Since the Dadri incident the media and the political class across the spectrum has been profusely advocating their beliefs, ideologies and eccentricities to all and sundry, to anyone who care to listen to them. What is about this incident that has shaken the entire country?? Well as well all know it was about religious belief of one religion that was supposedly in conflict with the real/ imaginary dietary habits of another.

The immediate strong condemnation that this incident has received from the civil society was because it was the tipping point against what has been happening across the country. This gave them the reason to vent up the suppressed emotions the people had been holding up since a long time.  This had the cumulative result of open anger, skepticism and the questioning the idea that India was built on.

Ever since the current Central Government had taken over, each action or inaction was scrutinized to see if it was tainted by their party ideology. The scrutiny was justified and some of their colleagues with their absurd actions and speeches did not make the circumstances any easier. From the Love Jihad, to Ram Sene to Ghar Wapasi what they don’t realize that the country has moved on. Only thing that they can garner through these are eyeballs on TV and some random headlines and that is it.

The way the civil society and the writers are speaking up now is the strength of our constitution. Returning awards can be sometimes mere tokenism but it is enough to shake the present government out of its slumber. The Ideas and the principal that are the bedrock of our great Nation are too big to be tampered with any party irrespective of their numerical strength. The gains that they intend to achieve by dividing the society on communal lines can be only limited and will face the laws of diminishing returns.

For me, my religion is personal between me and my God and no one can alter my equation with him, I don’t have to doubt and questions other religions to prove the supremacy of my faith. The constitution guarantees each one of us to practice, profess and propagate ones religion. The fault lays completely at the doorstep with us the moderates, liberal class who don’t speak up when the fringes do unspeakable things in the name of religion. Who would these religious fanatics cater to when the alternate voice of reason is there to counter their false propaganda? Rationalists have paid through their lives to achieve this goal and we absolutely shouldn’t let them down. Let these fringe elements be shown their places in society i.e. in the fringes.

Let this incident not be used to create a fear psychosis in the minds of minority, for if we don’t stand up for them then who will ??. This reminds me of the famous statement and provocative poem written by Pastor Martin Niemöller about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis’ rise to power and the subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_…

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum quotes the following text as one of the many poetic versions of the speech:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Speak out lest they consider our silence as acceptance :

की हमारी बेज़ुबानी जुबां ना होने पाए उनकी …..