Destruction of a Mazaar and Vadodara riots
The frenzy amongst the intelligensia and the media have reached hysterical proportions thanks to the fact that 4 Muslims have got killed in riots, while death of 32 odd Hindus remains a news unworthy of Front page coverage. As I said the media is biased.
To express my personal feelings. Initially, given the media coverage blaming Vadodara mayor for demolishing a historical 300-year old Dargaa/Mazaar for no apparent reasons, I was led to believe Hindu nationalist movement (as all other movements before it) has sunk to it's nadir. To fan riots to divide people and garner votes can hardly be called as 'Hindu way of Life'.
Till a link posted by a blogger (here) opened up the facts a little better.
demolition of the Muslim shrine — a larger and older structure used by Chishti, a mystical Sufi sect, which stood in the middle of a road. There is a 200 or 300 year old shrine in the middle of TODAY's, meaning 21st century, road obstructing free flow of traffic! It was also not the only shrine demolished, for all the outcry against minority-victimization !
Several others (belonging to Hindus) were demolished too (per above link ) " including about a dozen small roadside Hindu temples" ; the justification of "small" here is laughable. A shrine is a place of worship and must be equally respected, small or large, historical or not. Riots are happening, not because of large or historical nature - though that serves to be justification against the demolition - but because it was a place of worship.
Media seems to be confused on the actual age of the road-blocking disputed structure with no legal documents, some say 200 others 300, any thing with two zeroes following it seems acceptable to prove historical nature. Recent reports from the - so-called - secular press is increasingly getting silent and ambiguous on the exact age of the structure (like the NY times link)!! Needless to say, the initial reports based the age on pure hear-say or the imagination of the reporter.
And it was done per the order of Gujarath High court to clear the roads. To have not done so would tatamount to 'Contempt of Court'. A matter - conveniently - omitted by our leftist media. Do you find any mention of HC order here or countless other news reports? Oh, I forgot, Court orders are only meant to be reminded to us Hindus ONLY. My bad!
The structure was an impediment to traffic flow. The highest court in the state ordered the demolotions. It was carried in a secular way (Hindu temples included). Those opposed to it should have got restraining order from Supreme Court earlier [ don't tell me Modi runs Supreme Court too!], instead of crying foul and victimized now.
My advice to Animesh - whose skit on Himsa - prompted this post. You need to add media to the picture, buddy. It's the media in it's frenzy to outsell competition and create sensation, gives communal color to even legally sanctioned moves by Hindutva-parties in power. This is done by omitting and twisting facts, rhetoric (against Hindutva), and biased coverage.This often results in riots.
I am not blind to the plight of Rahim chacha, I am also worried about the dead Ram chacha who didn't find mention in the news ( except as 2 Hindus/pigs died). I sympathize with the roadside-vendor who got attacked for his skull-cap, and also some others who got stabbed because of their Tilaks.
Policemen come from the society. It isn't possible to change attitudes of law-enorcement without changing the attitude of the society. A sense of equality can only prevail when everyone's subject to same SECULAR Uniform Civil Code, with no minority institutions and minority reservations. And everyone's place of worship finds same respect be it a small temple or large mosque. For starters we should stop asking for 'special privileges' to places of worship of some communities. Too tall a order to ask for in a so-called secular country?
To express my personal feelings. Initially, given the media coverage blaming Vadodara mayor for demolishing a historical 300-year old Dargaa/Mazaar for no apparent reasons, I was led to believe Hindu nationalist movement (as all other movements before it) has sunk to it's nadir. To fan riots to divide people and garner votes can hardly be called as 'Hindu way of Life'.
Till a link posted by a blogger (here) opened up the facts a little better.
demolition of the Muslim shrine — a larger and older structure used by Chishti, a mystical Sufi sect, which stood in the middle of a road. There is a 200 or 300 year old shrine in the middle of TODAY's, meaning 21st century, road obstructing free flow of traffic! It was also not the only shrine demolished, for all the outcry against minority-victimization !
Several others (belonging to Hindus) were demolished too (per above link ) " including about a dozen small roadside Hindu temples" ; the justification of "small" here is laughable. A shrine is a place of worship and must be equally respected, small or large, historical or not. Riots are happening, not because of large or historical nature - though that serves to be justification against the demolition - but because it was a place of worship.
Media seems to be confused on the actual age of the road-blocking disputed structure with no legal documents, some say 200 others 300, any thing with two zeroes following it seems acceptable to prove historical nature. Recent reports from the - so-called - secular press is increasingly getting silent and ambiguous on the exact age of the structure (like the NY times link)!! Needless to say, the initial reports based the age on pure hear-say or the imagination of the reporter.
And it was done per the order of Gujarath High court to clear the roads. To have not done so would tatamount to 'Contempt of Court'. A matter - conveniently - omitted by our leftist media. Do you find any mention of HC order here or countless other news reports? Oh, I forgot, Court orders are only meant to be reminded to us Hindus ONLY. My bad!
The structure was an impediment to traffic flow. The highest court in the state ordered the demolotions. It was carried in a secular way (Hindu temples included). Those opposed to it should have got restraining order from Supreme Court earlier [ don't tell me Modi runs Supreme Court too!], instead of crying foul and victimized now.
My advice to Animesh - whose skit on Himsa - prompted this post. You need to add media to the picture, buddy. It's the media in it's frenzy to outsell competition and create sensation, gives communal color to even legally sanctioned moves by Hindutva-parties in power. This is done by omitting and twisting facts, rhetoric (against Hindutva), and biased coverage.This often results in riots.
I am not blind to the plight of Rahim chacha, I am also worried about the dead Ram chacha who didn't find mention in the news ( except as 2 Hindus/pigs died). I sympathize with the roadside-vendor who got attacked for his skull-cap, and also some others who got stabbed because of their Tilaks.
Policemen come from the society. It isn't possible to change attitudes of law-enorcement without changing the attitude of the society. A sense of equality can only prevail when everyone's subject to same SECULAR Uniform Civil Code, with no minority institutions and minority reservations. And everyone's place of worship finds same respect be it a small temple or large mosque. For starters we should stop asking for 'special privileges' to places of worship of some communities. Too tall a order to ask for in a so-called secular country?
posted by Vivek at 8:43 AM
2 Comments:
Vivek,
You are right.. Media is very biased, and I feel, when it comes to Gujarat, they're more than biased!
And, Great blog you got your there! :-) Good to see you writing.. Must keep visting it! :-)
Nirwa
P.S. - I always wanted to tell you this.. I've always been intimidated by you.. I don't know why.. :P :P
I agree.
Secularism, in its current form, is creating more divisions in India than uniting people or teaching them to respect each other. And all this pandering to the minorities is gotta stop. Media is so totally biased, its shameful.
jEDI
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