Little lesson from a little one

It was to be just another day at one of the bookstore, where I go, of course, to buy books and not just to ‘window-shop’. But it turned out a bit different experience for a very simple reason.

As browsed through the scores of books under various categories under the new release segments just a few paces from there, at the billing counter, a lady customer appeared. Somewhere in her 30s she had a very cute kid along. She presented to the counter a book for billing. ‘That would be 300 bucks madam.’ said the vendor while handing over the bill, furthering ‘How would you like to pay? Would you like do the payment by cash or credit card?’

‘Err…’ looking a bit skeptic, lady presented a piggy bank ‘By this.’ Everyone standing in the queue was looking more strangely. ‘My daughter has saved for several months, from her pocket money, to buy this book and she wishes to pay from her piggy.’ The young kid’s was a face to see.

This attracted not just mine but everyone’s eye ball. I was so moved, for a while. The mom was really teaching her kid the value of money, something which we are mostly forgetting.

It added more to my pleasure when a very sweet lady, employee of the store, patted the girl back saying. ‘How sweet of you… so you buy things with your hard earned money.’ The girl, though filled with shyness, would turn to her mom but convey to the lady ‘I don’t earn. I save it.’

I was so moved. The child could distinguish, and well, between ‘Savings’ and ‘Earnings’. And the kid was barely 5-6 years old!

There is truly something to learn and realize… from every person… no matter how young or old he/she might be.

Lacking objectivity

By U. Mahesh Prabhu

It is not easy to listen to something with which you are in total disagreement with. And it, obviously, seeks patience. Patience is a great virtue. Without it it’s absolutely up hilling to achieve something worthwhile.

People of our times are frustrated and there can be only little doubts about it. Frustration isn’t a healthy sign. It leads to confusion and ultimately to chaos. The only rationale for men to support insane and irrelevant acts against the ethical norms of a society, by goons, is this frustration.

Frustration is a sophisticated phenomenon. Should it be resolved there needs to be a timely attention. Given a frustration isn’t resolved it is sure to result in chaotic situation capable of causing destruction, beyond repair.

Couple of months back Mangalore was in news for all wrong reasons. Few people, obviously frustrated, lost their minds and attacked a pub for its ‘assault’ on their ‘faith and culture’. These men were frustrated, and truly. Their reason for frustration, it was clear, none was interested to know. Fellow members of the media fraternity took the matter head on. They were interesting in it for its tendency to increase their TRP and Readership levels.

‘Tablianization of Mangalore’ is how they began describing a truly petty issue. The Congressmen and Communists wasted no time to hurl their ‘criticism’ and abuses on the state government. It was a mad-mad run for settling political scores and it was chaos all around.

Amidst all, none, neither the media nor the politicos were interested in resolving the dispute. And a meagre incident was blown completely out of proportion. Who was at fault? If the media is to be believed it ought to be ‘Sri Ram Sena members’ who led the assault, the Congress and Communists blames it on BJP and BJP spits on all for the issue.

On 26th of March 2009, quiet a few months after the incident of attacks on Pub in Mangalore, I was invited to attend a panel discussion at UGC-SAP sponsored seminar at Mangalore University. The topic upon which I was supposed to speak upon was ‘Media, Culture and National Integration’. Other speakers on the panel had more or less similar topic to embark upon but somehow everyone was squaring upon the Mangalore Pub attacks. It was truly saddening. I was truly unable to understand the reason for this.

The student fraternity, I found, was completely disembarked and divided over the matter. The lecturer, moreover, I found, were completely one sided in their discussion – making the situation worse. I felt sad, absolutely; when a boy was completely sidelined for having spoken in favour of the men who led the Pub attacks. Not just was he sidelined, but also was abused. It was saddening. I intervened and protested. ‘Are you going to fight till eternity for your ideological supremacy or are you interested in resolving the matter?’ I declared. It worked, interestingly. I fought for that man, not because he supported the pub attacks but because the constitutional right he had to stand by them. He was a minority there and none were interested in supporting him. And everyone was tying to settle scores on him. They attacked as if he was one of the attackers. Fortunately, it seemed, as if my intervention worked. Was I lucky? Who cares?!

We the Indians have an attitude of running arguments endlessly. But seldom do we end it with agreements? At the end of discussion we simply return to our homes and lie on our beds with more feelings of vengeance and hatred towards people who disagree with our point of view and thoughts.

Every seminar is run with an intention of enabling people to understand the dynamics of any issue. But what I am witnessing off-late is something which is quiet in complete contradiction to it. Speakers and resource people enforce their thoughts and ideologies on those young minds. These seminars are being turned increasingly into places of settling scores and enforcing beliefs and even spitting venoms.

I am but impressed to imagine a stark and contrasting future of this nation. Our youth are in a complete paradox. Instead of applying their own minds they are spending more time in accepting ideologies of men, with glamour, – blindly.

Of what use is the freedom offered by the constitution if it is not used by men to think freely? Zilch!

Double Standards

When Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur was arrested for her alleged involvement in the Malegaon blasts case, my inbox was bombarded with tons of email which promised  ‘evidence’ in this regard. The people who mailed me were of course, the ones who sympathized with the ‘Mujahids’ a. k. a. ‘freedom fighters’ – better known as ‘Jehadis’.

