There is an old saying that if you sow the wind you will reap whirlwind. Alas, despite history being replete with such instances, people in power do not realise the import of this age old golden wisdom. And for those who do not care two hoots for English maxims dismissing them as elitist gimmicks, Indian mystic Saint Kabir has a similar piece of advice. Paraphrasing the couplet in English language it becomes — whatever you did, you did not care, then what use repenting. If you sow a Babul sapling (a thorny tree), you cannot get mangoes. The powers that be have just one objective, to rule. By manipulating emotions of people and dividing them on socio religious lines. The latest of the tricks is the controversy created in the name of dress code. It started from an educational institution in Karnataka but has sent ripples across the country. Though the matter has reached the court of law and the ideal course of action should be to let the legal interpretation provide the solution. Yet, there are people across religions trying to foment trouble for petty gains. That India has been both a witness and a victim of such dirty designs is rather unfortunate. The biggest irony is that what the shrewd British rulers used as a tool to divide the Indian people and communalise the masses to perpetrate their rule has been used by the Indian politicians to gain political advantage. For the British, divide and rule was a governance strategy, while for the Indian politicians it is a political game plan,a diversionary tactics to sway the people for electoral gains. There is need to educate the people and create awareness about the diabolic designs of the political class. The tragedy is that we do not have scholars who can take up the task to clear the haze surrounding the concept and practice of religious doctrines. Misapprehensions between people of different religions is the root cause of communalism. Historical evidence suggests that the relationships between India and Arabia predates the Arab conquerors’ arrival at Sindh. Even before the advent of Islam, the Indian Ocean trade had brought the Arabs and the Indians together. The basic issue is that there has been hardly any sincere attempt by Indian researchers to understand the nature and essence of Indian religions. In fact, European scholars have devoted considerable attention to Islamic and Hindu religious texts and brought out well researched and authentic literature. The establishment of global harmony and peace calls for an understanding and civilised dialogue among major religions. Dr. Han Kung, leading scholar of Theology has very clearly stated that “no peace among Nations without peace among religions. No peace among religions without dialogue between the religions. No dialogue between religions without investigation of foundations of religions”. A civilised and rational view about religions will suggest that they all have one denominator. It is important to understand the significance of that denominator. While it is commonplace to hear Swami Vivekananda being quoted, one would do well to realise what his principal lesson about religion was. Rather than rabble rousing over hijab, members of both religions may better recapitulate a verse from the eternal poet Ghalib — if men were to come out of the self-limiting veil that covers their eyes, they will see glorious revelation in every faith.

Pathak is a professor of management, writer, and an acclaimed public speaker. He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com