Why any terror attack mustn’t deter us from celebrating life as usual?
My friend Tabrez Ahmad was very happy that Muslim religious leaders had decreed to keep the Bakr-Id or Id-Ul- Joha festivities a low key affair. He was also happy that it was the best time for the Muslim community to express solidarity with their Hindu brethren. Apparently it sounds logical, even politically correct.
Now let’s look at a different scenario: the way terror attacks of one or the other kind are increasing in number and ferocity, a day may come when we have to go without celebrating a festival even during the whole year. Can there be a better gift to terrorists than this? Then, in the name of remaining politically correct, one community may find it difficult to celebrate a festival even it wishes. Also, others might start a business where you may go and celebrate a festival away from the glare of those who have been victims of terror attacks.
Finally, one community may trust or distrust the other communities based on the latter’s not celebrating or celebrating their festivals in the face of attacks on the former. Consequently, festivities will vanish from our life as no festivity without popular participation is of any social significance. Celebrating festivals can’t be a private affair. It is the social expression of happiness of a community against all odds.
Why is it that the best of songs are folk songs? They don’t come from the rich generally? The poor and the underdog celebrated life with whatever they had to make with. Even today’s quite a few Bollywood hits are inspired by the folksongs of yester years. In the face of chaos following political anarchy and onslaughts on personal and religious freedom during different patches of medieval history in various parts of India, we had saint poets like Kabir, Nanak, Meera Bai, Dadudayal, and Tulsi singing to the tune of life and bringing communities together. Tulsi doesn’t find it worth mentioning the attacks on temples in Banaras, Mathura & Ayodhya. He has Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana , one of the most powerful members in Akbar’s court, as his friend and yet refuses to accept royal patronage. Not to forget, to Tulsi, Rahim was a poet first, Royal Commander later.
Why can’t we do the same to the gems of every community, including our own, today even if we are not politically correct? Being politically correct during the Non-cooperation Movement during 1920s did pay to India and its supreme leader of the time, Mahatma Gandhi, in the short run. He had supported the Indian Muslims’ resistance to the abolition of Caliphate in Turkey by its popular leader Kamal Pasha to increase their participation in the freedom movement. It did happen but at what cost? The nation lost a great opportunity to integrate Muslims with the national cause on secular grounds.
The Mahatma, who sincerely believed in the purity of means to achieve his or societal ends, erred on this count. The result: partition of India in the face of widespread killings, rapes, loot and arson. This didn’t stop here. We saw further division in the subcontinent with the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. But this is only territorial. The division that permeates our hearts is more dangerous. Are we bold enough to accept it? Are we ready to let ourselves sign the papers authorizing social doctors to perform surgical operations of sorts on the cancerous cell called political correctness?
Can’t we quiz an average Muslim friend?
Why Akbar is low on your list of venerable leaders and Aurangzeb on the top? Why Sheikh Ahmad Sarhindi, who preached hatred against non-Muslims, was shown the door by Akbar? And, Sheikh Saifuddin who favoured any kind of punishment to non-Muslims and was also the grandson of Sarhindi, was venerated by Aurangzeb? Why could Dara-Shikoh, who represented the best of Kabir and the best of Akbar, not become a role model to Muslim intelligentsia even after more than 350 years of his execution at the hands of his younger brother Aurangzeb? Why even today Maulama Abul Kalam Azad remains least understood and appreciated by them? Why do the KHANs – Shahrukh, Amir, Salman—lord over the hearts of Indians most of whom are Hindus?
Can’t we quiz an average Hindu friend:
Why does your kitchen become polluted with the entry of a Muslim into it? Does your pronouncement of ‘the whole world is a family’ hold any water in reality? Why Raja Man Singh, whose sister was married to Akbar, is looked down upon by most Hindus? If Maharana Pratap is loved for his sacrifice and valour, why can’t Raja Man Singh’s efforts at cementing the gap between two communities be equally appreciated? Is it against DHARMA or DUTY to convert to another faith in the hope of getting at least the bare necessities of life? Why the practitioners of other faith give proof of patriotism every time there is a national crisis or a hotly contested cricked match between Pakistan & India?
