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Thursday | 16 January 2025 | Epaper

Democracy  and December

Published : Sunday, 20 December, 2020 at 12:00 AM  Count : 293
Chinmay Prasun Biswas
2020 will remain ever memorable to those who demolished Babri Mosque 28 years ago because construction of Ram Temple has already began there ceremonially. Their thinking for future is devoted to the dream of a temple. Babri Mosque is a remote (please read - forgotten) past to them. Just for this reason 6th December is memorable to Indian people, its rational citizens and for the basic character of its secular democracy. Let Ramchandra remain at his birthplace with glory and inside the temple but history will remain as a permanent witness of the glaring fact that a tomb of around 450 years' old was demolished in broad daylight in India and none has been taken to task for it.

Moreover, in this year it has been clearly notified that nobody will be punished ever. Question naturally arises - was demolition of the mosque a ghostly affair? History is always written by the victorious. Latest edition (please read - demonstration) of Ayodhya Kanda (2nd book of Ramayan) has proved this continuous truth again. It has also been informed that democracy in India is now the other name for majoritism. Victorious majority is now active to rewrite that history. Destruction and construction are two pillars of that ism.

One fact is widely discussed and accepted that two very basic responsibilities of democracy are to protect the interest and right of minorities. Just after independence in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, reminded chief ministers of all states of this responsibility with deep sympathy and grave concern. On the other hand minimum portion (please read - fraction) of that realisation is not noticed in his present successors. Time has come to think over another point. Negligence to interest of minorities hampers the interest of majority also. Not only trifle interest but also greater interest that does not oppress or intimidate others to serve own purpose of the majority. It finds out success of power holders. Gautam Buddha advised that the strong has responsibility towards the weak because he holds power. It is not simply a demand of social morality but also essential for self development. Buddha's advice is important today in multiple ways because oppression of the strong has crossed its circle.

It is certain that dealers of power will not pay minimum heed to it. It is impossible to depend or place confidence on their morality and good sense. May be all of those who are dancing to others' flute have not lost their good sense yet. Perhaps their own sense of meanness has attracted them towards majority. Probably they are thinking that suppressing will make their dominance absolute and that is the only way to be victorious. Their thinking is certainly wrong. A word at the root must not be forgotten that victory achieved through suppressing others is meaningless because it cannot give the victories anything other than over lordship.

Dominants occupy power, sometimes absolute power but respect and love always remain beyond their reach. How can they listen to the words of god whose hearts have turned hard? Naturally, they also use their own followers only as a tool to occupy power. They don't have any minimum feeling of sympathy for them. Their political ideal is only to dominate the minority and weak through oppression and threat. There is no place of fair feeling in their political dictionary, not even for their own devotees.

Those who become elated with demoniac pleasure after demolishing a mosque, God can't remain in peace inside that temple made by them, whatever be its height or cost. 6th December is the day to stand face to face with that hard truth. So long Babri Mosque was alive it was a tomb but now it is a big question mark.

As reported by The Anandabazar on 5th December, 2020, Mithu Nayek, General Secretary of Viswa Hindu Parishd (VHP), has declared in Assam that no Hindu will be allowed to go to church on the occasion of Christmas. If anybody goes he will be beaten. He has warned that the Hindus must not participate in any festival of the Christians. A portion of Ramkrishna Mission at Shilong in Meghalaya has been kept temporarily closed. Supporters of |Bajrang Dal  and VHP has made situation hot on this issue. They have complained that prayer of the Hindus has been suspended due to an occasion of the Christians.

Recently, in a meeting at Shilchar, Mithu Nayek referred to the point of Shilong. Amid Jai Sriram slogan (please read - shout) of followers he said - I can't tolerate those who rejoice with the festival of the Christians. They have closed our temple. No Hindu will be allowed to go to church on Christmas. We shall block them. Even after that if anybody tries to go there he will be beaten.
 
 If anybody is beaten due to attending church it may be a news headline and a subject matter of wide criticism. They may be termed as hooligans. Mithu Nayek also knows it very well but as per his version -" That matters nothing. Closing temple at Shilong. Hindus' joining Christians' festival will never be tolerated." However, complain of Mithu Nayek has been turned down by Government of Meghalaya. They have clarified that no temple of Ramkrishna Mission has been closed. Vacation has already been declared on the occasion of festival. For this reason cultural centre has been kept closed.

In his famous booklet 'On Liberty' John Stuart Mill mentioned that democracy is tyranny of the majority. Will Indian democracy turn into it?
The writer is a former
Commissioner of Taxes





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