Dhirendra Sharma
The force of social change and reform is such that any progressive paradigm would arouse negative emotions in chauvinists. Since the conservatives cannot face challenges of progressive ideas, they resort to communal -civil disorder and violence. Most often then not, the emotions are fuelled by the political and religious vested interests.
Today, e.g., no one would believe that until the 19th century, workers and women had no rights to vote. Karl Marx (1818-83) was the first to call “Workers of the World Unite”. And the Christians used to burn the witches to control the plague epidemics in Europe.
In the United States, anti-slavery movement lead to the Civil War ( 1861-65). Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) banned the Slavery, but the Messiah of Liberty was assassinated by a faithful Christian, the follower of Christ.
In India, the Hindus used to burn young widows ( sati) while chanting the Vedic mantras. Swami Dayananda Sarasvati ( 1824-1883) was the first social reformer who condemned the bigotry. He stopped idol worship, advocated equal rights for women and the dalits (out-castes). The Swami in his magnum opus Satyartha Prakahs ( Light of Truth) detailed why he was “Not a Hindu”. In 1883 he was killed with poisoned food served by his brahman Hindu cook.
So, the struggle against socio-economic discrimination, and injustice is common and universal. Not any community, region or religion specific. The Islamic jihadi violence too is indicative of the same conflict between the new world order challenging the traditional belief systems. But the contractors of faith trying to enforce obedience against questioning the outdated belief systems. The Islamic world is facing today anti-Blashfamy reform movement.
But smuggling arms, conspiring suicide bombing, killing and kidnapping of unarmed citizens for any Divine or Messianic Mission, specially against the democratic governance, cannot and must not be condoned as defending Human Rights of minority or sub-nationalist aspiration. In the name of the Human Rights of Kashmiris or the Palestinians, e.g., attacking airports, and towns and cities, and destruction of educational centres cannot be justified. The question is then not the colour or the creed of the conspirators but how can we, disown the past, and move forward with a futuristic vision of 21st century Democratic United Nations.
Once I visited Auschwitz camps where a million Jews systematically were sent to gas chambers. That was the 20thcentury, the Age of Social Revolution spreading in Europe. But the followers of the Messenger of Peace, were trying to Save the World for the Second Coming of the Son of Mary. During the 1946-48 partition in India, I witnessed the killing of innocent men, women and children belonging to both Divine Faith ( Hindus and Muslims). I saw at Amritsar Railway station trains streamed in from across the divided border - massacred – human bodies hanging from the roof and protruding out of the windows…
Whom should I hold guilty ? Where should I go seeking the justice? But in 1984, I defended many Sikh families and protected the Sikh Temple ( Gurudwara), in my neighbourhood, in New Delhi. Still, I could do nothing to help 300 innocent –men, women and children, many of them Sikhs who were drown in the deep sea when an Air India flight was destroyed in the mid-air over the Atlantic Oceon, by the Sikhistani Singhs ( Lions). The Saint Bhindrewala had vowed “to clear ( kill) all Hindus from Panjab”. That was what the Sant told me one dark night in Jalandhr.
In 1989. after a trekking expedition in Kashmir, as I arrived at a village, I noticed a huge Mosque built just over the rampart of the ancient Buddhist site of Avantipuram. Many black banners were hanging around in the village. Perhaps in protest against “ Indian occupation”, I thought. NO, the Kashmiris were mourning the death of Ayatollah Khomeini (1900-89), the founder of the Shite fundamentalist republic in Iran (in 1979).
Who was he?. “Oh, you don’t know! He was (Peace be upon Him)…a Great Soul, the Saint of Shias. (wo ek bahut badi atmaa the..) and that it was he who had got “The Mosques built here …” confirmed the village school teacher.
To my Kashmiri hosts, I narrated how an old man during the partition days, went on fast demanding the Hindus stop killing of Muslims in India. The Mahatma was killed by a Marathi Hindu manoos. That was the great soul Gandhi. But the late Khomeini led Shias and Sunnies to kill each other and more than 100,000 Arab- muslims – Iranian and Iraqis fought an unending war with guns Made-in- USA. But “ you Kashmiri brothers tell me that the Khomeini was a Great Soul (“ badi atma”) who made muslim brothers to kill each other!”
The next day in Srinagar, I visited “Freedom Fighters” in their den. They told me they received arms training, and money from other “brother countries”. On the wall the banner read: “hans-ke liya hai Pakistan, Lad-ke lenge Hindustan.” ( By laughing we got Pakistan. By fighting we”ll capture India). Next day, the local media reported acid attacks on the college-going Kashmiri girls. I asked local friends to condemn the attack on the girls.
“You will fly out of here tomorrow. But our homes would be bombed…”. lamented the helpless muslim Kashmiri intellectuals.
I do not deny violation of Human rights in Kashmir and Palestine. But there are no innocent leaders and preachers on any side. The Friday sermons in the Mosques do not speak of Human Rights but call for Jihad.
Brother Shabir Shah is the Mandela of Kashmir, who lost his youth 25 years inside the Indian jail. He was visiting us in Delhi. One Friday, he was taken to the Jama Masjid Mosque, and was asked by the Shahi Imam to speak on the atrocities of Indian soldiers.
“I have come here to do ibadat, ( prayer) not politics.” retorted Shabir Shah. I wanted to take him to the Gandhi Samadhi ( Raj Ghat).
“I would be killed..” confined the brother Shabir.
I learnt that Marx and Gandhi are not covered by the Blashfamy laws.
The genesis of Kashmir and the Palestine is rooted in denial of Democratic paradigm. In the 21st century Space Age, no nation can be governed by the preachers of age-old belief systems.
Dhirendra Sharma ( Sharma is author of India’s Commitment to Kashmir).
(The responsibilities of the contents of the article rest on the writer)
Dhirendra Sharma
Centre for Science Policy/ConcernedScientists & Philosophers,
"Nirmal-Nilay", Dehradun 248009 (India).
+(0135) 2735 627.Mob. 989788 3741
Mo. 989788 3741. www.psaindia.org
