A Tolerant Conversation With Bhakts On Intolerance In India

MUMBAI: The right wing brigades favourite response to anybody expressing a sentiment that they disagree with, is: “shut up and go to Pakistan.” They then proceed to label said person with the go-to “anti-national”, “traitor” tags. If you’re a Bollywood celebrity like Aamir Khan or Shahrukh Khan, the right wing brigade will go a step further and organise demonstrations, burning posters and effigies and shouting at you for daring to speak about ‘intolerance’ in India (even if that statement was all of two sentences and anything but hard hitting). Careful, you might even get a sedition case slapped against you.

Their logic is simple: Raising any concern about the state of affairs in India, even if true, is equal to defaming the country, and that makes you “anti-national.” That, and if you think India is intolerant, go to “Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan…” the Bhakt will tell you. “Why didn’t you complain about intolerance under the Congress?” they’ll then accuse you of favouritism and conspiracy against the ruling BJP government.

I don’t know too many Bhakts in real life, but a majority of online trolls seem to subscribe to this ideology. So I decided to engage with them through The Citizen. Here’s how the conversation goes:

1. “Why were you silent when the Congress was in power, you nitwit?”

Bhakt:

Me:
Firstly, constantly deflecting any criticism of the state of affairs under the current government with a comparison with the Congress reeks of an identity crisis. It’s proof that just as Hindutva can’t imagine itself without othering minorities, particularly Muslims in India, the BJP-led government is having a hard time defining itself and its vision/goals. Anyway, the reasons why intolerance in India is of more concern in the last year is evinced by the following:

a). When a Muslim man was lynched to death by a mob in Dadri on rumours that he had consumed beef (turned out to be false), 8 of the 11 accused were related to the local BJP leader. Several BJP leaders then attempted to condone what happened, by blaming the victim and his family. BJP leader Sangeet Som blamed the incident on the UP government “favouring Muslims,” former BJP legislator Nawab Singh Nagar said that victim’s family was in the wrong, the RSS’ Tarun Vijay said Muslim victims should remain mute, BJP leader Vichitra Tomar said action should be taken against those slaughtering cows (even though no one had), BJP leader Shrichand Sharma said that the crowd was rightfully angry and the outcome expected and excusable. PM Modi remained silent on the incident, making a passing reference to religious harmony while stepping up the communal rhetoric in the Bihar elections (“Nobody will be allowed to take away your reservation and give it to any other community,” the PM had said).

b). The incident in Dadri was followed by several other cow-related attacks, including a brutal attack on a Kashmiri trucker Zahid, over rumours that cows had been killed in the area. It was later revealed that the cows died due to food poisoning, but not before Zahid succumbed to his injuries.

c). When Kannada scholar and retired Vice Chancellor of Hampi University, M M Kalburgi, was shot dead at his residence in Dharwad, Karnataka, the Bajrang Dal -- the youth wing of the BJP’s sangh brother VHP -- loudly celebrated. The local head of the Bajrang Dal in a town of Dakshin Kannada district, has issued a celebratory statement at Kalburgi’s murder, likening it to last August’s death from illness and old age of eminent Kannada litterateur U.R. Ananthamurthy and holding out a warning to the well-known rationalist thinker and writer based in Mysore, K.S. Bhagwan, that he could be the next target. Kalburgi had faced numerous death threats from the right wing. Like the killing of Dr Narendra Dabholkar, exactly two years ago and Govind Pansare earlier this year, it is unlikely that the police will make any headway in solving Kalburgi’s murder… and the Bajrang Dal celebrating it is indication why.

d). The atmosphere of intolerance is compounded by a crackdown on institutions, including the FTII where students are still protesting. The students have been protesting the appointment of television actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan as Chairman of the institute, as they question Chauhan’s creative capabilities given his limited expertise in the area. Their protests have been met with arrests, lathi charges and other high-handed measures. This sort of meddling is evident in other institutions as well, with the government replacing heads at institutions such as the National Museum, IGNCA, and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, to name a few.

e). The fact that protests against intolerance -- whether in statements or through the symbolic return of awards -- has led to charges of anti-national and equated with a desire to ‘defame’ India is perhaps the most indicative feature of the intolerance in India today. This is all the more important given that these sort of tags and statements are not restricted to the chattering classes, but part of the mainstream political discourse being spewed by those linked to the party in power.

People are not speaking out against intolerance because they are biased toward the Congress. They are doing so because in this one year, the atmosphere IS far more intolerant, and the reason I say that is because the political class is the forefront of meddling in institutions, responding with harsh measures, using intolerant rhetoric, and going as far as excusing or condoning acts of intolerance (sheesh, that word is too mild even) -- thereby legitimizing the phenomenon.

2. “But you’re defaming India by speaking out like this”

Bhakt:

Me:
Let’s get one thing clear: speaking about the problems in the social-political fabric of the country is not anti-national; sweeping those problems under the carpet and acting like they don’t exist, is! I love India, it is my home, but because of that I want a better India -- which means a more just, inclusive, harmonious, equal India. If I feel any of those things are lacking, I will speak out about it, hoping that my words bring attention to the problem as part of a debate to bring solutions and hence, progress. Caring about the country’s Muslims, Christians, Dalits, women, Kashmiris, people from the Northeast, labourers, farmers, etc … is not “anti-national” but is the definition of nationalism. Wanting to retain status quo and brushing all of our problems under the carpet is what treason is actually composed of.

3. “Okay, but if you think it’s so bad, try living in Pakistan or Afghanistan!!!”

Bhakt:

Me:
If our defence is centred on the fact that we are better off than Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria or the like (all countries that Aamir Khan was told to leave for by the political elite), then god (used in the religious-neutral sense of the term) help us all.