BBC and BJP or Communalizing Dharma, Part One

BBC and BJP or Communalizing dharma.—Part One

“Vilified” Muslims donate blood for plasma therapy.  BBC News—India coronavirus: Tablighi Jamaat gives blood for plasma therapy…. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-52452468]

When I received this message sent by one person who opposes BJP’s communal agenda, in response I wrote:

So what many others (Christians, Sikhs, and Hindus etc.) gave without needing any propaganda?

The word ‘propaganda’ in my response triggered him and then we exchanged further messages.  The following are the main points from his messages:

BJP govt. does not use propaganda; to call this propaganda is like calling out what the mice are doing on the battlefield at Kurukshetra propaganda…. They (Muslims) have been vilified unjustly.  Trying to rectify the negative image that has been created by the govt and media is not easy. Not everything is dualistic pro this and anti that. You need to be able to see the communalism that BJP fosters in this country. Not saying others do not. But they are masters of it…. Does it not help all Indians to know that the same Muslim group that was called ‘ terrorists’ even in spreading the virus, vilified as thoughtless, are giving blood. I think, it does help reduce the over-vilification of this group and also all the conspiracy theories about them.

Then I began to reflect on all his points.  To be honest, I didn’t read or watch that BBC posting as I know well its anti-BJP stand.  But one thought came to mind. Then I wanted to ask the following questions to the members of that Tablighi Jamaat:

1.Did you give plasma because the Quran commanded you to do so?  To say in other words, did you give it as part of your religious faith?

2. Did you give plasma as charity or to demonstrate your generosity?

3. Did you give plasma in order to ‘rectify the negative image that has been created by the (BJP) govt and media’? To say in other words, is it a negative or counter reaction to someone’s propaganda against you to vilify you?

4. Did you give plasma as part of your duty (dharma) and responsibility to the fellow human being to help other corona patients as you now recovered from that virus (by the medical service rendered by the same BJP government that too free of cost which tries to vilify you)?

Then I wanted to ask the same questions to a typical Christian and Hindu.  But to a Hindu, I have to replace Quran to Gita or Ramayana and Bible for Christians  and change the question number three to the Hindus as follows:

Did you give plasma in order to support the Hindutva agenda of BJP or to endorse vilification of Tablighi Jamaat by the BJP government and media?

If anyone gives any reason other than reason than four? My response is that it is mere PROPAGANDA.

If I were a Muslim, particularly a member of Tablighi Jamaat, I would give a big slap on the face of the Editor of BBC and say: Why do you want to paint such a bleak and negative picture about our natural duty as an Indian?  Why do you bring our faith in this?  By doing it, you degraded our responsibility.  I would like to use the Tamil word here for this: ‘kochaippadutthade’ [கொச்சைப் படுத்தாதே]

Having said this, I further thought about the ‘communal’ agenda of BJP.  Then I wanted to ask the following question:

What a sincere and serious (Indian) Muslim would wish?  I guess that he or she would like to see that all the Indian non-Muslims (including Christians) should become Muslim.  Hindu religion, culture and tradition should be abolished and India should become a Muslim country.  IS THIS TRUE OR NOT?  Not knowing English properly, I don’t know whether this should be called ‘secular or communal’?

What a sincere and serious (Indian, evangelical) Christian would wish? I guess that he or she would like to see that all the Indian non-Christians (including Muslims) should become Christians.  Hindu religion, culture and tradition should be abolished and India should become a Christian country.  IS THIS TRUE OR NOT?  Not knowing English properly I don’t know whether this should be called ‘secular or communal’?

What a sincere and serious Hindu would wish?  I guess that he or she would like to remain as a Hindu and worship his or her gods.  Not converting others to their religion and not expecting others to convert them to their religion.  And when BJP or Sangh Parivar people tell the Hindus, ‘beware about the agenda of Muslims and Christians.  Remain alert.  Never give up your Hindu identity. As religion and culture cannot be put in water tight compartments, your religious identity is crucial for your Hindu identity. And never give it up at any cost.’

IS THIS TRUE OR NOT?  Not knowing English properly, I don’t know whether this should be called ‘secular or communal’?

How many Muslims countries are there in the world?  How many Christian countries are in the world?  How many Hindu countries are in the world?  There are several Christian and Muslim countries.  But there is not a single Hindu country.  In the past, Nepal was the only Hindu country in the world, but after the abolition of Kings Rule, it also became a secular country, I think.  Though the majority of Hindus live in India, India remains a secular country.

Not knowing English properly, I don’t know who is secular and who is communal.  Those who know better English, please help me to understand this.

After sharing the above message with many in Whatsapp, I also asked one question to them: To be honest, not knowing proper English I cannot understand the actual meaning of the word ‘communal’, particularly in the context of calling a political party communal. The following are some of the responses:

‘The actual meaning is a common thought process shared by all members of a community for common use.’

‘Supporting a particular community on the basis of caste or/ and religion’.

‘The use of religion in politics…where one religion is shown as superior to other religion’.

But this is my view on Communal and Communalism:

Believing in a particular ideology/theology/philosophy and not only trying to preserve it as one’s community’s identity but also propagating it to others expecting them to accept and join them.  But in several cases, not changing the social identity which is called ‘castism’ and ethnic identity called ‘racism’ in the West.

According to my understanding, we all are communal the moment we share our faith with others wishing them to accept it and give up their faith and follow our faith.  Hindus are no exception to this. Though in general Hindus don’t want to convert others to Hinduism and don’t want others to convert them to their religion, still within Hinduism, various sampradayas are ‘communal’.  For example, a staunch Vaishnavite would like other Hindus to become Vaishnavite and worship Vishnu alone.  Even a Vadakalai Iyengar (Vaishnavite) would like a Thenkalai Iyengar to follow his school of thought.  The same with Saivites.  This can even extend to most of the Hindus.  For example, the follower of a particular guru would wish that others also follow his or her guru.  The same is the case with the staunch follower of a particular deity.  I saw several Hindus strongly recommend their particular deity or temple to other Hindus to get their wishes attained by worshiping that particular deity or visiting that temple.  But the only difference is that most of the Hindus with rare exceptions like Sri Vaishnavites, they won’t mind if you still follow your family deity, guru or visit family temples while following their guru, deity etc.

I also want to extend this even to the so-called secularists.  For example a Communist would like others to follow his particular brand of Communist ideology.  Even an atheist would like every other to become atheist.  When this is the truth, calling others as ‘communal’ as if we remain 150 per cent secular looks a bit artificial, superficial and even arrogant to me.

Db

10-6-2020

To be continued….###