All parties must have a code of conduct

It was Ganga Dussehra, a Hindu festival. I was on the bridge at Brijghat, and I could see the Ganges on both sides. A large crowd had gathered on both the banks of the river. Everyone was taking a holy dip. No uproar or haste, it was all about flow and continuity.

And that reminds me of an old saying, “Dharayati iti dharmaah” (that which upholds is Dharma). This emotion, I could see, had been passed down generations of devotees now taking their holy dip. Note that these folks from western Uttar Pradesh (UP) adhere to their rituals without cursing others, and abide by their religion. During the Muslim invasion, some of their people were converted to Islam, but they did not renounce the names of their caste. So, Chauhan, Tyagi, Malik, Patel, and more surnames can be found in both religions. These are people who have shaped almost 1,300 years of Indian history with religious harmony.

However, for several years now, attempts have been made to influence societal discourse with ideas that were previously considered taboo. The scramble for TRPS by TV channels further helped certain self-proclaimed historians to spread these ideas. Nupur Sharma, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’S spokeswoman, and Naveen Kumar Jindal, the party’s Delhi unit media chief, recently crossed every limit of decency in their over-enthusiasm. They forgot that, despite the fact that Islamic society is divided into Shias, Sunnis, Deobandis, Barelvis, etc., the community is unanimous on two issues: The Prophet and the holy Koran.

After Salman Rushdie wrote his novel, The Satanic Verses, the entire Islamic world had rallied against him. As a result, Rushdie to this day remains confined to the shadows by his security. Jindal and Sharma are now on the same page. They have landed on a slippery slope in their endeavour to climb the power ladder quickly. But they have been rejected by the party. The Centre and the Maharashtra government have filed cases against them. They are facing threats to their lives and that of their families, and must now also contend with a lengthy legal battle.

This is a lesson for everyone who tries to be “more loyal than the king” by taking needless risks. The issue of blasphemy has also caused many problems for the government. Almost all Islamic countries have registered their strong objections. It’s worth recalling here that when the Modi government not only repealed Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, but also partitioned the state, none of the Islamic countries questioned it despite Pakistan’s best efforts.

Prime Minister Modi had, in the past, managed to develop very respectable and friendly connections with these countries. Now, such irresponsible speeches have not only harmed this friendship, but has also put the ministry of external affairs in a quandary.

It has also raised concerns among other minorities in India. During the farmers’ agitation, a similar attitude was shown toward the Sikhs. At that time too, it was said that the environment would be vitiated if official spokespersons made such public outbursts on critical matters. Such rhetoric might also rejuvenate the separatists active across the borders.

The Centre and most state governments have now had to step up security to deal with the growing protests. Violence erupted on June 3 in Kanpur, UP, where riots had almost become a thing of the past. The police were able to bring the situation under control, but it was only the beginning. Large crowds gathered across the country to demand harsh punishment for Sharma. Following the Friday prayers, incidents of stone pelting, arson and violence were reported from various parts of the country, with Ranchi imposing a curfew. The All India Majlise-ittehadul Muslimeen has also joined the protests, with others also likely to join issue and take political mileage.

Is this a Salman Rushdie moment-2? This truth is without a doubt understood by reasonable people in the government, organisations, and even the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. This is why Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Sangh, stated publicly on June 2 that the Sangh will not undertake another agitation after the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. He went so far as to say that a new issue should not be brought up every day. The Centre has also made its intentions known by filing complaints against 32 people for making offensive statements and violating other provisions of the law. Many others are likely to face legal action in the following days.

Is that enough? Of course, the problem will not be resolved unless leaders of all the political parties take concrete efforts to rein in their spokespersons. Similarly, all parties must make public a clear code of conduct for their leaders and workers. To clean the Ganges, the Gangotri, the holy river’s major source, must first be cleaned.