In India, saffron is the colour traditionally associated with renunciation and self-sacrificing valour. Those who don robes dyed in this hue are venerated by the masses and addressed as sadhu (good, virtuous), sant (saintly), jogi (practitioner of yoga), mahatma (great soul) etc. There are other honorific titles such as swami (master) and guru (preceptor). In past, these men and women, having renounced the material world for spiritual pursuits, lived as recluses in forests performing austerities for the welfare of fellow human beings. They were considered above prejudice and temptations.
Well, not all who roamed around in a mendicant monk’s habit preferred shades of saffron—some made do with a white dhoti or just a loincloth. Then there were sects who dispensed with even these. Naga and Digambar sadhus were quite content to let the sky clad them. In popular imagination, these men were linked to rishi (seer) and muni (who let their silence be eloquent), celebrated in Vedic literature and Hindu epics. Believed to be repositories of wisdom, with a superhuman capacity to bless and curse lesser mortals, they were respected and feared in almost equal measure.
Times have changed and those who loudly proclaim their renunciation are more than happy to jump in the partisan political affray. Not content to be the power behind the throne they in increasing numbers contest elections and are happy to be sworn in as ministers. And this is where the problem starts. Elected representatives of the people have to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution. The preamble of the Constitution leaves us in no doubt about its basic structure. Equality and Liberty along with Secularism are the cornerstones of the edifice that protects the fundamental rights of the citizen. Freedom of speech, equality before the law, no discrimination on grounds of race, religion and gender are covered by these.
However, freedom of expression doesn’t and, can’t protect hate speech. Outrageous calls for genocide given at a gathering calling itself a dharm sansad (religious parliament) has shocked the country into the realisation that the self-styled defenders of faith (in this case the religious beliefs of the majority Hindu community) hold a very real threat to the unity and integrity as well as to the composite cultural heritage that has shaped our identity. Hinduism isn’t an Abrahamic religion. It has no organised Church, Pontiff or Holy Book. Authority to interpret it can’t be usurped by anyone.
Most unfortunately, the topmost leaders have chosen to remain silent in face of this explosive crisis. This has conveyed the message that the hate-mongering godmen (not all men of God) have their tacit support if not active patronage. It is not only the ruling party that has responded opportunistically to this threat. Tempted by the prospect of using religion to garner votes ‘playing with fire’ has become commonplace. No one seems to be worried about the conflagration that political pyromaniacs can accidentally ignite.
Hate can’t heal hurts—real or imaginary. A sense of victimhood is being created by deliberately distorting history. This is just not a clash between Nationalist and Marxist perspectives on the past. The real problem is the attempt to blur the distinction between fact and fantasy, deliberate fudging of mythic metaphors and reality. Not many among the young are interested in the resurrection of the glorious past. They are struggling to cope with the increasingly painful present. Economic disparity, social discrimination, feudal-patriarchal mindset, the rural-urban divide held portents of social unrest and political instability even before the Covid pandemic hit us.
There are urgent problems that need to be addressed. The failure to deal with the problems of the economy and social justice makes distractions attractive. The threat posed by the enemies on the border recedes as the search for the enemies within gathers momentum. We forget at our peril that some distractions can be disastrous. Hate speech can unleash a virus no less contagious and deadly than Corona. Inoculation against this infection isn’t available. The only remedy or protection, call what you may, is exemplary and swift punishment to perpetrators of this crime.
It’s a sad and sobering thought that a few among the many hate mongers were arrested only after the Supreme Court was stirred into action, which exerted pressure on the concerned state government. The speed with which the bail was announced for the accused can only be considered distressing. The conduct of law enforcement agencies has been shameful. Police appeared reluctant to take cognisance (the DGP could state with a straight face that no FIR had been filed and no violence had followed after the speeches!) And, in one case when the arrest was made that charges weren’t related to the hate speech. The colour of what you wear does seem to tilt the scales of justice. What else can be expected in times when senior officers are queuing up to change their khaki uniform for saffron or green scarf to contest elections?
Pushpesh Pant
pushpeshpant@gmail.com
Former professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University