Promoting communal harmony
Everyone -- every Indian -- anywhere in the world, needs to be proud of our cultural heritage and, be very proud of the fact that we as a Nation, stand out when it comes to coming out of all troubles. How is that we tolerate corruption, brave floods, famines, droughts, inflation, and what have you, and yet be religious, celebrate all festivals and also create goodwill through a series of good actions?
Just around a month ago, there was a very interesting news item in THE HINDU, a leading Newspaper in English, and possibly India's best newspaper, published from Chennai. This superb story was carried on the front page, along with a photograph. A small little girl, who had studied upto plus two standard and had scored good marks, had applied to the Agricultural University, Coimbatore, and had an interview call to appear before the Selection Committee in Coimbatore city. Unknowingly, and with wrong guidance, they were spotted at Anna University, main campus, at Guindy, in Chennai. A group of IT professionals who were on their morning walk, noticed the girl and the mother and enquired as to what was happening. The girl narrated the story and showed the call letter.
The professinals immediately sprung into action. They told the mother and the girl, that they would have to reach Coimbatore. They booked the two of them to fly to Coimbatore city, informed the Registrar of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to help the girl, even if she came a bit late, arranged for transport and food to reach the venue in Coimabotore city, on time, and ensured that the girl got her seat.
This touching story of human compassion needs to discussed in all social media, and the IT professionals need to be rewarded by the State Government or some other organization. The particular girl and her mother referred to the IT professinals as "God" in human form.
This is the essence of life. When we do something good, irrespective of caste or creed or religion or region, the entire society will stand to benefit. We will have put into the background, all the muck that is there in our heads. We are all human beings capable of love and compassion and kindness and generosity. We, at times, are also prone to be very violent and selfish and also greedy. We forget our basic strengths.
Only because we have our own differences that politicians are able to play their own dirty games, like suggesting that Muslims in India should not be allowed to vote in elections.
It is a very dangerous game that politicians are playing. They are playing a stupid game that cuts across the entire societal fabric of India.
We, as a Nation, are capable of defeating all dangerous games of all politicians. We can do this, only if we observe how people in perfect harmony, in all parts of India.
The best example of such harmony can be observed in a city called Tiruchirapalli, in Central India. This city of around nine lakh people, is a good educational centre. It has an IIM and a world famous NIT as well. It also has a superb Rock temple, that attracts thousands of tourists everyday from India and abroad.
Quite apart from this, is a small locality called Palakkarai, which is almost centrally located within the city limits. This locaity has a huge Muslim population, but it is not a very traditional Muslim population out there. Many of them are graduates, and a few are lawyers and even engineers.
What is unique about this locality is that one can see the Muslims respecting the Tamil Brahmins and other members of the other castes and even religions like Christians with the best of love and compassion. Even in the post-Ayodhya temple destruction throughout India, nothing happened at all in Tiruchirapalli and, particularly in Palakkarai.
What is most important is that the spirit of love and compassion and kindness knows no religion and no caste or regional differences. Only when we start appreciating the larger purpose of life, we can understand the true importance of communal harmony.
One of the simple ways in which we can promote communal harmony, is to understand people of all religions and reach out to them, in whatever ways we can. Once this is done, the rest will follow.
This fact was possibly in full evidence during a nasty fire accident in a marriage ( before the wedding could actually take place), in Srirangam, a part of Tiruchirapalli town, some ten years ago. Hearing about the commotion, a group of Muslims who were on the way to their Mosque, for prayers, voluntered themselves, rushed to the venue and saved a few precious lives. When reporters asked them whether their regular prayer schedules were not disturbed, they replied that Allah had actually planned it for them. Even Allah would not have heard their prayers if they had not gone inside the venue to save the precious lives.
This is a true story, that highlights the importance of promoting communal harmony.
The second basic step is to make the members of other religions take part in functions and festivities. When we involve others, things become far better. For instance, it is very common for Hindus to visit the famous Darga at Nagore, near Tanjore in Tamil Nadu. A huge amount of Muslims and Hindus visit the world-famous Church at Velankkanni, near Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. What really happens is that the appreciation of the larger context of harmony between all religions is so much appreciated in Tamil Nadu.
The third basic step is to step up the process of educating one and all, so that such education will defeat the evil designs of politicians and help them see reason. For instance, when the stupid suggestion of taking away the Muslim vote was made in Bombay, the very next day, most people who were interviewed by Tamil TV channels condemned it with all their might. The Hindu leaders were the first to raise their protest and a series of articles in the local press, by Hindus, made a huge attack on the political party that advocated such a stupid step. Education can indeed make a vital diference.
The fourth step is to talk to the politicians themselves through at least some right meaning representatives and help them see reason. It is a very welcome sign that even in the ruling party at the Centre, the BJP, there was a huge opposition to the idea, the very next day.
The fifth step is to use the social media and reach out to millions of people, who would understand the real importance of communal harmony and do something about it, when and if they understand its importance. This will become all the more easy when people start using the social media as a way of life. The social media is now becoming more common, even in rural areas. Facebook, for example, is very much available in many Indian languages and most exchanges takes place in local languages. Socail media is a very important tool for promoting communal harmony.
So, let us all wake up and do something about communal harmony. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels of the past.
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