Few days ago, the Breaking India brigade counted different countries on Nupur Sharma’s statement on Prophet Mohammad. Meanwhile, along with the Maldives, 13 counties, including Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, have expressed their displeasure with Indian diplomats. After this row in India, many religious misconceptions are also being spread. Eventually, the political conflict that was going on after Gyanwapi has now assumed a different form in which the unconstitutional process was used in opposition to the facts in many ways. It is known to all of us that since Gyanwapi, all Muslim communities have been seeing this subject as an attack on the Muslim religion, not considering it a historical fact. As a result, the Muslim community is unitedly trying to hurt Hindu religious sentiments; this thing remains so that even those who took the blasphemy to religious punishment, while on the other hand, they have been hurting Hindu religious beliefs for years. Still, we are not justifying what they believe in an action’s reaction or their philosophy of Sar-Tan-Se-Juda (cut the head from the body).
The time has come when India needs to inform the world that we will not accept any interference in our internal matters, specifically when the countries who become judges in our context are themselves accused of human rights violations. We must see that this sort of uninvited intervention is not helpful in our struggle against pseudo-secularism and hatred politics
Above all, the collective outcry is only about blasphemy; it involves a direct and deliberate insult to Prophet Mohammad. This is why the Islamic World has reacted, just as it did against the Charlie Hebdo cartoons. But the question is, why do these Islamic countries keep silent when their believers and followers make fun of other religious sentiments? Isn’t that a case of Blasphemy? But they need not forget that India’s matter is different from their thought. As we know that India doesn’t have a blasphemy law in India. And, eventually, India doesn’t need one. As stated in Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 295A, which states the provision of penalises insulting any religion or religious beliefs of any class of citizens with deliberate and malicious intention, is good enough for us. So, they need to learn that blasphemy is not the ultimate crime.
Bharat Needs No Lessons
Meanwhile, in 2019, while stating that religious freedom is a Fundamental Right granted under the Indian Constitution, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu said India needs ‘no lessons’ on this issue. He further stated that “we do not need lessons from anybody. Some countries started giving us lectures off late, forgetting what was happening back in their own countries…They have to be isolated, insulated, and condemned. Action has to be taken against those people rather than clubbing the entire country and branding it as if things are going wrong”. He also stated the objective of Sab ka Sath Sab ka Vikas & Vishwas had its roots in core principles of Indian civilization. We believe in an inclusive India wherein every citizen has the same entitlement irrespective of religious beliefs. All through the ages, Indian philosophers, rulers and modern political leadership expounded and upheld principles of equality and tolerance. The World can rest assured that India celebrates its religious diversity by upholding religious freedom. No other country matches India’s diversity and commitment to preserving such a colorful mosaic”.
It is a matter of fact that, here in India, there has always been religious tolerance in India in which the principle of Sarva-Dharma-Sambhava has been in practice among the individual. Because of this principle, the believers of all religions in India always feel safe and practice religious freedom. Undoubtedly, there have been differences of opinion, but there was no hate in emotions and behaviour. Unfortunately, because of this row, many used to critique their own nation and values to safeguard their secular intent in society. What they argued is more shocking than fascinating. They want to prove that the Ummah, the international Muslim brotherhood, is the real saviour of Indian Muslims. Thus it is not a good image for India or its Muslim citizens. This is nothing but a clear reflection of what’s there in their minds- presumably nothing but academic shit. If Ummah is there to protect the rights of Muslims in India, then I believe they still don’t believe in Constitutional values at all. Still, they are dreaming of their long-awaited project of ‘Gajwa-e-Hind’. Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat already, through his address, expressed Sangh’s perception that “why look for Shivling in every Mosque”?
It clearly shows that we respect other religious emotions but not at the cost of ignoring historicity. We will not explore Shivling in every Mosque for two good reasons- one, we genuinely do not believe in illegal acquisition that the invaders do. Second, we do not want to defame our religious values by looking for Shivling everywhere because we know that there has been a unique process for constructing a temple in which we inspect the land first and then go for further construction. So it is not like we build temples over the destruction of other religious emotions and values.
‘We do not need lessons from anybody. Some countries started giving us lectures off late, forgetting what was happening back in their own countries…They have to be isolated, insulated, and condemned. Action has to be taken against those people rather than clubbing the entire country and branding it as if things are going wrong’
—M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice-President
Undoubtedly, no Indian can silently watch and applaud this humiliation on the international platform. But first, we need to recheck that we must discuss this matter silently and patiently. Even if this matter goes another way, we will not accept any intervention. It must be the duty of every Indian that we shouldn’t invite anyone to intervene in our internal matters. Those uninvited intellectuals who want to intervene in this matter need to care for their own plights and disorders. For a long time, India’s secular values have maintained a principled distance from such illogical thoughts. As citizens of the world’s largest democracy, we all reserve some significant political rights, such as the right to ask questions, the right to dissent, and the right to resistance. Even as the respective citizens of this sacred land, we may resist our government; we may protest against any leaders specifically. Still, we all need to care about one thing: it is our imperative duty to respect the nation’s values and pride on the global stage. We need not allow anyone to lecture our nation on the issues of minorities or even listen to the pseudo-human rights activists for the same. After all, if there is a constant sense of fear amongst the religious minority in India, they need to reevaluate their statistical data and shift their deliberate research from India to China. Then, they will get their answer and how safe religious minorities are in India. Even the Arab and other Islamic countries can also do this exercise to reevaluate their own situation with the religious minorities. There is no doubt that India, under the leadership of Modi, started leading the world on every possible issue. Somehow, this is creating severe problems in their existence, which is perhaps not acceptable by the developed countries and their influenced world.
Lastly, the time has come when India needs to inform the world that we will not accept any interference in our internal matters, specifically when the countries who become judges in our context are themselves accused of human rights violations. We must see that this sort of uninvited intervention is not helpful in our struggle against pseudo-secularism and hatred politics. After all, we must learn to say it loudly and proudly, thanks, but no thanks.
Principal, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, Netaji Nagar, Delhi University
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