Religion

Charlie Hebdo Attack|Cartoonists Respond back worldwide

French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo faced a ruthless terror attack on January 7th 2015 which killed twelve people, including the editor Stéphane “Charb” Charbonnier, seven other Charlie Hebdo employees, and two national police officers.Three armed men reportedly forced in the offices of the publication and opened fire.
Charbonnier was in the hit list of terrorist outfit Al-Qaeda since long. Known for its cartoons and jokes not only on Islamic leaders and Prophet Muhammad but also on Catholicism and Judaism other than politics and culture, the newspaper, its editor and cartoonists have been attracting controversy since long.
cartoon on charlie hebdo attack, mysay.in, charlie hebdo shooting,religion and humanity,
The question is : is religion bigger than humanity ? Is satire and criticism so lethal that it has to be responded back with bloodshed ? Does a critic not give us an opportunity of introspection ? And above all, can guns really win hearts of human beings and its Creator- the Supreme for whom some have self-licensed themselves to kill fellow humans ?
Meanwhile, there has been a strong response from political cartoonists community worldwide against this attack which indicates, may be, guns can scare pencils and brushes but not so much that they will stop drawing. cartoon on charlie hebdo attack, mysay.in, charlie hebdo shooting, Here are links of cartoons against the attack :
12 Cartoons worldwide in response to Charlie Hebdo shooting
Below are my favourite Indian cartoonists who reacted against the massacre in their ways:
Cartoons by Kirtish Bhatt
Facebook page of popular Indian cartoonist Satish Acharya on the killings of cartoonists.
A toon by popular cartoonist Manjul and Manoj Kureel on the attack.
A toon on The Hindu depicting the incident.

Agnivesh manhandled for remarks against Amarnath

Swami Agnivesh was attacked by activists of local organization of Bhopal-Sanskriti Bachao Manch, for his remarks on Amarnath shrine which is a Hindu Pilgrimage since ages. The incident took place after a programme to launch the Maila Mukti Yatra in which Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Madhya Pradesh C.M. Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present. The group forced him to take off his saffron apparel and tried to remove his headgear till the security personal intervened and saved Swami Agnivesh.  For disrespecting the religious sentiments of Hindus who consider the ice stalagmite formation as Shivling and pay a visit to seek blessings, as religious deception or ‘pakhand’,Agnivesh was issued an arrest warrant by the Haryana court and the Supreme Court slammed Agnivesh for his irresponsible statement!

swami agnivesh image
Swami Agnivesh manhandled by activists of Sanskriti Bachao Manch

What Nathuram Godse thought about Gandhi?

30th January ‘1948 marks the brutal assassination of Mahatma Gandhi “The Father Of the Nation”. He was shot in the chest three times at point-blank range with a semi-automatic pistol. The last words uttered by the Mahatma were ” Hei Ram “. The assassin did not try to escape and was arrested by the police. He was 38 year old,Nathuram Vinayak Godse who had conspired the assasination with 6 other people , including his brother. The nation mourned the death of the Mahatma and Nathuram Godse was awarded death-sentence and on 15th November ‘1949 he was hanged till death at Ambala Jail.

So what made Nathuram Godse take such a step? What prompted him to kill the Mahatma when anyone could guess the severe consequences,including him. Why did he not try to flee?

During his trial , Nathuram Godse spoke his heart out which reveals his thinking towards The Mahatma.

According to Godse, Gandhi did not allow any room for people to disagree with his “irrational” policies where he would always favour the Muslims.
He had cited during his trial that “Gandhiji began to hold his prayer meetings in a Hindu temple in Bhangi Colony and persisted in reading passages from Quoran as a part of the prayer in that Hindu temple in spite of the protest of the Hindu worshippers there. Of course he dared not read the Geeta in a mosque in the teeth of Muslim opposition. He knew what a terrible Muslim reaction would have been if he had done so. But he could safely trample over the feelings of the tolerant Hindu.”

He quoted numerous examples of Gandhi’s bias including the fast for the payment of Rs. 55 crores to Pakistan and many more such incidents where he found that Gandhiji’s behaviour was hypocritical where he did not impose any conditions on Muslims because Jinnah and the Muslim League were not at all influenced by his fasts and attached no value to his voice.

