Ruchira anguishes that the Indian society is becoming increasingly intolerant and parochial. The walls of religious divisions are sharper now. Read more in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.
Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!
I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!
~P.B. Shelley
Mazhab nehi sikhata apas me bair rakhna. In school, we memorised this as part of the popular patriotic song Saare Jahan Se Achha. In 1904, Dr. Mohd Iqbal had penned the lyrics, depicting the composite culture of the sub-continent. Much water has flowed through the Ganga. A new nation came into existence. Nonetheless, this lofty ideal remained alive in independent India. People like me who were born two decades after independence were also reared accordingly. Secularism was in the air; secularism in terms of modes of worship, language, lifestyle et al.
Unity in Diversity
I have blurred memories of my Guwahati days. At school, we had native Assamese, Marwaris, Nepalese, Punjabis and more. In our neighbourhood and social circle, the Khanna family rubbed shoulders with the Vyases (all the way from Ahmedabad) and Rosarios from Dhaka. There was a (Christian) Mukherjee family on cordial terms with the Banerjees though they had an orthodox mindset. Children of these families played together and participated in each other’s ‘festivals. When we relocated to New Delhi, the situation was similar. We had a cluster of Sindhis, Banias, Jains, and Sikhs as neighbours in Rajendra Nagar.
I was impressed to see Sindhi folks venerating Jhule Lal and Guru Nanak in the same breath. My class comprised a mix of Jains, Sikhs Hindus, and Christians. Our moral science classes ran harmoniously with Catechism. Through these children, I had my first brush with the Holy Bible. I would also enjoy reading Bible stories for children. During our Ludhiana stint, I was fortunate to have an eclectic mix both in my peer group as well as a social circle. Our music & biology teachers were Catholics, geography teacher a Sardar, physics teacher a Bania, rounding off with a Haryanvi chemistry master. But we couldn’t care less. During my university days in Chandigarh, I mingled with African students, children of PIOs/NRIs/Expats, besides people from the northeast. But the overall atmosphere was congenial and peaceful.
Thereafter, I worked in fairly secular ambiance in several media houses. There was a harmonious interaction between people of diverse faiths, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Muslim colleagues hosted iftar parties and arranged wedding feasts for everyone. They too happily attended elaborate Vedic weddings. Over the years I gladly witnessed inter-marriage between Muslim, Christian, Jain, and Hindu colleagues. The greatest miracle of my life is a classic example. My gynecological problem, coupled with social ostracisation, drove the two of us to saint Saleem Chisti’s mausoleum at Fatehpur Sikri. And voila! The next autumn we had a bonnie bouncing baby girl! When my paternal uncle was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I prayed at the mazaar of Matka Peer in Delhi. He recovered and lived on for 12 more years. Likewise, when my father was seriously ill, I fervently prayed at the Cathedral church, Matka Peer, and a local gurudwara. My father survived that time around.
A Different Picture
I regret to mention, in the last twenty years or so, the picture has undergone a sea change. Take an example. My daughter studied in a private school run and managed by a Christian society. Children of diverse faiths study therein. Yet there were veiled attempts (on the part of the predominant community) towards sectarianism. My poor child was shocked when one of the girls, asked her not to speak to a particular boy because he was from another community. She was also pained to notice a girl (from that faith) eating her tiffin alone. Is it fair on the part of zealot parents to sow seeds of communalism in their children’s minds? I wonder?
Friends Distance Themselves
Now, the unkindest cut of all. I am proud of my secular disposition, yet about six years ago, when I adopted Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, it was an uphill task explaining to people that it was just a cult; and that I had not converted. My profile picture on my handset is an icon of Lord Buddha. Now a distant cousin of mine (whom I respected a good deal) was vexed to see it instead of my visage. My explanation failed to convince him. Since then he has stopped communicating. If I happen to send messages he is cold and curt. A colleague-turned-friend (kind and compassionate by nature), shied away from discovering that I don’t have a mandir at home, don’t do vrat upvas, regular arati, and blah-blah. This lady and another personal friend used to post incendiary messages on social media. Upon my chiding them, both grew incommunicative and sullen. My heart bleeds because not long ago they had been so kind and good to me; provided succour in my hour of sorrow. Must people sever bonds of affection, ties of friendship for the sake of faith? Overtly they have not shown anger, however, signs of rupture are palpable. I would hate to lose friends and dear ones just because I do not subscribe to their religious views. I am sanguine, many more people might be undergoing similar experiences. I shudder to think what will happen if this deadly virus is allowed to flourish…
There is not much that I can do except pray that good sense may dawn on such individuals. I earnestly implore to one and all: Pray, do not rip apart the fabric of conviviality and brotherhood of Indians. Let there be peace!
©Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh
Photos from the Internet
#Secularism #SecularismAndDiversity #SpaceBetweenFriends #Unity #SliceOfLife #DifferentTruths
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