Battling the virus of mutual hatred
Politicians are dividing society. Social media isn’t helping. Citizens need to fight back for harmony
The coronavirus, which is spreading at a rapid pace across the world, is deeply worrying. The fact that the affected person is often unaware that he has contracted the infection makes dealing with the crisis even more challenging.
However, the good news that we can discern from the history of epidemics is that, sooner or later, thanks to medical science, they can be brought under control. We should be confident that soon scientists will be able to discover methods to prevent and cure the coronavirus.
But, let us look at a different kind of virus. One that induces in the affected a desire to hurt, even kill. I am speaking of the virus of deadly mutual hatred that is being spread in India.
In the recent Delhi riots, the levels of hatred were astonishing. If one were to go by the fake photographs, concocted stories and attempts to set different communities against each other, it would seem that Indian society is dominated by those driven by parochial sentiment. At a time when the victims should have been supported in rebuilding their lives, when the displaced should have been given succour, politicians turned them into mere showpieces to be exploited to gain brownie points with the public. We hardly heard enough about the stories of how people came to each other’s help, how humanity thrived even in this terrible time.
At the time of the Babri masjid demolition, the violence after Indira Gandhi’s assassination and Operation Blue Star, the virtual world did not exist. Had social media been around then, there could have been many more untoward incidents.
Hatred sells far more than love in this social media-dominated world. The stories are different but the intention is the same — to continue dividing people. That’s the reason that such messages appear on dozens of profiles at the drop of a hat. From calling for community boycotts to pushing out narratives which target individuals solely because of their religious identity, from assuming the worst about “the other” to glorifying one’s own identity-based group, these messages systematically poison society.
Our politicians are often accused of reaping political benefits by polarising people socially. But this is a half-truth. If we push back, nobody can divide us. But if we have divisive tendencies, someone or the other will certainly take advantage of this. This argument is countered by a superficial argument that we have been divided right from the beginning. It’s true that we have a long tradition of ideological differences. But these never translated into violence earlier.
In 1932, the famous Poona Pact was signed. The British had made arrangements for separate representation of Muslims and Dalits. Mahatma Gandhi considered it against the inherent ethos of India, while BR Ambedkar was in favour of it. Gandhi was in Yeravada jail at that time. Bapu started fasting unto death in the jail to force a reversal of the decision. Ambedkar was, however, not ready to budge from his stand. Madan Mohan Malaviya, then, played a critical role in convincing Ambedkar. It’s important to note here that Ambedkar was dead against Manuvaad while Malaviya was a believer in Sanatana Dharma despite having a modern outlook. His dress, ethics and the way he carried himself were traditional; still, Ambedkar listened to him. Why? In the larger interest of the nation, these leaders put aside their differences.
But this was not just confined to Gandhi and Ambedkar. Mohammed Ali Jinnah too tried to convey in all his speeches from August 1947 to February 1948 that people were free to go to temples or mosques or any other place of worship. Pakistan belongs to all, he said. Leading statesmen on both sides of the border were speaking the same language, conveying the same message, even after the Partition. Unfortunately, Jinnah died of illness and Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse just a few months after Independence. Their followers and disciples had the responsibility to take their ideology forward. But they failed to do so.
All parties and their leaders have created a dreadful situation. In the process, they are undermining national interest and deepening social cleavages. No one is safe from this. There cannot be a better time to consider this question than during the festival of love and brotherhood--Holi. Wishing all readers a happy Holi with the hope that the festival will revive the spirit of harmony that has marked the Indian ethos.