During his trial , referring to the various questions asked to him he explained :

This is what Gandhiji had achieved after thirty years of undisputed dictatorship and this is what the Congress Party calls ‘Freedom’. Never in the history of the world has such slaughter been officially connived at or the result described as Freedom, and ‘Peaceful Transfer of power’ If what happened in India in 1946, 1947 and 1948 is to be called peaceful one wonders what would be the violent. Hindu Muslim Unity bubble was finally burst and a theocratic and communal State dissociated from everything that smacked of United India was established with the consent of Nehru and his crowd and they have called it `Freedom won by them at sacrifice’. Whose sacrifice?

— Nathuram Godse, Answer to the Charge Sheet (Excerpt from Para. 69w)

This is how he concluded :

Finally, I now stand before the court to accept the full share of my responsibility for what I have done and the judge would, of course, pass against me such orders of sentence as may be considered proper. But I would like to add that I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me, nor do I wish that anyone should beg for mercy on my behalf. My confidence about the moral side of my action has not been shaken even by the criticism levelled against it on all sides. I have no doubt that honest writers of history will weigh my act and find the true value thereof someday in future.

— Nathuram Godse, Answer to the Charge Sheet (Para. 150)

The point of view of Nathuram Godse could not be negated completely as history reveals Gandhiji’s submissive behaviour towards Muslim sentiments and leaders. And also Nathuram Godse’s clarifications highlight one thing that we never got our Independence without bloodshed but we have failed to recognize so. Almost all the nonviolent protests conducted during the time, faced violent retaliation from the English Government.
These citations are not to praise Nathuram Godse or to criticize Gandhiji but this is to point out the problem which yielded to such drastic step and the worst part is Favouritism is still prominently present in Indian politics hence we are still suffering. It’s not we the commoners who ask for being favorite but it is the political leaders who force us to believe we deserve “extra” as its our right which was subdued since long or this is what our religion says. We start relating to such leaders as our sole well-wishers. They divide on the basis of State, Religion and Castes and we gladly accept that fighting amongst ourselves. Who knows , these leaders dine together at night , making mockery of us!

We have overcome all those difficult times somehow and its time when we Indians be rational, regardless of what religions and castes we are from. Its time we start considering our nation above our “religions and castes”. Before following some leader , be it religious, social or even political, we need to have an open thought-process. Rational thinking is mandatory. Blindly following like cattle would never help India overcome the continuing misery of religious and caste differences. Is it not time , the term minority and schedule caste and tribe be excluded? By declaring special seats for schedule castes and tribes and minorities in Government exams and Government jobs, do we not retain the difference ? When political parties talk about giving facilities to minorities or some specific sections of Indian society, are they not doing favouritism ?

More than any Lokpal Bill which again got politicised by various opportunists, seeking reserved places for different sections of Indian society, it is important that we minimise the religious and caste differences and that can only happen if these reservations and quota system, on the basis of minority and backward-classes is eradicated. These religious and caste quotas have become the major weapons for the opportunist religious,social and political leaders of today’s India.

Its High-time Constitution  be equal for all and so should be the opportunities regardless of any religion or caste. Once outside India, the world knows us not as Hindus or Muslims , Brahmin or Sudra, all they know is we are Indians and that is our foremost identity!

Jai Hind.

Source of Information

Mahisashura or Durga – Who is Dividing Us Again ?

Theories by Prem Kumar Mani , claiming Mahisashura as the king of ancient Bengal and that he was killed by Aryan agent Durga, with evidence from Puranas and the article’s title “Kiski Puja Kar Rahe Hain Bahujan” with the matter within, indicating Lordess Durga was the killer of Asuras and their King, who are the backward classes, in today’s India and questioning the worship of Durga , by the backward classes, may sound convincing to some ears and may be irrelevant to others. However, this successfully disturbed the peace of J.N.U., where a group of 200 students celebrated Mahisashura Day on October 24th and some wrote letters complaining about the article’s circulation during Durga Puja.

