Whatever I may do,
A fault,they will surely find.
Wherever I may live,
The world is still not colour blind.
Raghuraj S. Hegde from the poem Blackie
Over the past month or so I have been really worried as to how dangerous the world had become. Two incidents have much to do with what I feel right now.
One is a seemingly funny comedy movie "PK" released last month in India to rave reviews and incredible Box office collections. It supposedly makes fun of age old superstitions in India (Disclaimer: I havent watched the movie yet). This movie has somehow caught the fancy of self claimed protectors of Hindu culture who have denounced the movie saying it insults Hinduism and promotes 100 other blasphemous things. It would have been good if it had stopped at that but no. They had to burn posters, set vehicles and theaters on fire and also file frivolous litigation in courts. Fortunately no one has died as yet because of this movie (at the time of writing). The presence of Hindu fundamentalists, radicalists and anarchists have been denied by the Hindu majority public for a long time. Those who don't yet believe that they exist are living in middle earth. What distresses me is not that these fundamentalists exist but that they have active support from educated and informed Indians. I found this out when the discussion about this movie was brought to Facebook, Twitter and Quora. I realized many of my old colleagues, classmates and acquaintances hold a very strong opposition towards other religions. These people have passed out of the top universities, seen the world around and yet they have such a narrow view of their own religion and other religions. Many of these people started openly posting anti-Muslim or anti-Christian status updates and jokes online forgetting so many of their acquaintances are from any of the many religions in India. Any opposition from many people were ridiculed as either "sickular" or "selfish" or "blind" or "emasculate" . These people were steadfast in their hate for other religions. They claimed that Hinduism has been insulted long enough without anyone protesting and that was because Hinduism is a tolerant religion. From the vile I saw in online media Hinduism was anything but tolerant. I know it is not true. I am a Hindu by birth and proud of it. I do not see it as a religion but as a way of life. Hinduism is one of the few religions in the world which gives you the freedom to be an atheist but still belong to the religion. I presume most of these Hindu fanatics do not realize how open minded Hinduism has been and will be. You don't need 10,000 people burning posters and effigies to protect a 5000 year culture. It can stand tall on its own.
The second incident was the assassinations of cartoonists and editors of 'Charlie Hebdo' by a few of misguided French Muslims. This has again started a debate as to how this came to happen. Commentators wrongfully point out that the Charlie Hebdo bought it on themselves by publishing blasphemous cartoons over the last few years and that this would have happened sooner or later. They also go on to say that all this would not have happened if the magazine was more respectful of Islam.
Really? I mean are we even considering this argument?
As a citizen of the world and living in a democratic country I would want to have my own opinion and not things thrust upon me as politically correct. If not anything I should have the right to be offensive. Weather I choose to use that right is another matter entirely. As long as my words,writings and forms of expression do not harm anyone I have the right to say it.The 2006 article by Christopher Hitchens explains it so brilliantly here. If our only aim in life is not to offend anyone then we would see something like this in the future.
Anything you say is offensive to someone else so what should you do? Should we just stop talking or expressing? One is just waiting for the other to be "offensive enough" to start any of the following- protests,tearing posters, rioting, frivolous court cases, mass murders and genocide. If our attitude remains to encourage the above and stifle all forms of expression then soon enough we would be no different from people in China, North Korea or Saudi Arabia.
How can you be even sure any harmless thing you say is not offensive to someone else. You can never be careful enough. If you as an individual find something unacceptable or offensive choose not to promote it, watch it or even publish it. Tearing up posters, burning movie theaters, killing cartoonists and policemen isn't going to change anything. Every religion deserves the right to be criticized or praised in the same measure. I don't believe that religion should not be debated or discussed. How else would we improve our religion to suit our modern world. If we had not debated or discussed religion we would still be practicing all the weird old practices of our forefathers. As a Hindu I have the right to question my religion and so does a Muslim or a Christian. We have to see the merits and demerits of religion as one sees himself and not how a particular religious organization decrees we see it as. If we are scared to question we will not progress. All I want to say to these people is. Thank you. I can think for myself. Please respect my intelligence.
Raghuraj Hegde
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