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| Fight forces inimical to multi-cultural society | | | NIRBHAY JAMMUAL
India's multi-culutural and plural society is on the verge of collapse.Thanks to the machinations of insurgents,separatists,fundamentalists and reactionaries the sweetness in the country's cultural ethos is becoming bitter day by day.Over the years the activities of fundamentalists in different communities besides those resorting to forcible conversions had put stress and strain on the multi-cultural social structure.But since mid 70's the first short against glorious social and cultural ethos and oneness was fired by militants in Punjab.When the situation in Punjab had started improving militancy raised its head in Jammu and Kashmir.Whatever may have been the political motive behind militancy in Jammu and Kashmir subversive violence rocked the very foundation of social and cultural togtherness in the state.Within a year of the rise of militancy the very spirit of Kashmiriyat was destroyed when over 3.50 lakh Hindus were hounded out of the valley.These Hindus fled from the valley against the wishes and desire of their muslim neighbours and friends but these neighbours were helpless.And by the time the plan of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Kashmir was completed separatists and insurgents besides reactionaries and fundamentalists raised their head in other Indian states.
Even before the rise of these forces in various Indian states political thugs and temporising party supporters let loose violence in Delhi in which a large number of Sikhs were killed as reaction to Indira Gandhi's killing in the hands of a Sikh security official in 1984.Again over the years we have had to bear odds on account of demolition of Babri Masjid,Godhra carnage followed by communal riots in Gujarat.We have been facing forcible conversions in one state or the other,riots in one area or the other.We feel ashamed of the attack on places of worship.We are equally pained over the attack on Christians and so on and so forth.Apart from violence being triggered by naxals,insurgents and militants right from Jammu and Kashmir to Kandhamal and to Assam,to name a few area only keep the cauldron of violence boiling..Whereever riots or militancy related violence take place it is the blood of innocent people that falls on the ground.One incident is received by chain of reactions.One action triggers bigger reaction,whether it is the outcome language or water sharing problem.
Those affected by these incidents of violence accuse the Governments of appeasement policy of one community or the other.If one examines the nature and contours of these incidents one will find that the source of this misfortune is the vote bank which each political party wants to keep in tact.The result of catering to the vote bank is that fundamentalits on both sides have formed political and religious organiations which have been given the task of penalising those who do not support them.If elections in India are the root cause of corruption it is equally the source for cultural conflicts.How so ? Contesting a seat in the Lok Sabha requires anything between Rs.20 and Rs.30 lakhs.The candidate who wins has to,during his five years in Parliament,earn Rs.30 lakhs which he had spent,earn enough money for his maintenance and sustenance for the five years and another hefty sum to ensure his survival after the end of his term.The story is not different when it comes to contesting Assembly elections.Hence the contesting candidates have to resort to unfair means to earn money.It is again the elections that breed commual politics,casteism,groupism,sectarianism and what not.Time has come,in fact it is the demand of the hour,that all ruling parties and the opposition groups in all the states join hands to fight the manace of communalism,sectarianism..If it is ot done we cannot boast unity in diversity. |
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