Media Hype

The following incident narrated by Mahatmaji occurred exactly one hundred years ago. Has anything changed? Yes, only the media has evolved, but the message remains the same. What newspapers once did, social media now does—not only misrepresenting what followers of a religion say in certain contexts but also stirring controversy in areas far beyond religion. In India, communalizing politics by politicizing religion is well-known, but now the life of the average Indian is nearly fully politicized and communalized. The best remedy is what Mahatmaji offers in his closing remarks: “While truth may be told fearlessly, exaggeration and innuendos should be scrupulously avoided.”

Sin must be named and shamed, but the sinner must be held accountable according to the law of the land, even if forgiveness is extended. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa demonstrated this on a national level, while in New Zealand, restorative justice takes it further: in some cases, both the offender’s and the victim’s families come together to seek healing and understanding through dialogue. This community-centered approach to justice, rooted in Māori principles, emphasizes accountability, reconciliation, and the rebuilding of relationships—not only between individuals but within the wider community.

—DB, 14-11-2024, Gurukulam

221. CAMPAIGN OF MISREPRESENTATION

One such statement was made with reference to Maulana Mahomed Ali. He was reported to have said that an adulterous Mussalman was better than myself….

What is the original statement which has been so cruelly distorted by some newspapers? He says in effect that the creed of Islam is better than my creed. Is there anything offensive in the statement? So long as there are different religions, is not the Maulana’s position the only logical and honest one? I have very dear Christian friends in South Africa and in India. They pray for light for me. One of them, a retired solicitor of standing in South Africa, urges me to accept the Jesus Christ and his salvation. He says that without that all my effort will be useless. Thousands of Christians certainly hold that a righteous man without belief in Jesus Christ is less than an adulterous Christian. Does an orthodox Hindu fare better? If he does, why is there all this feverish agitation regarding Shuddhi? In making the choice of a husband for his daughter, will he choose the best character irrespective of religion or the best man in his own sect? And if he will restrict the choice to his own circle, does it not show that he, too, like the Maulana, believes that his creed is the best of all?

The Maulana has stated the religious law in picturesque language and feeling safe, as he had a right to do, that I could not be offended, he chose me as one of his best Hindu friends for his illustration and showed that his creed he held superior to persons, no matter how dear they might be to him. I hold that he deserves to be

¹ Munshiram Nanakchand (1856-1926); later known as Shra

• For the text of these letters, vide Appendix “Mahomed Ali’s Letter to Swami Shraddanand”, 10-4-1924 and “Mahomed Ali’s Letter to the Editor, Tej”, 10-4-1924.

(p.207)

honoured for the staunchness of his faith rather than be accused of coldness for a friend or disrespect for the latter’s creed.

Nor need his prayers for me that I should find it in my heart to accept Islam, cause any alarm or surprise. He would not be a true friend if he did not wish the best (according to his belief) for me. My creed is truth and non-violence in their extreme form. I may be wrong. But if I wish well to my friends, I cannot but wish that they may have the same creed so long as I continue to believe it to be the best. I remain within the Hindu fold because it stands best the test laid down by my creed.

The Swamiji in his note, whilst heartily and unreservedly accepting the Maulana’s letter, remarked that his creed made no deference between practice and profession as the Maulana’s appeared to him to do. The second letter of the Maulana clears up the point and clinches the whole argument when he says that his creed, too, does not divorce practice from profession. He adds that in his letter he merely compared the world’s creeds and gave his opinion that his was the best. Could he do otherwise and still be a Mussalman? If he thought otherwise, would he not then, as an honest man, be bound to profess the creed he considered better than that of Islam?

I hope that the heart of every true Hindu will go out to Mahomed Ali when, in the midst of his domestic bereavement and the sickness of his great brother, he is trying his utmost to heal the breach between the Hindus and the Mussalmans. Surely Hindus who strive for unity have enough fanaticism within to recognize that Mussalman co-workers fare no better.

The other incident is reported to have occurred in the Tibbia College. I asked my son to write to Dr. Ansari to let me know what actually did happen…. Dr. Ansari writes:

The incident in the Tibbia College is a very petty one. On the day of the celebration of Mahatmaji’s birthday in the Tibbia College, one of the speakers compared him to Jesus Christ to which a Muslim student took exception and observed that no living person, however eminent in all respects, should be compared to prophets. Some of the students protested against the Muslim student’s remark upon which the latter tried to explain (p.208)

what he had meant and regretted that he was misunderstood. This is the whole story and it is evidently absurd to suggest that members of the staff were involved in it or that there was the slightest likelihood of a breach of peace.

The papers which you mention are extremely partisan ones whose characteristic feature it is to purvey news calculated to set one community against the other and to present trifling incidents in a very highly exaggerated form. It would not have been so very sad if these papers alone were to blame. because they are neither important nor well known. But the misfortune is that the spirit of animosity is swaying almost all the vernacular papers¾Hindu and Muslim¾in Northern India.

Nor are the incidents referred to by you the only ones reporting which these papers have betrayed such a deplorable and narrow-minded bigotry. Blind fanaticism and a reprehensible desire to run the other community down by every means has today become an essential part of the life of a vernacular paper of Northern India.

The newspaper readers know the exaggerated manner in which the incident has been described. The Muslim student who took exception to the comparison was, after all, justified in so doing. It is not necessary for the purpose of honouring a man to compare him with any other honoured man, much less with revered prophets….

…I have heard it suggested that Muslim editors say they will cease to revile Hindus and Hinduism when the Hindu editors leave off reviling Islam and Mussalmans. Hindu editors want to reverse the process. I suggest that both make the desired improvement simultaneously.

I do not wish to suggest that truth should be hushed. There has been that kind of indelicate delicacy before now. What is necessary, however, is that whilst truth may be fearlessly told, exaggeration and innuendos should be scrupulously avoided.

Young India, 10-4-1924, CWMG, Vol. 27, pp. 207-208