India Is Paying the Price for Ignoring Swami Vivekananda's Warning: Sectarianism, Bigotry and Fanaticism Have Wreaked Havoc on The Indian Society
By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
13
September 2023
Swami
Vivekananda Had Warned of The Dangers of Religious Fanaticism in The Parliament
Of Religions In 1893
Main
Points:
1. He said that the Vedantic approach
was the solution to many challenges of the modern world.
2. Religious fanaticism has subjected
minorities to violence and bloodshed.
3. Ambedkar also stressed on the need
of a religion based on equality, liberty and fraternity.
-----
9/11, the
date reminds us of the ghastly terrorist attacks on twin towers in New York.
Many of the victims of the attacks are yet to be identified. The attacks
changed the world and it also underlined the need to fight religious
fanaticism. The date also reminds us of the Parliament of religions held in
Chicago in 1893 where India's representative, Swami Vivekananda delivered his
memorable speech. He had said that sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism had
caused immense bloodshed and therefore, it should be eradicated. The day also
reminds us of Mahatma Gandhi's first Satyagraha in South Africa against racial
discrimination.
Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions in 1893. Credit:
Wikimedia Commons
------
Swami
Vivekananda had hoped that the Parliament of world toll the death knell of sectarianism,
bigotry and its 'horrible descendant' fanaticism. Unfortunately, we see today
that sectarianism and religious fanaticism have assumed a more horrible shape
in India. India, whose social philosophy is based on Vedanta that stresses on
inner purification and monism which believes in the unity of God and his
creations. The Vedantic philosophy promotes love and sympathy for all beings
and peace. This philosophy has been suppressed and the ideology of
sectarianism, violence and religious fanaticism is being promoted. The target
of this ideology are the minorities, particularly, the Muslims. Dalits and
Christians of India have also suffered at the hands of majoritarianism. For
centuries, the low caste people were subjected to humiliation, oppression and
discrimination by the upper caste people who enjoyed power and authority. The
world Maleccha was invented to address them. The Muslims are the new targets of
this majoritarianism. Muslims are the new targets of this majoritarianism. They
are lynched, boycotted and discriminated against in every walk of life. Dharm
Sansads (Parliament of religions) are convened to issue calls of their massacre
and for their economic boycott while Saudi Arabia, India's strategic partner
provides employment to millions of Indians on its land contributing to India's
foreign exchange. The Muslims of Saudi Arabia or other gulf countries do not
issue calls of the economic boycott of Hindus of India. The government has not
been able to rein in such groups that openly indulge in violence against
Muslims, Christians and Dalits (the low caste). The violence against Muslims in
Nuh and against Christians in Manipur are the worst manifestations of religious
fanaticism in India.
Ambedkar,
the chief architect of India's Constitution also believed that India can
prosper only if it has a religion based on equality, liberty and fraternity and
such a religion will derive its sustenance from Upanishads. Mahatma Gandhi, the
Father of Nation, also said he had Gita in one hand and the Quran in the other.
But the rise of majoritarianism in India has threatened the composite culture
of India. Communally-laced statements of politicians on national media has done
a grave damage to the social fabric of the country. Communal campaigns against
the Muslims on the national media has filled the gullible minds of the youth
with hatred of Muslims. Recently, a police constable shot three Muslims on a
train near Mumbai out of hatred of Muslims. Many Muslims have been killed by
the so-called cow vigilantes, including Monu Manesar in a country cow slaughter
is not banned in many states.
The Muslim
girls are harassed for wearing hijab in a country where Hindu women wear veils
inside homes and outside. This kind of veil is called ghoonghat. Many Hindu
girls nowadays wear mask which is similar to veils of Muslim women. Nowadays,
religious processions have become another means of causing harassment to and
violence against Muslims. Various religious processions are taken out in which
participants carry weapons and shout anti-Muslim slogans. These slogans
shouting sometimes sparks communal clashes but the government does not take pre-emptive
measures.
The
violence in Nuh, Khargone, Delhi and Howrah took place during such religious
processions. Still the government has not formed any policy to deal with such
religious processions.
The riots
between Kuki ad Meitei communities continue since May but the government hs not
been able to control the violence. The video of sexual abuse of two hapless
women by a mob of rioters has not stirred the conscience of the people at the
top. Here in India riots continue for weeks and months while tje common people
in another parts of the country go about their routine life and politicians
busy in their electoral politics. This demonstrates the ugly truth that we as a
nation have lost our conscience. The dream of Swami Vivekananda and Ambedkar of
a peaceful society has shattered.
------
Remembering
9/11 Speech of Swami Vivekananda That Warned Us of the Dangers Posed by
Fanaticism
By
S.N. Sahu
13
September 2023
Today is
9/11, 2023. Normally, we remember 9/11 for the terrorist attack on America in
2001 by some fanatics who destroyed Twin Towers in New York and assaulted other
places. 9/11 associated with India’s history is more sublime and constructive.
On this day, on 9/11, 1893, Swami Vivekananda addressed the World Parliament of
Religions in Chicago. On this day in 1906, Mahatma Gandhi started his first
Satyagraha in South Africa.
Swami
Vivekananda’s short and profound 9/11 speech stirred the Americans, by casting
a spell on them. Later, through his numerous lectures on spirituality and
Vedanta, he made a deep impact on their minds. In that historic Chicago speech,
he profoundly stated that “sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendent
fanaticism drenched the earth with the blood of innocents”, and hoped that the
bell that tolled to announce the commencement of the World Parliament of
Religions would be the death knell of fanaticism.
