Time to take a stand against blind fury and ignorance

Time to take a stand against blind fury and ignorance

Fatima Chowdhury, The Statesman, Asia News Network, Calcutta

On Feb. 27, the Sabarmati Express left Ayodhya with 3,000 kar
sevaks (Hindu activists) returning to Gujarat. Many would not see
the end of the journey. The train was set alight at a signal by a
mob believed to be Muslims about 500 meters from Godhra station
(about 150 kilometers from Ahmedabad). Fifty-seven were burnt to
death and another 43 injured, many of them women and children.

In the early hours of March 1, a Muslim-dominated shantytown
in Ahmedabad slept uneasily amid the growing communal tension. A
mob of 300 Hindus torched the area, leaving dozens to burn to
death. Last reports indicated that about 27 charred bodies had
been recovered.

We live in an age where life seems to have little value. An
age where "religion" is a justified and acceptable excuse to hate
and indulge in violence. The tragedy on the Sabarmati Express is
deplorable and inhumane, but what followed in Gujarat is equally
inexcusable. As the saying goes, no two wrongs make a right.
Towns and cities are under curfew. People are being burnt alive.

Houses and shops are destroyed in fires. The number of
reported deaths stands at an estimated 450, a number that has
little significance for the victims whose loved ones are gone
forever and whose lives will never be the same. Sorrow knows no
religion, both are stuck in the vicious cycle of hate. And we
keep repeating past mistakes again and again.

The tension in Ayodhya has a long history dating back to 1528.
On the surface, the bone of contention seems clear cut -- a 16th
century mosque built on land believed by some Hindus to be the
birthplace of Lord Ram. But in the dust of history's pages, the
line between reality and myth has become blurred. The truth
depends on who one decides to ask -- Hindus or Muslims.

In 1992, tensions in Ayodhya finally exploded with the mosque
being razed to the ground by supporters of Hindu hard-line groups
such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS), Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) and Bharatya Janata Party (BJP). The Babari Masjid
stood as reminder of an era gone by as it watched, for centuries,
people fight to decide its fate. Its destruction has not ended
the hostilities. Muslims now want the mosque to be rebuilt while
Hindus are clamoring for a temple. How does one resolve such a
dilemma?

In 1996, the BJP emerged from political obscurity to take
center stage amid the emergence of a Hindu revivalist movement
and promised to build the temple. But nine years later, Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is faced with a delicate balancing
act between maintaining political power and fulfilling an
election promise. The BJP has, at least publicly, distanced
itself from the temple issue and called on all parties involved
to permit the law to solve the issue. But the long delay by the
courts to render a decision has tried the VHP's patience and it
now intends to start the temple construction on March 15. What
remains to be seen is whether or not the VHP will abide by the
court decision and to what extent the government will go to
preserve the sacredness of the court's decision.

The government was well aware that in the past week kar sevaks
were gathering in Ayodhya to convince the government to allow the
temple's construction.

Thousands of security personnel were posted at the site to
prevent any disturbance as an estimated 15,000 kar sevaks had
descended on the area. Communal tensions were on a rise.

So what prevented the government from providing security on
the Sabarmati Express? After the tragedy, everyone knew there was
going to be a backlash. What prevented the government from taking
adequate steps to maintain law and order?

Where was the government when innocent people were being made
to pay for the crimes of a few? Plenty of questions, but the
answers are yet to be given. The government is now on the roll to
justify its actions and must, along with law enforcement, be held
responsible for failing to act in curbing the violence in Gujarat
and other parts of India.

The Ayodhya issue seems far from over. Compromise does not
seem an option for the two communities, but the death of innocent
men, women and children seems to be acceptable. How can a place
of worship be built at the cost of innocent lives and amidst
revenge and hate?

The author Margaret Atwood once wrote, "An eye for an eye only
leads to more blindness." So, hate and misguided violence will
only lead us to become a blind nation, left far behind in the
race of globalization and development.

Hate in the name of religion will not feed the hungry, shelter
the poor or even get us a berth in the beyond. The nation has
serious problems that need to be addressed, especially as
unemployment, stagnant economy, illiteracy and poverty continue
to hinder our development.

Yet, instead of addressing the real issues and problems of
this nation, political parties are more keen to create diversions
and gain political mileage. It is time we focus our energies in
the right direction than be diverted by past anger, insecurities
and distrust. What good is it to talk about India and its
greatness if we fail to act truly as one India?

What good is it to know that religious violence will destroy
us if we fail to stop it? We can let our blind fury and ignorance
continue or take a stand to change the course of our nation's
destiny. The choice is ours to make.