These days a very heavy word is being used extensively, “Islamophobia” and there is a clear divide between people who believe that this is a genuine issue and others who feel that it is not as much of a phobia, but actually a grave existential threat to their society and culture itself. Both sides have their arguments and are convinced that it is their narrative which is right. The truth, as always is somewhere in between. “Terrorism has no religion,” is a common refrain whenever, any dastardly attacks takes place such as the ones in 9/11 or Pahalgam or even the 7th Oct Hamas attack in Israel. The counter argument is the Israeli acts in Gaza.
We in India are also facing a situation where not only the polity is deeply polarised but even in the society, there is a clear divide which is perceptible along religious lines. The matter cannot be relegated to just drawing room discussions or the high voltage drama enacted in TV debates. It needs to be addressed at all possible levels. While the political leadership cutting across party lines need to reassure the public that it is not just the availability or otherwise of all the benefits to a community but more importantly the engendering of confidence that they are not threatened, merely because of their religion. The task can be accomplished if the lower rungs in their hierarchy are asked to desist from inflammatory speeches which are impossible to defend. Once the indications from the top are clear that such speeches are not in the overall interest of the concerned party and the nation, they should automatically toe the line. Simultaneously the religious leaders need to introspect and refrain from fear-mongering which they feel is their way of staying relevant.
Our country is secular, not because of its constitution but because of the people and that is our biggest strength. Hence people should not be swayed by the bigotry which is at display. The red flags by the right wing are essentially, illegal immigration facilitated by the parties in power for the sake of enhancing their voter base, a valid concern, and the growing hardline religious sermonising. The first one should be addressed by the change of power in the border states, as cross border influx hopefully would be tackled in right earnestness. The second one is the elephant in the room, where right wing noises provide sufficient justification for the hardliners to propagate their agenda of polarising the community. With both sides hardening their stance, this divide will be very difficult to bridge.
When we were growing up in the seventies and early eighties, we did hear of occasional communal riots but by and large we, the masses were largely largely spared this daily badgering of conflicting views through multiple mediums. Yes, there was no electronic media, barring Doordarshan, which too had a very limited reach and print media was way more responsible in their publications. We grew up alongside many of our friends practising different faiths, but that did not in any way effect our friendship. There was no effort at trying to convert or proselytising except in convent schools or schools run by missionaries which too was carried out in a very subtle manner at least in the towns and cities. Although tribal areas have a different tale to relate here. There was hardly any visible display in their manner, by dress or by accessories, there were no skull caps, hijab, beards and hardly any threads or beads tied on hands. But things started to change gradually, no not after Ayodhya, as people are led to believe, but much earlier after Russian invasion of Afghanistan. When US actively connived and instigated jihadi philosophy, which transcended the borders and spread in the complete West Asia, North Africa and also Eastward into India. Unfortunately vote bank politics ensured that the menace of religious extremism was left unchecked and it gradually started to vitiate the environment. Has Ayodhya movement helped the cause of religious harmony, well definitely not. But, on the flip side, is religious harmony the responsibility of the majority community alone? The answers I am sure will be as divided as we all are as a society.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel then, or are we doomed to suffer their shenanigans only? I would like to believe, there is hope, the Armed Forces still continue to be a beacon, where despite the increasingly polarising social milieu where they come from, the ethos here are simple and straight forward, your personal religious beliefs are second to the unit/ troop’s religion, period!Wish, we Indians, similarly learn to place Bharat first and religion second always and every time.
15 thoughts on “BHARAT FIRST ALWAYS AND EVERY TIME”
A Sensible piece Sir……..wonder who all it reaches. Yet, each must speak if we are to retain the essentials of a secular society. The power of One
Relevant.
While the majority knows what is the right thing to do, it is seldom enough.
We need the critical mass for mindset change. The question is, will we have it?
Namaste Suyash,
As always you have taken the bull by the horns and ventured into an extremely sensitive topic which has many facets with no clear solution and you have been forthright in suggesting a fantastic way forward.
“Bharat First “
When I was in school we used to sing a song in assembly, “रघुपति राघव राजा राम, ईश्वर अल्लाह तेरे नाम”
When I was in IMA, in 1987-88, we performed drill movements to the synchronous chant of “1 राजा राम सीता राम 1”..
It stopped after Babri Masjid demolition inn1992… An innocuous , time tested mnemonic used to coordinate precise drill movements on parade, was suddenly too contentious.
On my post on the LoC we had a small temple with the words “ईश्वर अल्लाह वाहेगुरु, चाहे कहो श्री राम, मालिक सबका एक है, अलग अलग हैं नाम।”
Anyone who is dogmatics about his religion is a small minded person, clinging onto something .
Love who you are, but always remember, the other one is as human as you are and no less.
By claiming to be better or holier than thou any person only proves they are part of the problem of intolerance.
well poster with insignia says it all issue n posing query to answer well concieved Another feather n cap but challenges how to be connect to roots Says it All loud n clear.proud of you dear
Demographic change underway, enabled by illegal immigrants who have now developed colonies around every city. The construct of the change is surreptitious and deadly. Once the majority balance is topped, all talk of Secularism will fall away.
A very sane piece. Yes agreed that religious harmony is not solely the responsibility of the majority religion but the “hindu khatre me hai” call on which the present dispensation is winning election after election is also not a very consoling message to assuage the fears of the minority. My father was a priest after retiring from the navy and I daresay he might have converted a few people. But what I do know is he and we as a family had no access to foreign funding to carry out conversion. What he received was barely enough to preach and run our family. The right to follow and propagate ones religion is enshrined in the constitution and that’s all he did. That’s just to address what you touched upon regards conversion. I speak only of personal experience.
@Suyash good one. On the Armed Forces part balance is well maintained while in Service, however, post retirement I notice many ex servicemen, luckily only a few, but still some become seriously bigoted.
Dear Suyash,
Well articulated, but do we really have any control ?Social media has made it worse. One sided display attaracts more eyeballs. People have stopped using their brains
India is secular because majority are Hindus. How Islam spread so fast in all countries? Armed forces are different and will remain so! Right wing of any religion is not good. Let’s hope that better sense prevails all over.
A different flavour from the essential Suyash. A thoughtful, heartfelt introspection nevertheless. We could have a long chat about this. Life today is something that would be in the realm of fantasy for someone who lived a thousand years ago. Strangely, our quibbles remain the same. The sons of Sarah and Hagar have been at it for millennia and the syncretism that we found as a way of life got caught in the maelstrom. Rani Jhansi had Afghan Lashkars and the Maratha Army had the Muslim Gardi fighting Afghans to death at Panipat. The British could not stomach this curry that we cooked up and got a nasty stomach ache in 1857. They dismantled our strange but unique unity and we have not been able to put Humpty Dumpty together again since
Hi Suyash ! You have rendered your thoughts in a very balanced, objective and mature manner. The root cause of phobias are the actors, factors and agencies which were, and still are responsible for such phobias. Historically, the invaders, starting from the Sultanate period till British/Portuguese times in India, had sowed their nefarious seeds of division, to further their interests. They crafted their divide and rule policy so skilfully that its effects reverberate and resonate with many, even today. Most politicians are the worst enemies of the nation’s fabric. Post independence, the politicians fuelled the extant divide by practicing vote bank politics to fulfill political ambitions. Even the national education policy was configured to create the divide, albeit subtly. Not to be left behind, Bollywood casted films with subtle agendas too. Of late, the skeletons have started to tumble out from multiple cupboards. The only hope now, are the enlightened and wise citizens, who should cut across caste, creed and religion, and practice rationality, fairness, and act in national interest. They should propagate the same.
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Very good idea but very difficult to act upon. In the present situation the gap among different faith will widen due to political gains of readers.
Noble thoughts, identical to those held by the Kashmiri Pandits of 70s, Brits of 90s and the Swedes of 2010.