Top Haridwar Seers Condemn “Dharam Sansad”
Prominent seers in Haridwar have condemned the hate speeches made at the so-called “Dharam Sansad”, held recently, against Muslims and Christians. The Sansad also threatened to kill former PM Manmohan Singh for his alleged ‘appeasement’ of minorities. The seers’s move to condemn the hate speeches is welcome. However, it is surprising that the culprits have not been arrested. Is the police department waiting for ‘order’ to arrest? However, justice-loving persons would like to congratulate Mahant Ravindra Puri of Mahanirvani Akhada for his bold statement against hate speeches. He said that negative comments against any religion were regrettable and condemnable.
Chowdhry Nisar Ahmed
Noorullah Pet, Ambur (Tamil Nadu)
Enact Anti-Islamophobia Law
Amidst the growing incidents of islamophobia and anti-Muslim violence across the globe, the Combatting International Islamophobia Act passed in the US House of Representatives is a crucial step towards monitoring acts of Islamophobia. Representative Ilhan Omar along with 30 other lawmakers introduced this bill in October 2021.
The Act allows the Department of State to officially document Islamophobic acts around the world and issues related to them. It further seeks to establish a Special Envoy that will head the monitoring of acts of Islamophobia.
It is high time India enacted an anti- islamophobia law that can address hate against Muslims and other minorities in India.
Khalid Zafar
Kanpur
Uttar Pradesh
Was Aurangzeb a “Villain”?
Was Aurangzeb a “villain”? But what about the Bargis (mercenary group of the Maratha empire) who had indulged in massive plunder of Bengal for about 10 years (1741-1751). Yes, Maratha invasions of Bengal were almost an annual event of terror for a decade. The Bargis were neither Muslims nor invaders from foreign lands. Rather they were Hindus of India plundering their very own, looting resources and killing Hindu Bengalis. No wonder the Maratha ditch had to be excavated around. Kolkata with “Khoka Ghumalo Para Juralo, Borgielo deshe / Bulbuli-te dhan kheyeche khajna debo kishe” (When the children fall asleep, silence sets in, the Bargis come to our lands / Bulbuls have eaten the grains, how shall I pay the tax demands?) becoming part of Bengal folklore.
So tyranny was the monopoly of neither any particular monarch nor any particular religious group; even if it is assumed that Aurangzeb was indeed a “villain” of such demonic proportions. It must also be noted that expansion of the empire was desired by all monarchs around the world throughout history and to do so violence and war are inevitable. In that respect, Aurangzeb alone cannot be made a scapegoat.
Kajal Chatterjee
Sodepur
West Bengal
‘Reconvert Pakistanis’!
Deccan Herald of December 27 has published a news article titled “Dream big, ‘reconvert’ Pakistanis to Hinduism”. It is the title of a speech of Tejasvi Surya, a BJP MP from Karnataka. It seems for the BJP the biggest achievement is Pakistan! Alas, what a petty thinking!
To me BJP is a concealed name of RSS, which openly says that Muslims and Christians are alien to India. In India Muslims are living peacefully for many centuries, advocating unity of God and unity of mankind. This communal RSS party which is only a century old, must introspect itself whether its ideology of negating Muslims’ identity in India is tenable. The Muslim community is destined by the Creator, to be born in India, will live and die in India, no power in the universe can erase Muslims from wherever they are destined to live, because the entire universe is Created by its Creator.
Abdul Rahman Sharief
Via Email
