous problems, and it is clear that life for the generations ahead would be more challenging. On the one hand, the world suffers violence and wars, unprecedented resource diversion to weaponry and, on the other, there are serious concerns of climate change, global warming, carbon emission, dying rivers and poisonous air pollution, sparing none. This is no time in history for a great nation like India to squander its energy on the agenda set by the religious illiterates, fundamentalists and external enemies. Anti-national elements, known and unknown, are worried because of the increasing stature of India in the comity of nations. The Indian Prime Minister is admired globally, not only for his vision and commitment but also for his devotion and dexterity. One may differ with him on policy matters, but none could deny that his sincerity for the “Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is unique and represents the aspiration of every Indian.
Obviously, some of his political adversaries, whom he has rendered politically irrelevant, are unhappy. Even they will have to be educated and made part of the national endeavour to uplift the quality of life of the 80 crore who are getting free ration. India must give them their dignity, respect and chance to lead a dignified life.
(The author works in education, social cohesion and religious amity. The views expressed are personal.)
