By Varghese Alengaden
Indore: Fundamentalists, who are engaged in violence, hatred and murder, are enemies of religion. Despite shouting slogans of their respective religions and gods they are causing much damage and disrespect both to their religion and gods.
The act of defacing the signage outside India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) by Hindu Sena to express anger against the terrorist act and murder in France is a recent example of this. Hindu Sena Chief Vishnu Gupta had owned responsibility for defacing. The same group had defaced the road signs in national capital which were expressing honor to the historical Muslim personalities. By such destructive acts they are defacing their own religion and gods.
What is the moral right of Hindu Sena and other fringe groups of Hindutva to protest against the terrorist acts in France when they themselves are engaged in terrorist style of attacks on minorities and Dalits in India? Where do they hide the number of lynching cases of innocent Muslims?
Do the Hindu Sena and other militant Hindutva groups know that the French people have not retaliated against the minority Muslim community despite the repeated terrorist activities of Islamic militants in their land? Although the whole country condemns such terrorist acts, people do not indulge in violence against the Muslim community. They are not led by religious fanaticism.
It is an undisputed fact that France is wedded with secularism which respects liberty of individuals and communities. For them secularism is as sacred as religion to Indians. The national heritage of India is pluralism which is more than western understanding of secularism. It is based on the universal family spirit of Hinduism. Hindutva is distortion of Hinduism which is the very soul of India.
Militant Hindutva forces neither understand nor accept the universal values of equality, justice, freedom, fraternity and dignity of individual. The noble Hindu spirituality of Aham Brahmasmi teaches us to see and honor God dwelling in the other irrespective of his/her caste, creed, color, status, sex and nationality.
Ignorance of the most essential aspects of one’s own religion makes people militant fanatics and forces them to indulge in hatred and violence against others. In the past with the patronage of kings and emperors overzealous Christians committed violence on people of other faith and culture. Crusades and forceful conversions with the support of colonial rulers were contrary to the way of Jesus Christ.
Instead of condemning the terrorist acts and murder by the fundamentalist Islamic groups in France several Muslims organized protest rallies in India against French president Macron. This kind of reactions will only alienate Muslim community further. By such acts they deface their religion and their Allah.
The fundamentalists of all religions betray their founders and distort their teachings. Children and youth are vulnerable to their manipulation and brainwashing. They misuse the innocent youth to commit all kinds of terrorist acts for their political agenda.
It is high time teachers and all peace loving persons committed themselves to educate and liberate the youth from all kinds of manipulations and propaganda. This is an urgent mission to save humanity and all the noble values like pluralism, universal solidarity, justice, equality and liberty.
Youth and youth alone can save humanity from violence, hatred and polarization.
Unfortunately today’s youth are more concerned with careers than any lofty social goals or commitment to any social cause.