Merely because one religious group is dominating in a particular locality, it cannot be a ground to prohibit from celebrating religious festivals or taking processions of other religious groups through those roads. In this case, intolerance of a particular religious group is exhibited by objecting for the festivals which have been conducted for decades together and the procession through the streets and roads of the village is sought to be prohibited, stating that the area is dominated by Muslims and therefore, there cannot be any Hindu festival or procession through the locality. India is a secular country and merely because one religious group is living in the majority in a particular area, it cannot be a reason for not allowing other religious festivals or processions through that area”. – Madras High Court, while hearing an appeal over the conduct of temple processions by villagers at Kalathur in Perambalur district in Tamil Nadu that was objected to by a local Muslim group
The alleged Congress Toolkit controversy has created a new political turmoil amidst the Pandemic. Though Congress has accepted about one toolkit targeting the Central Vista project, the other more contentious one is under scanner despite the author and origin of both the documents indicate towards the same source – the research department of the Congress Party. Irrespective of the document’s source, it is beyond doubt that Congress and its ‘friendly media houses’ tried all those tricks mentioned in the ‘toolkit’ to spread the negativity amid the Pandemic.
One of the many controversial prescriptions to set things on ‘fire’ all over the nation, like promoting the terms of ‘Indian Variant’ or ‘Modi Variant’, was to target the Kumbh. The Maha Kumbh Mela is asked to be addressed as ‘Super Spreader Kumbh’, a ‘political power in the name of religion’. At the same time, Eid was supposed to be portrayed as a ‘happy social gathering of families and communities. Some social media handles and media houses have been targeting Hindu festivals and cultural traditions for a considerable time now. The people who are keeping mum on farmers protests or even tried to cover up the irresponsible behaviour of Tablighis in the first wave of Covid 19 systematically attempted to tarnish the Kumbh, the age-old tradition of Bharat. During the Pandemic time, everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, region, or religion, needs to take precautions and follow the protocols. Initially, the official Kumbh schedule was curtailed for two weeks. After the Prime Minister’s appeal, none other than Avdheshanand Giri, Acharya Mahamandleshwar of Juna Akhada immediately called off the entire festival and still, it is being targeted.
The same hypocrisy can be seen in the killing silence of all the seculars on the post-poll violence in West Bengal. More than three thousands villages all over Bengal are affected, impacting forty thousand Hindus. Twenty-three confirmed murders and hundred and sixty-two incidences of rape and molestation of women are reported. Most of the people who faced the brunt of violence are from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This violence was an act of revenge just because they dared to use their democratic right to vote or support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). How can one speak about this all as it would amount to question the ‘secular’ giant killer Mamata Banerjee?
The worst manifestation of this ‘secular’ toolkit is how it has dealt with the sad demise of Saumya Santhosh, a caregiver from Kerala, who was killed in the brutal rocket attack of Hamas on Israel. A Congress leader had to delete the post referring to her killing by Hamas terrorists. Kerala Government, who went up to Haryana to pay compensation to one Junaid who lost his life over a seat related fight, did not even bother to receive her body. People talking about ‘Hamas Terrorism’ while paying their tribute to Saumya had to face a backlash. All such behaviour is neglected and under-reported because radical, pan-Islamists are more important vote bank for the ‘Seculars’.
In simple words, promoting or covering up the radical mindset is the critical element of this secular toolkit. Neither national interest nor social harmony is the concern. As Madras High Court remarked in the recent judgment while rejecting the plea of Muslim groups to ban a temple procession in Tamil Nadu, ‘intolerance can have no place in a secular country. Unfortunately, the same principle of secularism is used to promote radicalism and intolerance. In the national interest, we should deal with this radical toolkit of secularism and expose it in all possible ways.
@PrafullaKetkar
