Banning the Bans - Is India becoming an Intolerant Country?

Banning the Bans - Is India becoming an Intolerant Country?

The murder of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri has recently been the basis of protest by leading Sahitya Akademi writers Sara Joseph and Ashok Vajpeyi. The writers have also protested against the murder of rationalists like Govind Pansare and M. M. Kalburgi by returning their Akademi awards, resigning from membership and posts and voicing their views on rising intolerance in India. Right from the time when a beef ban was put in place to the issue over banning consumption of meat during the Jain festival, there have been issues over the manner in which a majority government is translating to majoritarianism as against a tolerant society. But the question remains whether India is becoming an intolerant country or is it just a case of political masala in a beef curry? Is a political flavour being given to cases of intolerance which have always been there? Or is this is a case of fringe elements becoming the majority voice? Let us explore both sides of the issue to assess if eminent writer Nayantara Sehgal is right in saying that many Indians are becoming “second class citizens” due to the growing tide of intolerance in the nation?

Yes, India is Becoming an Intolerant Country

1. Fringe Has Become Mainstream- The voice of the fringe elements on both sides has become mainstream. Extremists on both sides are gaining popular support and the stability of the nation is being threatened alone with its secular fabric. To counter beef festivals, there are pork festivals. To challenge cow protection is to question authority. Majority supporting tolerance are being sidelined for the benefit of a ruling ideology.

2. License to Kill- The murder of rationalists such as Govind Pansare who authored “Who is Shivaji?” point to the crossing of boundaries in a society which is increasingly becoming intolerant. Violence has become an acceptable means of expressing dissent, as seen in the murder of M. M. Kalburgi or the the Dadri lynching incident.

3. Pink Revolution Supported- Rather than supporting the victims, many leaders have supported the Pink Revolution and proposed cow protection even as the Cow Welfare Commission has come up with strong disapproval of cow protection through military means

4.An Ethics of Reciprocity? - India is slowly changing into a nation where the ethics of reciprocity has been added to give intolerance a new colour. Rather than bargaining for cow protection or beef bans, the focus should be on fighting real issues such as poverty and ending violence in the name of intolerance.

5. Leaders Silence on the Issues- Many have questioned the silence of the political leaders of the ruling ideology on the Dadri lynching incident. A view is that they should have spoken out earlier against the miscreants to prevent communalisation of the incident.

6. Everything is Regulated- From what we eat (food politics) to what we see (banning of the documentary India’s Daughter by Leslee Undwin), everything is being controlled, supervised and regulated. This can damage the secular fabric of a society like India which values pluralism and is a melting pot of different ethnicities

7. Anti Hindutva should not equal Anti-National- Ruling ideology has been voted in to bring change, not saffronisation. Anti Hindutva should not be equated with anti-national because the true agent of positive social change is the respect for all communities rather than a ruling majority

8. Pluralistic India under threat- Freedom is being curtailed to express opinions or eat what one wants or be the way one wants to be. Indian society has always been based on tolerance for different faiths and communities. This is changing with forcible banning of beef and meat not to mention supporting the extreme left or right rather than striking a balance with the middle ground.

9. Attempt to make India into singular, cultural monotheistic society- Certain leaders are supporting the extreme view rather than striking the middle ground on both sides. Both are attempting to make India into a singular, culturally monotheistic society and must be discouraged from doing so.

No, India is Not Becoming an Intolerant Country

1. Political colour to incidents- India is a secular nation, but there have been cases of violent killings and riots before. A political colour is being given to current issues to gain political mileage

2. Social media merely expressing what people think- Rather than claiming that social media is expressing the views of a few extremists, critics should understand that social media is a reflection of changes in society and the view of a majority that has long been sidelined.

3. Fringe does not imply mainstream- Mainstream is not synonymous with fringe elements because the leading political figures are expressing their concerns about the intolerance and also indicating the common enemy to be fought remains poverty, and not other communities.

4. All pervasive media is just highlighting the cases more- There have always been killings of rationalists and those who question the extremists. But the media is now bringing out these incidents more so due to an all pervasive presence.

5. Ideological intolerance has always existed- There has always been ideological difference and Indian communities have learnt to live with the differences, rather than questioning them. These incidents should not be seen in a context where it is being implied that there is tolerance of intolerance. Leaders are proactive in criticising the use of violence to resolve conflicts.

6. Nation wide debate ongoing- The very fact that we are debating whether tolerance is being threatened shows a respect for it. Tolerance is highly valued in Indian society and communities have always lived together in peace. Whenever there is injustice, voices rise to question it. Dissenters are given the freedom to voice their opinions in a peaceful manner. India is a country which values its cultural pluralism as is evident from the role played by media and civil society stakeholders in upholding the cause of the minority communities and protecting them.

7. Media right in highlighting issues- Media has the power to shape and mould opinions and letting social as well as mass media prove to be a platform for expression of ideas and beliefs is a positive indication that India is a tolerant society where the voices of the majority do not drown out a minority and extremism does not become the ruling ideology.

8. Politics is not ruling judgement- The support for victims of violence by leading figures in Indian society shows that there is courage to question intolerance. From writer Nayantara Sehgal to M. Satchidanand, Ashok Vajypeyi to Sarah Joseph, people have voiced their intolerance for the growing rise of communalism. Moreover, leaders like India’s PM Narendra Modi have also expressed concerns regarding these issues on public fora.

9. Media not giving limelight to mischief makers- Rather than supporting those who make inflammatory statements, the media and civil society is questioning them. This has positive repercussions for India as a tolerant country.

Conclusion

India is a country where religious faiths have existed together in harmony for centuries. Intolerance should not be promoted. India should not become a country where the remarks and actions of extremists speak for the whole of the community. Unless the rising tide of intolerance is nipped in the bud, India cannot hope to progress and develop into a world superpower. Whether the extreme left or extreme right, the fringe elements should remain just that instead of becoming part of the mainstream. This is another important goal for the government and authorities apart from the focus on sustainable development. Peaceful and harmonious co-existence between different communities should be an urgent priority for any political leader or party. Religion based violence is a blight to the memory of our leaders and freedom fighters who fought for India’s different communities to live together in peace and harmony, not violence and inequality.