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.