Archbishop of Gujarat, Thomas Macwan on the eve of the Assembly elections in Gujarat cautioning his followers, i.e. Christian community, against “nationalist forces” while exercising their franchise amounts to a fatwa by a Christian priest against the Union of India. Although the motive behind the communiqué is obviously to direct Gujarati Christians to vote against the BJP, and presumably for the Congress, the tone and the tenor in addition to the words used signal a danger to the nation-state. The law enforcing apparatus and the courts must take cognisance of the clearly anti-national communication of the Archbishop and he should be charged and tried according to the law of the land.
Dr JAY PRAKASH GUPTA, Ambala
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| Behaving like Chameleon Just before the Assembly elections Rahul Gandhi has become very religious. People are rightly questioning Rahul Gandhi’s ‘opportunism’ in view of his motivated visits to temples including the Somnath Temple in Gujarat on the eve of the Gujarat Assembly elections. He was earlier opposed to temple worship. Rahul’s great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru was strongly opposed to his colleagues, Vallabhbai Patel’s and K M Munsh’s efforts to rebuild the historic Somnath Temple destroyed by the Islamic invaders, dismissing these efforts as smacking of ‘Hindu revivalism’. Nehru also tried to dissuade India’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad from inaugurating the rebuilt Somnath Temple. If Rahul who is about to take over as the president of the Congress Party from his mother, is proud to be a Hindu and his temple visits are not a gimmick, will he distance himself from his great grandfather’s known aversion to the faith he was born into. |
Kudos to Organiser
Kudos to Organiser for publishing a rich article by Dr Baltej Singh Mann titled ‘The Valiant Guru’, on the
occasion of Martyr’s Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur in the issue dated Dec 3. When I was a child the swayamsevaks in the RSS shakha of my town used to sing the following shabad:
Pita Waria ta Lal Chara Wara
Ni Hinda Teri Shan Badala
(Guru Gobind Singh sacrificed his father and four sons for the honour of Hind (India) Guru Gobind Singh himself writes about the sacrifice of his father the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur in these words:
Tilak Janju Rakha Prabh Ta Ka
Kino Wado Kalu ma Saka
Dharm Hat Saka jin Kia
Sis dia Par Sirar na dia
(My father sacrificed himself for the Tilak and Janju. He sacrificed himself for Hindu Dharma) RSS and BJP has always been very friendly with the Sikhs. In fact recently Yogi Adityanath the present Chief Minister rightly said that we should not celebrate the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru as the Bal Diwas but celebrate the martyrdom day of the ‘Sahib Zadas’ (sons of Guru Gobind Singh) as Bal Diwas. But under the British policy of Divide and Rule some people started saying that Sikhs have nothing to do with the Hindus. Mc Cauliffe the British historian wrote the history of the Sikhs to show that the Hindus and the Sikhs are quite apart from each other. But at one point Mc Cauliffe failed to show that Sikhs are separate from the Hindus when he wrote, “I fail to understand why Guru Gobind Singh wrote the Chandi Charitra.” I can only say these words of Jesus Christ for the people who are opposing RSS on the issue of celebration of 350th birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur by the RSS, “Father forgive them as they don’t know what they are doing.”
SATINDER KAUR, Australia
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Not an Anti-People Move
Yes, there has been some drop in the number of passengers availing Metro as a mode of travel in NCR ever since DMRC increased the fair recently. But having said that, it will not be right to say that it is an anti-people move. We need to wait few more months to arrive on a judgement on whether the DMRC fare hike resulted in significant drop in riders or not. There is no doubt that the Metro remains the lifeline for the people living in NCR but it is also a commercial organisation. Since 2009, there has been only one hike, in May 2017, while operating costs have risen manifold. DMRC is a
professional organisation which provides a world class transportation service and it needs money to sustain this kind of service. We as a society need to change our mind set and be ready for a world-class service and accept the fact that nothing comes free.
BAL GOVIND, NOIDA
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Just for Publicity
This refers to the editorial of Organiser titled ‘Il(l) liberal Double Standards’, dated December 10th. The fire of protest over the ready-for-release film Padmavati has spread across the country and no let-up seems possible in the near future. The release of the film seems impossible in the near future because daily some leaders give statements ruing the distortion of historical facts in the film. Art and literature, even while depicting historical truths, are bound to have some imaginative creative inputs, otherwise the work will fail to attract the audiences. But in the case of Padmavati, no flights of fancy may be allowed because they will be deemed as distortions given the reality of the deep sentiment attached to her in parts of India and within the Rajput
community in particular. As an experienced filmmaker rooted in the Indian tradition Sanjay Leela Bhansali should have realised this at the outset; discretion in this regard should have been the better part of valour. Now, there is a claim from the supporters of the film that it has nothing objectionable; but that is clearly aimed only at smoothening the path for the film’s release. It would have been far better for Bhansali if he had changed the name of the film and focussed the story on cruelty of Alauddin Khilji.
RAJENDRA PRASAD SINGH, Via email
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Inculcate Values in Children
The recent incidences of violence expose the frightening reality that our kids are exposed to. This shows the level of degradation in our society. There should be an emphasis on seriously inculcating values of right and wrong in our children from an early age. The age of child accused shows us that perversions are arising in children at a very early age. This is a warning and a wake-up call to our society. Sanskar, ethics, good thoughts are of the essence. Shirking this responsibility by saying that it is the job of the school to teach children is not acceptable. In the materialistic world, attention to
children’s upbringing and inculcating values take a back seat or is completely ignored. It is from here that a child begins to suffer. At a young age the child cannot understand on his own what is right and what is wrong. It is for his family to acquaint him with what is right and appropriate and what is wrong and inappropriate.
VAIJAYANTI SURYAVANSHI, Maharashtra
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No Respect even for Own Religion
The horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenceless worshippers inside a crowded mosque in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula killing at least 235 people and injuring hundreds is the deadliest ever massacre in the modern history of Egypt. Unfortunately the death toll is even higher than when suspected Islamic militants blew up a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm El Sheikh in 2015 which is also in the Sinai Peninsula. The scale and ruthlessness of this latest atrocity has sent shock waves across the world; not just because of the high casualties but also because of the terrorist’s choice of target, a mosque, as Islamic state usually avoids targeting Muslim place of worship. It shows that when moderate Muslims support the fight against terror, these radicals have no hesitation turning on them too. That this attack took place during prayers is a grim reminder of the fact that these terrorists have no respect for even the sanctity of the tenets of the religion they claim allegiance to. Islamic state must be neutered. There is an urgent need for the international community and all the people of the world to join hands in combating terrorism and supporting moderate Muslim states in taking on these criminals.
RAMESH G JETHWANI, Bengaluru
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Humanitarian Forces Must Unite
If as nation we can collectively resolve never to forget the atrocity that was 26/11 and back up that resolve with a multi-pronged strategy to ensure the arch state-sponsor of terrorism in South Asia, Pakistan, ceases to exist as a viable entity that can claim parity with ‘normal’ countries of the world, we would have paid true homage to the innocents who died and the bravehearts who lost their lives trying to protect them in Mumbai nine years ago. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was right in stating, while paying tribute to the
martyrs of 26/11, that terrorism has become a global threat and humanitarian forces will have to unite to defeat it. In the interim, however, India needs to act alone and decisively against the rogue state that is Pakistan.
M C SHARMA, Panki, Kanpur
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