While Manipur Is Burning, Fanatics Are Burning the Posters of Adipurush
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
21 June 2023
I'm sure, had the useless mythological
flick ' Adipurush ' been released only a decade ago, no Hindu would have cared
for its Thela-Chhaap (handcart) dialogues written by a hard-core BJP
sycophant who answers to the name (of) Manoj Shukla Muntashir. By the way, this
scatterbrain has lived up to his nom de guerre Muntashir which predominantly
means ' scattered ' in Arabic! We all justify our names. Don't we?
Imphal: People at the site of a fire incident after
violence broke out on Wednesday between tribal and non-tribal during 'Tribal
Solidarity March' called by All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM). (PTI
Photo)
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That apart, why is Hindu India going
berserk over a mythological film with its mythical characters? Leo Tolstoy
wrote that religion blinds a country or community to the basic human realities
and plights. No one seems to be bothered about the deplorable happenings in
Manipur. That small and beautiful state in the North-East of India has been
burning for more than 45 days but the narcissistic PM has no time as he's
hobnobbing with Biden in the US and his reckless Hindu followers are ransacking
theatres wherever the movie is being screened. This reminds us of the famous
adage, Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
It's a matter of great pity and also of
grave concern that an otherwise tolerant community (read Hindus) has
degenerated into a huge group of goons and hooligans. What the Hindus would
accept and ignore until 15-20 years ago may prove to be a bogey to them in
these religiously intolerant times. Bengal's famous writer, critic and
columnist late Nityapriya Ghosh, brother of famous poet Shankha Ghosh, wrote
nearly three decades ago in The Ananda Bazar Patrika (he was its regular
columnist): " Only in a country like India, the factotum of a so-called
god also becomes the Lord/god." He alluded to Hanuman and Ram. No Bengali
raised his or her eyebrows and took umbrage. In fact, many of them endorsed his
viewpoint. Say the same thing in this age of in-your-face social media, you'll
be burnt at the stake and martyrized.
Adipurush Poster
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Ironically, India in the pre-internet era
was much more tolerant and mature than what it's today. Now everyone, even
'highly educated' ones, seems to have become religiously extra-sensitive and
touchy. We're not ready to accept even an oblique comment or insinuation about
our sacred figures and characters. This rabid intolerance has always been the
prerogative of Muslims. Now it has spilled over and seeped into Hindu
consciousness. Just like Muslims saying and writing that exceedingly
exasperating PBUH (Peace Be upon Him: Are your characters never in peace and
forever restless?) whenever Muhammad or any revered Islamic figure's name is
uttered, Hindus have also begun to use PBUH with their godly characters! Jay
Ho! It's an unhealthy competition in ossified religiosity.
What's happening? There're no rains. More
than 80 percent of India is staring in the face of impending drought. Nearly 50
percent people are jobless. Train accidents and ethnic skirmishes are taking
tolls. Climatic changes are wreaking havoc. But who cares? Practically, India
is a third-world country, battered by fanaticism.
Salman Rushdie said on his 70th birthday:
"World is sinking into a quagmire of religion, god and all that utter
s***. Like puppets on the strings, humans are being moved to dance to the tunes
of politicians, clerics, clergy, Mullas and Pope who know how to befuddle the
gullible humans in the name of religion. The future is dismal."
Today's religious India illustrates to a T
what Rushdie said six years ago. Politicians are befooling people by
instigating their dormant religious instincts and the zombies are also
responding brainlessly. You can see this happen across the country over one
lousy film, Adipurush that has made us behave like Adimanavs (Neanderthals).
It's really a shambolic state of affairs.
URL:
https://newageislam.com/current-affairs/manipur-fanatics-posters-adipurush/d/130039
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