CHENNAI : Recently different parts of world witnessed back to back incidents of riots, arson, bombing, looting and massacre of innocent people in lightening spree to a frightening scale. The violence, which raged for several days, and continues to erupt intermittently in certain areas, has been dubbed communal violence by most people, projecting that it is religiously motivated.
This observation by the people as well as the media has compelled the whole world to think whether this is what one’s religion preaches? Well! in reality, religion has very little to do with such irreligious acts because no religion preaches killing and looting and hence it cannot be the cause of any riot. So, then who does all these riots? The truth is that riots in the name of religion are most often incited by anti-social elements to fulfill a personal or political agenda or to just vent their hatred for the another community fostered by prejudices and real or imagined grievances. These kind of people always wait eagerly for an opportunity to start a riot and once a communal riot begins, it is fanned so much by these misguided fanatics that it creates mass destruction in society.
Nowadays, visuals of riots have become ‘primetime food’ for the viewers as well as the broadcasters. Looking at those visuals, one can’t help but ask the question: ‘Are these people really doing this for the glory of their religion?’ The answer is NO because a close look at the reality would show that they are men possessed by anger and hatred and hence they have nothing to do with any religion at all.
It has also been reported that during such riots, mental perversion is at its peak where men with sadistic mentality take full advantage of the breakdown in law and dishonour women of the other community to satisfy their carnal desires. The cases of modesty outrage of women reported during almost every riot are proof of this. As a usual practise the authorities and people in power seek to restore peace after every communal riot by forming peace committees to appease people from all religion and build up trust between communities and heal the social fractures caused by communal violence. However, to the surprise of everyone, these peace-making measures are foiled by mob attacks as a result of which the process of bringing harmony invariably jeopardises.
One would helplessly think that do these mob have no fear of law? NO, because such mobs obviously act without fear of punishment for their acts. But, while the man-made laws may not be able to touch them, they forget that the law of karma is inexorable and hence all those who use violence thinking they will never have to answer for, need to remind themselves that law of karma eventually catches up with everyone either in this birth or in future births, and by our deeds, good or bad, we lay the foundations for our future happiness or misery.So, let us wake up and follow the right path of religion which says ‘We all are ONE and Children of ONE’ by stopping hatred in the name of Religion.