Can’t we quiz ourselves:
Why do we hesitate in speaking against things we don’t like? Why do we not praise things we like? Why do we not accept that we get the leaders we deserve? When will we realize that no religious tenets of yester years will fully apply to the realities of modern life? Why do we accept the backbenchers to lead the society from the front?
Now let’s look at a different scenario: the way terror attacks of one or the other kind are increasing in number and ferocity, a day may come when we have to go without celebrating a festival even during the whole year. Can there be a better gift to terrorists than this? Then, in the name of remaining politically correct, one community may find it difficult to celebrate a festival even it wishes. Also, others might start a business where you may go and celebrate a festival away from the glare of those who have been victims of terror attacks.
Finally, one community may trust or distrust the other communities based on the latter’s not celebrating or celebrating their festivals in the face of attacks on the former. Consequently, festivities will vanish from our life as no festivity without popular participation is of any social significance. Celebrating festivals can’t be a private affair. It is the social expression of happiness of a community against all odds.
Why is it that the best of songs are folk songs? They don’t come from the rich generally? The poor and the underdog celebrated life with whatever they had to make with. Even today’s quite a few Bollywood hits are inspired by the folksongs of yester years. In the face of chaos following political anarchy and onslaughts on personal and religious freedom during different patches of medieval history in various parts of India, we had saint poets like Kabir, Nanak, Meera Bai, Dadudayal, and Tulsi singing to the tune of life and bringing communities together. Tulsi doesn’t find it worth mentioning the attacks on temples in Banaras, Mathura & Ayodhya. He has Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana , one of the most powerful members in Akbar’s court, as his friend and yet refuses to accept royal patronage. Not to forget, to Tulsi, Rahim was a poet first, Royal Commander later.
Why can’t we do the same to the gems of every community, including our own, today even if we are not politically correct? Being politically correct during the Non-cooperation Movement during 1920s did pay to India and its supreme leader of the time, Mahatma Gandhi, in the short run. He had supported the Indian Muslims’ resistance to the abolition of Caliphate in Turkey by its popular leader Kamal Pasha to increase their participation in the freedom movement. It did happen but at what cost? The nation lost a great opportunity to integrate Muslims with the national cause on secular grounds.
The Mahatma, who sincerely believed in the purity of means to achieve his or societal ends, erred on this count. The result: partition of India in the face of widespread killings, rapes, loot and arson. This didn’t stop here. We saw further division in the subcontinent with the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. But this is only territorial. The division that permeates our hearts is more dangerous. Are we bold enough to accept it? Are we ready to let ourselves sign the papers authorizing social doctors to perform surgical operations of sorts on the cancerous cell called political correctness?
Can’t we quiz an average Muslim friend?
Why Akbar is low on your list of venerable leaders and Aurangzeb on the top? Why Sheikh Ahmad Sarhindi, who preached hatred against non-Muslims, was shown the door by Akbar? And, Sheikh Saifuddin who favoured any kind of punishment to non-Muslims and was also the grandson of Sarhindi, was venerated by Aurangzeb? Why could Dara-Shikoh, who represented the best of Kabir and the best of Akbar, not become a role model to Muslim intelligentsia even after more than 350 years of his execution at the hands of his younger brother Aurangzeb? Why even today Maulama Abul Kalam Azad remains least understood and appreciated by them? Why do the KHANs – Shahrukh, Amir, Salman—lord over the hearts of Indians most of whom are Hindus?
Can’t we quiz an average Hindu friend:
Why does your kitchen become polluted with the entry of a Muslim into it? Does your pronouncement of ‘the whole world is a family’ hold any water in reality? Why Raja Man Singh, whose sister was married to Akbar, is looked down upon by most Hindus? If Maharana Pratap is loved for his sacrifice and valour, why can’t Raja Man Singh’s efforts at cementing the gap between two communities be equally appreciated? Is it against DHARMA or DUTY to convert to another faith in the hope of getting at least the bare necessities of life? Why the practitioners of other faith give proof of patriotism every time there is a national crisis or a hotly contested cricked match between Pakistan & India?
Can’t we quiz ourselves:
Why do we hesitate in speaking against things we don’t like? Why do we not praise things we like? Why do we not accept that we get the leaders we deserve? When will we realize that no religious tenets of yester years will fully apply to the realities of modern life? Why do we accept the backbenchers to lead the society from the front?
posted by U&Me | 9:25 AM
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