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| Clouds of communal harmony | | | Jamwal Mahadeep Singh | 8/1/2018 11:02:01 PM |
| India is a territory of peace. This is the soil where countless gems of peace have germinated like Gautam Buddha, Bhagwan Mahavira, and Mahatma Gandhi, the champions of communal harmony. This is the land of diversity. This is where there are so many people of different kinds of religion, language, and culture living together. However, every now and then the country witnesses sustained periods of gruesome violence and abhorable disregard of human rights that question the very secular fabric of the country and its history of peaceful coexistence for eons As we know, communal harmony is highly sensitive an issue in India and cannot be soft-pedaled in view of our traditional value, common cultural heritage and secular character of our country. In nature there is a fundamental unity running through all the diversity. In religions there is a fundamental unity, which one has to recognize and realize. Gandhi always insisted that those, who are in a majority in the country, should help those in minority and should never entertain any idea of enforcing their rights but try to win the hearts of the minority community. Everywhere in the world, individuals and groups are divided because of fear, suspicion, and hatred towards each other, which further depends on whether the division expressed itself along religious, economic, political, or caste lines. A simple message that emanates from all religious scriptures regards forbearance as superior to vengeance, unadulterated peace not violence, how to live at peace among themselves. Communal harmony is the great nature of the India and India is that community, where a various type of the religions and belief are living in the country. In countries like India, it is very important, being a precondition to internal peace, which is essential for progress and development of the country. Here we are supposed to know our own roles. We should also know the roles that others play, and the rules such roles follow. In this manner, social harmony is maintained. It is when we overstep our roles or act without knowing them that social anarchy ensues. We trace some of the examples in the history pages of great rulers of this country like Mughal king, Akbar, who for maintaining communal harmony started a new religion 'Din-e-Iiahi'. He made a Rajput lady his wife and gave equal respect to Hindu religion. Very less are aware of the Hindu-Muslim unity (communal harmony) festival known as "Phool Walon Ki Sair", an annual celebration by the flower sellers of Delhi. The festival carries historical origin from 1812 during the reign of Abu Nasir Mu'in ud-din Muhammad Akbar Shah II (ruled 1806 to 1837) and it reached its pinnacle during the reign of Siraj-U-ddin "Zafar" also known as Bahadur Shah "Zafar". The late PMs of India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Smt. Indira Gandhi were great pioneers of this festival. This secular festival involves a procession, led by Shehnai players and dancers, and bearing large floral fans 'pankha' to Yogmaya Temple, the shrine of Devi Jog Maya, and winds through Mehrauli bazar, to reach the 'Dargah' of 13th century Sufi saint, Qutb ul Aqtab Hazrat Khwaja Sayyid Muhammad Bakhtiyar AlHussaini Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who was the founders of our constitution also underlined the need of communal harmony and provided for equal rights to all Indians irrespective of caste, color and creed. The father of Nation never found serious differences between the Hindus and Muslims and other minority communities like the Christians and the Sikhs, not to speak of the small community of Parsis. India has got the multiplicity of religions and very nature of the culture is composite. But religion has never been a source of divide between the communities in Indian society. There is the lack of political consciousness armor, common people due to illiteracy. Antisocial and professional criminals have been playing a key role in communal riots and flare-up as agents of vested interests and their hirelings. There is the need for an effective mechanism to deal with it. Present mechanism is smooth. It lacks coordination and people's involvement. The nation voted BJP to power to see unity and communal harmony, not for any division or commonality but on the communal harmony, the government failed to a large extent. Communal violence under the National Democratic Alliance government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party increased 28 percent over the past three years. India historically praises itself as a secular state, where all religions are recognized and peacefully co-exist. But this aspect suits well in theory, the reality is much different. Believing the report of Pew Research Center that analyzed 198 countries, India ranked as fourth worst in the world for religious intolerance. The analysis is reported to be based on the cases that involved hate crimes, mob violence, communal violence, religion-related terror, and the use of force to prevent religious practice, the harassment of women for not conforming to religious dress codes, and violence over conversion or proselytizing. These include government interference in religion practice or proselytizing, government hostility to minority religions and government inaction on complaints of discrimination. Government restrictions on religious practice in India were largely directed towards minorities. (Refer research report by Pew). The hate speeches contribute a lot in fomenting communal breaches we come across a startling figures put forth by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) a non-partisan, non-governmental organization which works in the area of electoral and political reforms in association with National Election Watch (NEW) a conglomeration of over 1200 organizations across the country. Based on the analysis of self-sworn affidavits of all sitting MPs and MLAs, the analysis revealed that many of current MPs and MLAs, who are designated lawmakers, have declared cases related to hate speech against them. A total of 58 current MPs and MLAs have declared cases related to hate speech. We remember that in 2016, eight U.S. Senators and 26 members of the U.S. House of Representatives too have raised grave concerns about the increasing intolerance and violence experienced by members of religious minority communities and have shot a letter to Mr. Modi reminding his promise to ensure complete religious freedom and urged to him to turn his words into action in countries like India, it is very important, being a precondition to internal peace, which is essential for progress and development of the country. A new mechanism involving individuals and social organizations on different levels to watch and vigil over the situation replacing existing local peace committees will have to be evolved to help the administrative machinery in taking preventive and follow-up action in cases of attempts and conspiracy of breach of communal harmony. The principle enshrined in all religions, which led to accord equal respect to all faiths, 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' of the Vedic tradition is no different from the Quranic belief that Allah is the beneficent and merciful creator. Christian faith that God's love and benediction was for all without any distinction and so on. All religions insist on equality of human race and on developing a harmonious relationship with the entirety of creation. Any violation of the principle of equality gives way to conflict and violation.
Concluding it is the great concept by which India become a great country. It makes a possible various type of the process and development of the country if communal harmony will maintain in the country by everyone. The essence of true religious teaching is that one should serve and befriend all. Before the clouds of communal hatred occupying the space like a silent killer burst on humanity to drive away communal harmony, the government has to act in a wise way to hammer such forces irrespective of the party concern. The biased media and biased anchors for TRP managing TV debates on very sensitive issues of communal riots are fomenting trouble among the society and are contributing lot to create divide on communal lines and have brought these dividing lines to every door step for corrupting the minds of illiterate common man that become victim of frenzy towards this aspect. Let us down with such channels, debates and anchors. |
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