Now Kabir Is Also a Pariah to the Hindu India
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
16 March
2023
Recently,
two films ' Had-Anhad ' and ' Gay India Matrimony ' were
withdrawn from the Ravenshaw University Film Festival in Cuttack, Orissa as the
Right Wing Hindu students found both the movies to be against the Indian
culture.
Shabnam
Virmani's ' Had-Anhad' explores Kabir's Ram and the politics of
religion. Godhra incident and the Gujarat pogrom in 2002 shook her faith in
religion and humanity and she began to read Kabir's Dohe (couplets) to
find answers to her questions that conventional religions couldn't provide.
Using Kabir's non-religious and non-sectarian philosophy as a metaphor for
universal unity and humanity, she made four films: Had-Anhad, Koi Sunta
Hai, Kabira Khada Baazaar Mein and Chalo Humare Des.
Since Kabir
took Potshots at Hindus and Muslims and criticised both the faiths for their
obscurantism, today, he has become an eyesore to the followers of Islam and
Hinduism. His current status, to use WhatsApp parlance, vindicates Iqbal's
famous lines, ' Zahid-e-Tangnazar Ne Mujhe Kafir Jaana Aur Kafir Yah
Samajhta Hai Ke Musalman Hoon Main'. A few years ago, a Muslim professor at
a university in Uttar Pradesh, called Kabir, anti-Muslim. Now, Hindus are also
calling him anti-Hindu.
But the
most disturbing facet of the whole episode is the anger, intolerance and displeasure
shown by the 'educated' college students of a reputable university who're
fussing over Hindu Sanskriti, religion and culture.
That even
colleges and universities have also become fertile grounds for growing
religiosity, intolerance and ethnicity is a matter of grave concern.
Instead of
having educated perspectives on all issues, students are getting ghettoised,
religiously polarised and rabidly intolerant. This is not a good sign.
If you
observe the behaviour of youngsters on all social platforms, their increasing
religiosity is obvious. Hindu youngsters will wish you saying, nay emphasising,
Jay Shri Ram or Jay Shri Krishna. This was not a trend until a few years ago.
Now every young person is religiously supercharged. Hindus force Muslims to
chant Jay Shri Ram. What used to be a favourite pastime of lumpen elements and
rogues of both the religions, has become an acceptable trend among the students
and city-dwellers. This is really sad and doesn't portend well for the future.
------
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/kabir-pariah-hindu-india/d/129331
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