Communal Violence – Threat to Indian National Integration

Some 12 years ago in Godhra more than 100 railway train passengers, mostly Hindu “Karsewaks” were roasted alive when the two coaches carrying them were allegedly bolted from outside and set ablaze by an angry muslim mob. The Karsewaks were returning from Ayodhya after the demolition of the disputed Ram Janmabhumi – Babri Masjid structure. The incident of Godhra was shocking enough for humanity, but what followed next throughout almost the entire state of Gujrat put the entire humanity to shame.

Now almost 12 years later, Godhra and post Godhra incidents are almost being repeated in Kandhamal district and other parts of Orrissa, where the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati and his four colleagues, allegedly by Christian Maoists, sparked off a chain of hair raising incidents of violent attacks on the life and property of thousands of Christians. Add to this the cases of attacks on churches and prayer halls of Christians in various parts of Karnataka, and the communal clashes between bodos and immigrant muslim settlers in different districts of Assam leading to the death of several dozens of people and arsoning of hundreds of houses and shops.

All these developments go on to prove one basic thing that, may be, India is marching fast towards becoming an important economic power of the world, may be the country is on the verge of breaking new grounds in the field of space research and so on and so forth, but one bitter fact remains that its people have not moved an inch foreword from their medieval – age mental setup. Be it Godhra or Guahati, Kandhamal or Karnataka, the story is the same all over India. It makes no Difference if the country is preparing to set it’s foot on moon in near future, a section of its more than 1 billion population always seems to drag it backward by their obscurant and irresponsible deeds. No amount of education and modernization has been able to educate or modernize these people. These people are neither Hindus, nor Muslims, nor are they Christians or Sikhs or for that matter followers of any religions in the truest sense of the term. In reality they are enemies not only or mother India but enemies of the entire humanity.

But blaming only the rioters and those who inflame the communal violence will not do. Unfortunately many of our political leaders and leaders of different religions may also be held responsible for flaring up the communal passion among the citizens of different faiths from time to time. Indian media will also be in the dock for not doing its job honestly and objectively. Unfortunately again, the Indian media by and large goes after sensationalism and in the process forgets its duty towards the society and the nation. Partial and lop-sided reporting helps in broadening the chasm between the followers of different religions who in the slightest pretext engage themselves in fighting and violence.

Consequently the high sounding phrases like the “secular spirit of the Indian society”, “religious tolerance of its people”, “peaceful co-existence of people of different faiths”, in the present day Indian society hold no meaning. The mutual faith and respect among the followers of different religions in India is at present at its lowest ebb. Unscrupulous politicians of the country are also of no help, as they, more often then not, use any communal flare for their personal gain and political mileage. Surprisingly enough, all these people – the erring mass, the irresponsible political leaders and the publicity hungry seers of different religions and faiths – seems to be oblivious of the fact that their doings are leading the nation towards disaster. The government, be it at the center or in the respective states, often acts late or inadequately. Due to the apathy and inaction of the concerned government in such cases the innocent people have to undergo unsurmountable suffering. The signals are ominous. The situations in most of the cases seem to be getting out of hands of the respective administrations at all places of such mishaps. It is feared that if the concerned people, men in power, politicians, seers and the media of the country refused to mend their ways and continue to behave irresponsibly, very soon a time will come when the situation will go out of hands and the country will be under the throes of civil war may be even leading to the disintegration of the nation.

Author – Subhash Dey
copyright @ uttoransen.com