Without trashing those mails outright, I managed to patiently go through them in detail. Interestingly, apart from the abuses against the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Jagaran Manch (HJM), and others, they contained hardly anything else. The contents were certainly not able to prove the Sadhvi ‘guilty’.

Being ‘Anti-Muslim’

‘I wonder why you write such a column replete with hate and vengeance’ alleged a protagonist, who calls himself as a ‘secularist’, on reading my previous columns. But when I asked him to aid me in finding those words of ‘hate and vengeance’ he wasted no time to enjoin ‘I don’t have time for that’! When an allegation is levelled, one cannot but seek elucidation. Not even once have those allegers took some time to warrant those allegations.  

Because, for past few months, I have been inditing columns critical of Islam with purports from Holy Koranand Hadith, I am being branded as ‘anti-Muslim’. ‘You [hate] Islam’ many have already declared. But hate is such a strong word. It’s opposite to love and thus, when you hate you just end up perverting. I have time and again advocated that ‘Seed of hatred begets nothing but destruction.’ I have never abused Islam nor have I, e’er, used derogatory words against Muslims. How can I speak fetid against anyone when I disown ‘hate’ in the first place? I am not a phoney.  

Though I may have written critical analysis on Islam, I have seldom ‘branded’ an entire Muslim community as terrorist. I have never called for seizing of their right to practice their faith, their right to exist. The people who allege me of saying so have never read my columns.                               

Criticism isn’t a bad, neither is critic worth considering a pariah. He is not an inevitable foe. He is a person who is trying to give in his stimuli and notions on certain issues. Distinguished journalists and intellectuals in this country have spoken so critically of Hindus and Hinduism at large, but they aren’t tagged as ‘anti-Hindu’. And I, very strongly, believe that just because someone has criticized Hindus or Hinduism, he cannot be labelled as anti-Hindu. It’s injudicious. 

If you take a look at Hinduism you will find that it has been ever evolving. It has never lazed. It’s true that: Dalits were suppressed here, widows (in some parts of this country) were being burnt alive, child marriage was rampant and lower caste people were never allowed inside the temple.  

But today how many of such evil practices do you find in Hinduism now? Isn’t it virtually extinct? It is. But how was this made possible? When so many people began criticising Hinduism umpteen, within the faith, began questioning and thereby sought revision. Renaissance was made possible primarily due to criticism, and Hindus became forward thinking people because of it.  

The critics didn’t write with the intention of uplifting Hindu but with an objective of endorsing religious conversion and also, at times, with the view of defaming it. But Hindu leaders were relatively prompt to react and thus something good happened. ‘Don’t debunk criticism and critics blindly.’ an old maxim of Hindus, came for them handily. There was of course resistance for change but it was weakened by resolve of the men who sought reform. But when similar situation was put forth Muslims they began playing their ‘anti-Muslim’ label. Anyone criticizing them is today an ‘anti-Muslim’.  

If, by bringing to light unpleasant reality from Islam’s Holy Scripture, I wish to do anything, it would be to ask Muslims to rethink on it. I want them to rethink on parts of their faith for their own betterment. 

Another allegation thrown against me by my Muslim brethren is that ‘I am built in the mould of Sangh Parivar.’ I am not sure what they mean when they say ‘built in the mould’. Yes, I have been associated with Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). I have read their books, for sometime I have complied, or better put, tried to follow, their discipline. I have many friends within the organization of whom I am proud of. But, if my friendship is to be a deciding factor then I also have friends within Jamat-e-Islami, Students Islamic Organization and even from Churches of Southern India. Until two days back from penning this column I did also have a Communist friend who, somehow, himself disowned me by branding me as a ‘fascist’. Interestingly he is yet to prove as to why I should be branded so.  

My background is diverse. I have read Bible before reading Bhagavad-Gita. I am a product of a Christian Missionary school established by the German Bassel Mission. I have attended classes on Koran by a competent Maulvi. My favourite teacher was a Communist, and thus I can fairly explain communism – first-rate. My close friends during school and college days have been Muslims, who preferred to offer Namaz five times a day. I have been to Mosque and can even imitate actions of Namaz. My most favourite writer is M J Akbar and though I disagree with him on numerous aspects I am equally proud of him and also of my friends who come from so many diverse faiths. Many of my friends, even today, are the ones who prefer to disagree with me. Given this, I would like to know from my critics as to how could I possibly be an ‘anti-Muslim’ or go against fundamental rights of any religion for that matter?  

The greatest diplomat and statesman from India, after whom I have named this column, says in his brilliant work, Arthashastra, that “It’s better to have an intelligent & criticizing enemy than a foolish and all-agreeing friend.” It’s important that our Muslim brethren stand up and respond to such criticism proactively and think candidly of a socio-economic renascence within the community.  

Fanaticism is dangerous because it blocks logical thinking and wisdom. It isn’t healthy and can be a primary cause for one to perish. And history is a testimony to this fact.   

Author is co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of upcoming illustrated family magazine FOLKS (http://www.folksone.com) and also a Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain andIreland, London (UK).