Fundamentalists of every description are ever so desirous to take offence. Any excuse will do. In contrast, those who take responsibility for their actions are more than willing to be accommodative of minor differences for the larger good. Be it the smashing of the Ashoka emblem at the Hazratbal shrine in J&K, the opposition to rangoli based on Operation Sindoor at a Kerala temple, or being upset at a wedding themed event in a Mall in Dehradun, or bhajans being played in a bar, there are plenty of ‘believers’ conditioned to protest with great earnestness. Every single one of such incidents reflects inherent hypocrisy, irony and ignorance.
Take the Hazratbal incident, for instance. The protest is in the name of religious principles but is obviously political. To disrespect the Ashoka emblem indicates the priorities of the protestors, but only when it suits them. If Islam is to be interpreted in the manner that the protestors are projecting, it would be impossible for a Muslim to step out of his or her house without being captured in one or the other image. The failure to distinguish between the literal and the metaphor serves only to consign a large number of people to a world without choices.
Kerala, on its part, despite being a Communist ruled state is unable to separate state from church, when true non-believers would be absolutely unconcerned with any kind of religious imagery. But the desire to be offended remains strong to keep the flock corralled in the confines of ideology. And, indeed, Hindutva is being interpreted by every part-time activist in Uttarakhand as it suits him or her.
All such incidents take place because of a lack of effective governance. Politicians are unwilling to stand up to such vigilantism because they fear the loss of votes. This is, of course, short-sighted policy because pandering to fundamentalist causes invariably boomerangs in a big way. One needs only to study India’s political history to understand this reality. India is a deeply religious country and, unless there is a proper understanding of the essential principles, even the task of running constitutional institutions will become difficult. The right approach to such issues must be adopted by the local police and the administration, thereby preventing troublemakers from taking advantage of such ‘opportunities’ to further their respective causes. Essentially nobody should be able to take the law into his or her hands. No matter how holy the cause!
