The recent controversy surrounding TM Krishna made me ponder: Is there a rise in intolerance in India, or are Hindus simply becoming more vocal about disrespect toward their culture and religion?
Nirmalyam, a Malayalam movie released in 1973, showed a man spitting on the idol of a goddess. There was no controversy back then. Maybe Hindus took offence but they endured the insult. No one can dare imagine releasing a movie with such a scene now. Some might call it the death of art, but is the survival of art dependent on humiliating Hindu religious beliefs? How often do you see an Indian artist scrutinizing other religions? If we’re going to engage in this game, let’s do so fairly. Selective activism is no longer accepted or praised.
Times have changed. Hindus are no longer silent. They are defending their religion. So does this mean Hindus have become intolerant? Or does this mean they have finally found their voice under the leadership of Modi after decades of suppression? It’s a matter of perspective, but one thing is certain: Criticizing Hinduism in India now comes with greater scrutiny and potential consequences. It’s no longer forgiven as easily as before.
In recent years, I’ve shifted towards reading more non-fiction books. I’m not entirely sure why. There was a time when I exclusively indulged in fiction, but maybe as one grows older, there’s a desire for substance over escapism.
Currently, my topic of interest is my own country, India. For 40 years, I was mostly indifferent and satisfied with my understanding of India’s history. However, over the past few years, I’ve developed a strong desire to learn more. I’ve become curious about the psyche of our people, especially those who had to endure several seasons of conflict and unrest. I wish to understand our country’s past. What did our people go through during centuries of colonial rule? How did it mold our perspectives? What were the hurdles we faced before and after independence? As a nation, we have experienced true freedom only since 1947, which is less than a century. Considering this relatively short period, what valuable lessons should we absorb from our recent history as we navigate the present? At any point in history, did we feel a sense of unity? I am seeking hints because the present does not seem to offer any positive answers.
I never felt compelled to delve into books by influential leaders. It was during this quest to know more about India that I started reading Dr Ambedkar’s works. It feels surreal how a simple book could offer a glimpse into how Indians thought in the past, their sentiments, fears, anger, sorrow, etc. Everything feels like déjà vu.
History often repeats itself. By navigating the pages of Ambedkar’s book, you see glimpses of the present reflected in the past.
Some of his thought-provoking quotes include:
I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.
Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence.
History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict, victory is always with economics. Vested interests have never been known to have willingly divested themselves unless there was sufficient force to compel them.
Religion must mainly be a matter of principles only. It cannot be a matter of rules. The moment it degenerates into rules, it ceases to be a religion, as it kills responsibility which is an essence of the true religious act.
I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Law and order are the medicine of the body politic and when the body politic gets sick, medicine must be administered.
Life should be great rather than long.
Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.
Dr. Ambedkar’s books offer numerous insights. I highly recommend Volume 8 to all Indians for a comprehensive analysis of the thoughts of Hindus and Muslims regarding the Partition of India. It deep-dives into arguments of each. Dr. Ambedkar fearlessly acknowledges and criticizes the cases from both communities while offering candid and constructive feedback. Ultimately, he leaves it up to you, the reader, to derive a conclusion.
For those interested in Dr. Ambedkar’s books, did you know that the MEA website allows you to download all volumes of his “Thoughts & Speeches” for free?
When will we start looking at each other, not as left or right wing, but as Indians again? We lost ourselves somewhere along the way and fell into the muck head-first that political parties and fanatics laid out for us. They wanted to divide us on the basis of religion and politics. We can safely say now that they have succeeded.
We are more divided than ever before. We look at each other as villains, not citizens of the same soil.
Can we go back to the stage where we all felt like one? Did that phase ever exist? We were probably always this polarized, but the lack of social media helped cover it up.
I have only one dream – that we put our country first, above everything, including religion, caste, ideologies, political leanings, etc. It’s a huge ask. It’s definitely more challenging than spreading hatred. However, it is the need of the hour so our country can progress further.
For India to develop, we should work together. Politicians will not do it, so it’s up to us, the civilians, to make the effort. I hope to see India as a developed and prosperous country before I bid goodbye to this world. One can dream for one’s country, no matter how improbable. However, such dreams can materialize only if we come together as one, forgetting our differences and working towards the common goal, with nothing else to distract us.
When someone tries to separate us, we should look at each other with empathy and understanding. Instead of harboring a victim mentality, we should grow together. We should think, will the country prosper from our hatred and animosity? Is enmity worth it in the long run?
Elections are coming soon. We can expect more divisive politics. Be mindful of the games people play.
Judge not on the basis of what social media algorithms propagate or even what the newspapers or journalists report. Everyone seems biased at the moment. Judge on the basis of your own quality of life, personal experiences, and surroundings. Judge on the basis of your own contributions to the country – did you help in any way? Even maintaining peace and decorum during heights of conflict is a worthy contribution.
Truth be told, there were times I wished there was a law that banned religion-based talks on social media and news channels. If we stopped talking about religion, if we considered each other as humans first, there would undoubtedly be more empathy. But political parties thrive on identity politics. They can win only if religion is mentioned. So, a ban is out of the question. This is true for all major parties in India: BJP (considered pro-Hindu) and Congress (considered pro-Muslim). Everyone has a game to play based on religion, and we foolishly fall for it, fostering hate for one another.
When a religion or caste is constantly criticized, people affiliated with that religion or caste become more polarized. It’s the sad truth of life. Things don’t dramatically reform. It takes understanding, empathy, and kindness to one another to bring about change. Hate, abuse, and shaming do nothing other than deteriorate matters further.
Since childhood, we have been made to recite, “All Indians are our brothers and sisters,” and we have never questioned those words. I hope we return to that state someday, where we can see each other as one, part of the same soil.
The Monkey Dilemma 
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