Dr Veda Pratap Vaidik
Violence and vandalism were witnessed in many parts of the country during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. Not just in North India, but the South and Eastern parts of the country also had many unsavory incidents. Fortunately, unlike in the communal conflagrations in these incidents there was no much bloodshed reported. However, I do not remember any such violent incidents happening in multiple states at a time in independent India. Such widespread violence is a matter of serious concern. The occurrence of such unsavory incidents clearly indicates the increasing influence of certain invisible disruptive, anti-national forces trying to rapture the social fabric and communal harmony of our nation through spreading religious hatred among innocent people in the name of religion.
Opposition parties have issued a joint statement questioning the silence Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been observing on this critical issue. Why is he not opening up? His silence has been interpreted as the tacit support of the ruling BJP in such violence. Not surprisingly, leaders of the opposition parties are holding BJP responsible for the violent incidents.
The pertinent questions are, whether such communal riots and violent incidents happen only when the BJP is in power? Have such incidents not happened during the regime of Congress, Communists or Socialists? It is so deplorable; our Indian society attributes more importance to caste and religion than to our nation. Since 1947, our dream to build a powerful, united India has been pulverized by the politics of votes. To protect their vote banks the political parties had no hesitation in playing communal and caste cards. Power has been their prime motive and not the nation.
In India people are free to uphold their caste and religion. No doubt, all should have total freedom for that. But that does not mean, spreading hatred in the name of caste, community or religion need to be tolerated. Any kind of violence or vandalism in the name of religion or faith needs to be resisted and effectively contained. The country has to be saved from the hoodlums spreading hate, instigating riots and mayhem. Such anti national hate mongers have to be firmly dealt with. Any communally charged situation needs to be defused instantly. Or else, India may remain the same geographically, but it will disintegrate mentally and will hardly remain united emotionally. Can a fragmented India ever dream to become a superpower? Can such an India think of eradicating its poverty?
I genuinely fear, by the end of the 22nd century, it is likely that the demand to divide every province and every district of India on communal and caste lines may grow. Today there are many active parties in our political spectrum, whose pedestal is pure communalism or caste. This is a national issue. How can we expect the Prime Minister alone or his political party alone to solve this? All political parties should take initiative and express tenacity to counter this menace.
Not just the Prime Minister alone, the leaders of all political parties should come out and speak together. Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister, so his voice should be heard aloud. The leaders should not be scared of losing their vote bank. They should not dare to make the unity of India bankrupt to swell their deposits in the vote banks. Keep away from anything that could compromise our national unity.
India is unique in the world with its diversity. India follows multiple religions, has many hundreds of castes, hundreds of languages, different food habits, multiple costumes, different skin colour. But all of us, irrespective of the above said differences, are bonded to each other by our unflinching love and affection. Should we allow the merchants of hatred to flourish in our beautiful India and spoil its serenity? Should millions of Indians living in peace and brotherhood become pawns of those disruptive, antinational hoodlums?
*Dr. Vaidik is a widely travelled scholar-journalist. He has visited more than 80 countries on diplomatic and educationalmissions. Dr. Vaidik has won more than a dozen National and International awards for academic and journalistic excellence. He has been a member of several Advisory Committees of Government of India.