 After the circulation, RSS Student Wing, ABVP, attacked the Forum Members presided by Jitendra Yadav, while they were conducting a meeting in the campus. The University sent show-cause notices to the president of the Forum and to two members of ABVP. While the ABVP members sent replies, Jitendra Yadav preferred sending a legal notice. No big deal, if tomorrow, we get to see Mr. Yadav as a prominent politician, in the coming years.

Well, the question over here, is there any point taking out conclusions and theories and digging out proofs of past and mythology? Today when at least the urban areas of the country, are slowly getting rid of the evil of caste system and fundamentalism, how do these things help the country? Are divisions less that we need to divide more? Aryans and Non-Aryans ( Asuras ), Dravidians and God knows how many more sub-divisions,the question is-why? Do we really need to know all these? Are Real-life villains, in our day-to-day life, the corrupt politicians, gangsters and business houses not enough to keep us busy scrolling the TV news channels?

Ours is a country which allows everyone to follow their own religion and belief, then why hurting and questioning religious sentiments of some and provoke some others? Cheap politics never seem to cease which has been dividing and further dividing humankind. Caste Systems, Racial Discriminations and Religions are the major weapons of the same. ” Divide and Rule Policy ” of  The East India Company has been best learnt by some diplomats and politicians since Independence.

Its time, Indian Laws should be revised and made equal for all Indians. No religion and no castes should be considered privileged or under-privileged, anymore. Only then the opportunist brains of the nation, might  freeze implementing their evil policy of Divide and Rule.

Remind yourself about those crowded Local Trains and Buses and Metro Trains, where hundreds and thousands of us travel to reach our homes and offices. Do we have different sections and compartments, in those buses and trains on the basis religion and caste? Do we ask our fellow-passengers, about their religious and caste identities before pushing our body or dashing against them in those mercilessly crowded buses and trains? At the end, we have the same last destination.Don’t we? 

Ours is a country, where we do not question or disregard our cricket heroes and film-stars if they do inter-religion or inter-caste marriages and celebrate every religious and regional festivals with all, regardless one is from different caste or religion. Rather we rejoice in their happiness and love them regardless.

Ours is a country , where Dhoni carrying the World-Cup gave equal excitement and happiness to Indians from all walks of  life then why not give a full-stop to caste and religious discrimination , by giving deaf-ears to few politicians and fundamentalists, who never miss any chance to propagate against humankind. Why not, live and let live in a peaceful India? As rightly said in one of the Bollywood Movies ” Rang De Basanti ” – “Apna ek pair Past mei hai aur doosra Future mei , isiliye saala Present pe moot rahe hain ” – (Our one leg is on the past and the other leg on the future and thats why we are urinating on our present)

Turban Ban Remains Intact For Sikhs, in France !

Is France not , truest definition of  a Secular Country ?

On his two-day visit to India , the French foreign minister, Allain Juppe, declared that the ban on wearing Turban would remain intact  which has majorly hurt the religious sentiments of Indians(Sikhs), living in France. French Foreign Minister has cleared that France being a secular country does not allow displaying religious symbols in public places and government buildings and offices. He cleared that they believe, religion should not intervene into the day-to-day life of people , living in France and neither should religion be dragged into politics. This ban is for everyone following any religion, residing in the country. Rooms for further discussion to find a better solution for the Sikh Community, is still intact.
Although, being an Indian , it hurts , in the first instance , to know , that turbans are banned in France but does it also not indicate that for France , Nationalism is a priority over everything else ?

The question which arises here is :

  • What have Indian Governments, given us, so far , keeping religion and castes prominent, just for vote-bank politics ? None of the governments , since freedom , have been impartial. Some gave upper hand to minorities, in the country and some gave upper hand to specific religions and castes.
  • What did we Indians get , being religious fanatics ? Did we not get riots, in the name of religion ? Did we not get Maoists and Terrorists, in the name of religion and caste discrimination ?
  • Is it not true that, “religion – The way to reach God” , has been the prime reason to separate hearts , living within the same national boundary ?
  • Do we all , follow our respective religions properly enough ? Every religion carries the common message of spreading Love and Care and not kill and get killed, in the name of God . Do we all follow it ?
  • Do we not interpret religion and its messages, as per our thought process and convenience ?
  • Is Religion Bigger Than Nationalism ? 
  • Is our religous identity more important than our national identity ?