Embrace humanity, brotherhood; transcend all norms of divisive religious barrier

True Hindus do not believe in the dirty inhumanitarian politics of communal hatred towards the "others" which needs to be vanquished to gutter in the earliest opportunity possible!

ByKajal Chatterjee

Updated 17 Jan 2022, 8:44 am

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In this age of supreme communalism, parochialism, intolerance and hatred; some news arrives at the scene which indeed gladdens our hearts and helps us to retain positivity amid this chaos by keeping faith on the ultimate truth of humanity and essence of brotherhood.

Kashmir: Due to various historical cultural religious political factors coupled with international complexities; the unofficial Paradise of Earth regularly features in the news as war zones or killing fields. Yet what a lesson this very Kashmir had awarded to the rest of the country, thereby serving  as a model for the deeply polarised society where every political step or electoral candidature takes place after carefully calculating the equation of race, religion, caste and even sub-caste as well!

Chowdhary Mohammad Hussain --- part of the only Muslim family in the Hindu Kashmiri village within Doda district. Unanimously the Hindu villagers have elected Hussain as the Panch in 2018! Not only does this step render a tight slap on the face of the communal brigade always trying to reap dividends by sowing the seeds of fragmentation in the society, it also bears proof that the secular legacy of Kashmiriyat cannot be exterminated so easily. Such an example of harmony and tolerance deserve to be emulated by all Indians --- specially the Hindutva outfits of "nationalist" vintage claiming itself to be the self-declared guardians of all Hindus!

It is high time all common Hindus draw inspiration from their secular  brethren of the Kashmir village and learn to embrace humanity and brotherhood by transcending all norms of narrow divisive religious barrier. After all true Hindus do not believe in the dirty inhumanitarian politics of communal hatred towards the "others" which needs to be vanquished to gutter in the earliest opportunity possible!

From the way up North to deep down south - Kerala: Though zealously projected as "God's own country", yet often the state comes into the wrong pieces of news on a communal front. Indeed the state does not witness sectarian flare up unlike say Uttar Pradesh or Gujarat; but an undercurrent of religious tension indeed makes its presence felt. But the other side of the coin also definitely exists and that shining light of harmony gets represented by the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage circuit.

The world might know of the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple. But we also know of Jagannath Puri Kedarnath or Tirupati! So what's the big deal out of Sabarimala! Actually the exception remains that the pilgrimage circuit featuring Sabarimala prominently does not see complete fruition without setting foot on two other shrines as well! Yes, along with Sabarimala, the devotees also religiously pay a visit to Erumeli Nainar Juma Masjid in Kottayam district (commemorating Ayyappa's friendship with a Muslim youth) and Arthunkal St Andrew's Church in Alappuzha district (in honour of the Ayyappa's friendship with a Christian priest) to offer prayers!

While the Hindu devotees circumambulate the mosque by chanting mantras, they take bath in the church pond according to rituals before prayer with the said mosque and church authorities liberally opening their doors for the Hindus during the pilgrimage season.

Lastly, let's undertake a diagonal journey from Kerala towards the Northeastern direction of the Indian map and we would find ourselves in the Kamrup district of Assam. Located around 24 kilometers from Guwahati on the bank of physically gallant Brahmaputra, Hajo represents nothing but gallance of liberal humanitarianism at its best.

Hajo -- a pilgrimage centre shared by Hindus Muslims and Buddhists. While the 16th century Hayagriva Madhava Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, forms the part of Hindu pilgrimage; Powa-Mecca represents the Islamic circuit. Powa signifies one-fourth and a visit to this 17th century mosque is said to earn a blessing equivalent to a quarter of that earned through performing Hajj at Mecca. Also it is believed that soil from Mecca had been used while laying the foundation of the mosque. Some legends claim that it is in Hajo that Lord Buddha had attained Nirvana while another school of thought marks this site as the last resting place of Guru Rinpoche – the most prominent figure  of Tibetan Buddhism making it sacred for the Buddhists also.

Let this spirit of mutual harmony --- ranging from Kashmir to Kerala to Kamrup ---  triumph over the merchants of hatred hell-bent on injecting poison in this diverse society and fragment the values of this secular inclusive nation so as to meet their cheap electoral interest.

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(The views expressed are personal)

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Tags:

hatemutual harmonysecularismcommunal hatehindutva

Kajal Chatterjee

Kajal Chatterjee

Special Contributor, KOLKATA, West Bengal

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