By M K George
Rome, June 19, 2022: There are many who admire Arundhati Roy. Many others do not. But no one can deny she speaks truth to the powers. Listen to her recent conversations with Aljazeera:
“The bulldozing of Muslim homes, it marks a moment in time where you are seeing a transition from a sort of fragile, flawed democracy transitioning pretty openly, pretty brazenly into a criminal Hindu fascist enterprise. Everyone in authority and every Indian knows that a good part or the most part of the construction in every city and town in India is either illegal or quasi-illegal. Earlier, Muslims were punished by vigilante mobs or the police. But when you are going to bulldoze a house or a locality or a set of shops, then ….the people involved in that …the municipal authorities …the local magistrates…the people watching …the media beaming this into people’s homes. And above all…the courts that are looking away and not doing anything…you are telling Muslims. ‘You are on your own. There is no help. There is no law for you’….”
There are four major reasons we should speak up for Muslims. First and foremost, human empathy. Losing a home is equivalent to killing. Even after 60 years, I cannot get rid of the painful memory of the loudest cry I have ever heard , of a Pulaya (Dalit) woman neighbour of mine, whose house was burned down by her landlord, to evict her from his land.
Every religion, every humanist tradition calls for kindness. Do not make children homeless. Just watching the endless media presentations on the demolitions create fear, anxiety, and of course in some minds, cheer. But shouldn’t the ultimate winner be compassion?
The second reason is rather selfish. I know, as a Christian, my community is on the hit list. The bulldozing is prompted and managed by the ideology of a group which considers, Muslims, Christians and Communists as archenemies. One can’t fail to see the force of the following argument: “The foreign races in Hindustan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but those of the glorification of the Hindu race and culture, i.e., of the Hindu nation and must lose their separate existence to merge in the Hindu race, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu Nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment – not even citizen’s rights.” (We, or Our Nationhood Defined 1939)
Third reason is a concern for democracy. Democracy may not be the best form of governance. But we know from experience, democracy is the most humane form of governance where diversity is respected, human dignity is revered and the maximum good for the maximum number is attempted. Unfortunately the world over, democracy is on a decline and any effort to support democratic ways is a human agenda worth the effort.
The fourth is the pattern of bulldozing that is emerging in India. We notice that for development projects, millions are bulldozed and human lives are at risk. Bulldozing is becoming a political statement. A message of cruelty, injustice and rise of neo-liberal capitalist forces. Resisting bulldozers becomes an act of justice. Look at this data for instance. ‘Available reports indicate that more than 21 million people are internally displaced populations (IDPs) due to development projects in India. Although the tribal population only makes up eight percent of the total population, more than 40 percent of the development induced displaced are tribal peoples in India’ (Negi and Ganguli 2010)
A warning
For me, supporting the Muslim community is not any support of the Islamic fundamentalism that is unfortunately rising at a scary speed. Here Pope Francis remains my guide. He said once, “There are fundamentalist and violent individuals in all peoples and religions – and with intolerant generalizations they become stronger because they feed on hate and xenophobia.” So the fight against fundamentalism is a project for everyone. Identify the fundamentalist elements in every religion, institution, neighbourhood and most importantly in my own mind and heart. The fight is at once internal and external.
I have a role
There is something each one of us can do. Reach out to a Muslim family. Make friends. Write a letter of protest against unjust bulldozing. Join a meeting. Study the issues in depth. Support a movement.
Here again Pope Francis has been a great example. He has travelled to non-Christian lands like Egypt, Bangladesh and Burma, always appealing for religious pluralism, peaceful coexistence and upholding of human rights. In one of his visits to the UAE he said, ‘It is incumbent upon Muslims and Christians to build a future together or there will be no future.’
Speak up for humans, Resist the bulldozer!
Any form of ‘justice’ without ‘mercy’ is equal to cruelty. Bulldozing the houses of the poor may be justified before law when it is stringently followed. But every law has to be humane in nature. Because the laws are made for us and for our wellbeing. It can not be anti-human and anti-poor. When millions of people in India live without a home for their own, how can a democratic elected Government bulldoze houses of people? Even, If demolishing houses is necessary and inevitable, is it not the duty of the Government to give alternate housing facility or adequate compensation for those who are affected by such heinous act. No fascist rule is legitimate in a country that upholds democracy in principle and governance. We need to resist boldly and vocally as citizens of this country.
Catholic priests are experts in finding faults and injustices being done in other communities, but are blind to injustices happening in their own community. These priests have divided the catholic community into several rival groups who are now fighting and quarrelling among themselves.
In Uttar Pradesh a Hindu priest, who should have been doing Pooja and other rituals in a temple, is sitting on the chair of the CM and dividing the people. He is only imitating the Catholic priests who, instead of praying in chapels and churches, are occupying seats of power in big institutions.