Those were
indeed very stirring words. Hundred and eight years after Swami Vivekananda
uttered those words, America was attacked by some fanatics. Unfortunately, in
2023, the world, and especially India, is now confronting the combination of
sectarianism, bigotry, and fanaticism in the form of majoritarianism and the
polarisation process triggered by those controlling the state apparatus of our
country.
Call For
Genocide And Ethnic Cleansing
Now, we are
facing a relentless spread of hatred and violence in the name of religion.
Calls for the genocide of minorities, and that too of Muslims, are being issued
day in and day out from the so-called Dharma Sansads, religious parliaments.
They are also accompanied by sinister calls for comprehensive social and
economic boycott of Muslims. Very recently, it happened in Nuh in Haryana where
Muslims were targeted violently, they were asked to flee from their places of
work, and their houses were bulldozed. The Punjab and Haryana high court took
suo motu cognisance of the matter and asked in its order if it was an exercise
in “ethnic cleansing”.
Stones and
bricks used in the riots can be seen everywhere in Nuh. Photo: Atul Ashok
Howale
It is
shocking that the orders of the Supreme Court to the states where such calls
for genocide and social and economic boycott are being issued are being
ignored. In the recent past, the Supreme Court wondered if the state of
Maharashtra had become impotent to deal with hate speeches.
The
unprecedented violence and bloodshed in Manipur on ethnic lines is sadly
continuing. Unimaginable brutality suffered by women and the videos of brutal
sexual violence against them on ethnic grounds bring out ghastly manifestations
of sectarianism and bigotry which Swami Vivekananda flagged and cautioned about
its horrible descendent fanaticism. He would have been deeply anguished to see
that the words he uttered on 9/11, 1893
are being ignored in India, which he said, gave shelter to those
persecuted on the basis of religion in other parts of the world.
Survival
Of A Nation Endangered By Hatred
Swamiji had
cautioned that the very sustenance of a nation would be endangered by spreading
hatred against others. He traced India’s decline in history to hate generated
within society and cutting off all communication with fellow Indians by showing
contempt against them.
In a letter
to his disciple Alasinga Perumal from the USA on October 27, 1894, he
sensitively wrote, “No man, no nation, my son, can hate others and live.”
“India’s doom,” he added, “was sealed the very day they invented the word
MLECHCHHA and stopped from communion with others.” This letter is available in
Volume 5 of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda and its contents are of
immense significance in the context of India of 2023 where hatred in the name
of faith is dividing Indians, and inter-faith communication and harmony are
poisoned.
Supreme
Court Flagged the Danger Posed By Fanaticism
Swami
Vivekananda’s cautionary utterances of 9/11, 1893 that “sectarianism, bigotry
and its horrible descendent fanaticism drenched the earth with the blood of
innocents” can be ignored at our own peril.
Danger
posed by fanaticism was flagged by the Supreme Court in its judgment of October
13, 2022, in its order in the Aishat Shifa Versus The State of Karnataka. While
allowing Muslim girls to wear hijab anywhere in schools and colleges in
Karnataka, the court relied upon S.B. Chavan Committee Report, 1999, which
strongly recommended education about religions as an instrument of social
cohesion and social and religious harmony. The court quoted its para which
stated,
“Value-based
education is likely to help the nation to fight against all kinds of prevailing
fanaticism, ill will, violence, dishonesty, corruption, exploitation and drug
abuse …………… Let knowledge, like the sun, shine for all and that there should
not be any room for narrow-mindedness, blind faith and dogma. For this purpose,
also, if the basic tenets of all religions over the world are learnt, it cannot
be said that secularism would not survive.”
Composite
vision of India
More than a
hundred years back Swami Vivekananda defined India in a very composite manner
without relying on any one religion. He said that India needed a Vedantic brain
and Islamic body.
Such an
approach underlines a multi-faith approach to understand India in contrast to
cultural nationalism which promotes uniformity and endangers multiculturalism.
Those who swear by one nation, one culture, and one faith negate the vision of
Swami Vivekananda whom they often hail as their icon.
Nehru
and Ambedkar on Vedanta
It is
fascinating to note that the Vedantic approach of Swami Vivekananda was
mentioned by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru when he wrote in his famous
paper Basic Approach that eventually a Vedantic outlook would provide solutions
to many challenges of modern civilisation, which he said, caused mental
exhaustion.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
while bitterly criticising Hinduism and describing it as a religion based on
graded social inequality wrote in his essay on Annihilation of Caste that India
required a religion based on liberty, equality, and fraternity, and such a
religion would derive sustenance from Upanishads.
In fact,
the Upanishads constitute the Vedanta. It is instructive that both prime
minister Nehru and Dr. Ambedkar, builders of modern India, stressed on Vedantic
approach, which was prescribed by Swami Vivekananda along with the values of
Islam to conjure up the vision of India. It is important to remain anchored in
the vision articulated by Swami Vivekananda on 9/11, 1893, to defeat fanaticism
threatening the very Idea of India.
----
S. N. Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to
President of India K.R. Narayanan.
Source: Remembering
9/11 Speech of Swami Vivekananda That Warned Us of the Dangers Posed by
Fanaticism
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism