The recent incident in Baroda where an art student was jailed because of showcasing 'obscenity' in his work is the latest of a number of incidents in the country that are all clearly saying one thing - the fundamentalists are coming back. And they are prepared to come, see and conquer everything in their path in order to achieve what they want. Who are these guys? Why do they act the way they do? I must confess that I have had not much contact with these hardcore enforcers in recent times save some interaction over online political and religious communities. Nevertheless, this virtual contact with these people has brought out some horrifying truths for me which have shaken some of my innermost beliefs.
I often laugh bitterly (as I'm doing now) when I recall what my opinions used to be. I never thought that one day I would read messages by other people whose contents broke the very core of the constitution. I never thought that one day I would interact with Indian citizens who would accuse Mahatma Gandhi of being a selfish pervert who ruined the nation. I would have laughed scornfully if somebody had told me that one day I would talk to people who supported ideas which can actually lead to civil war. I was frightened at first. But gradually I began to try and understand these people, see why they believed what they believed. These people who I'm talking about are not politicians out for votes or goondas out for some trouble-making. They are ordinary people like you and me - students, employees, professionals -people who are educated. Why should they become so conservative? What reason do they have?
The truth, as far as I can see, is that these people support fundamentalism because they are sick and tired of the way things are right now. They grew up studying in schools about the great ideals of our founding fathers and how India is a proud democracy. But when they stepped out of school they realized what a mockery the entire system is. Politicians and bureaucrats are ruining things everywhere. The ideals of our founding fathers exist only on paper. The rhetoric they studied at school was just that - rhetoric.
What do they do? Some of them still believe in what they have learnt. They join social service organisations and awareness groups and try to propogate those same ideals that this country has lost sight of. Others seek comfort in one thing that doesn't seem to have changed - religion. The religion that they followed at home, the religion they grew up with. Confused (maybe even frightened), they seek the comfort of that one timeless institution.
Thus when politicians and ruffians in the name of religion come knocking on their doors, a lot of them get easily convinced. Those hate-spreaders tell them that even their religion and culture is now under attack. There are muslims out there who hate hinduism and its great ideals and want to crush it. There are hindus out there who despise the holiness of the Koran and seek to abolish it for ever. And to make matters more unfortunate, history isn't very kind to them either. Those goddamn netas expand their philosophy and tell them that muslims were always this cruel, Babar had demolished our god's birthplace. Hindus were always this wicked, just look what they did to Babri Masjid. Down with them! Let them rot in hell!
And then the ruffians organise one tiny incident. It's usually not much, just a statue disfigured or a man misquoted. But it's enough to throw a spanner in the works. And thus, when the nation burns, the ordinary middle-class folk find themselves supporting one religion or the other, failing to realize that the truth of the matter is that when people do that, everybody ends up losing.
I often laugh bitterly (as I'm doing now) when I recall what my opinions used to be. I never thought that one day I would read messages by other people whose contents broke the very core of the constitution. I never thought that one day I would interact with Indian citizens who would accuse Mahatma Gandhi of being a selfish pervert who ruined the nation. I would have laughed scornfully if somebody had told me that one day I would talk to people who supported ideas which can actually lead to civil war. I was frightened at first. But gradually I began to try and understand these people, see why they believed what they believed. These people who I'm talking about are not politicians out for votes or goondas out for some trouble-making. They are ordinary people like you and me - students, employees, professionals -people who are educated. Why should they become so conservative? What reason do they have?
The truth, as far as I can see, is that these people support fundamentalism because they are sick and tired of the way things are right now. They grew up studying in schools about the great ideals of our founding fathers and how India is a proud democracy. But when they stepped out of school they realized what a mockery the entire system is. Politicians and bureaucrats are ruining things everywhere. The ideals of our founding fathers exist only on paper. The rhetoric they studied at school was just that - rhetoric.
What do they do? Some of them still believe in what they have learnt. They join social service organisations and awareness groups and try to propogate those same ideals that this country has lost sight of. Others seek comfort in one thing that doesn't seem to have changed - religion. The religion that they followed at home, the religion they grew up with. Confused (maybe even frightened), they seek the comfort of that one timeless institution.
Thus when politicians and ruffians in the name of religion come knocking on their doors, a lot of them get easily convinced. Those hate-spreaders tell them that even their religion and culture is now under attack. There are muslims out there who hate hinduism and its great ideals and want to crush it. There are hindus out there who despise the holiness of the Koran and seek to abolish it for ever. And to make matters more unfortunate, history isn't very kind to them either. Those goddamn netas expand their philosophy and tell them that muslims were always this cruel, Babar had demolished our god's birthplace. Hindus were always this wicked, just look what they did to Babri Masjid. Down with them! Let them rot in hell!
And then the ruffians organise one tiny incident. It's usually not much, just a statue disfigured or a man misquoted. But it's enough to throw a spanner in the works. And thus, when the nation burns, the ordinary middle-class folk find themselves supporting one religion or the other, failing to realize that the truth of the matter is that when people do that, everybody ends up losing.
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