Recently 49 imminent people who call themselves secular wrote a letter to PM, on the topic of increasing intolerance .
The letter, signed by noted personalities such as Aparna Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shyam Benegal among others reads: “Dear Prime Minister… The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities must be stopped immediately. We were shocked to learn from the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) reports that there have been no less than 840 instances of atrocities against Dalits in the year 2016, and a definite decline in the percentage of convictions.”
The letter added, “You have criticised such lynchings in parliament Mr Prime Minister, but that is not enough… We strongly feel that such offences should be declared non-bailable…”
Interestingly, the letter comes on a day when the Ministry of Home Affairs told Parliament that incidents of communal violence showed a “declining trend”. The ministry added that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not maintain records of lynching, but the advisories were issued to states and Union Territories to maintain law and order.
Further, the 49 personalities decried the use of the ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogan as a “war cry”, saying it “leads to law and order problems, and many lynchings take place in its name”. “It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion! These are not the Middle Ages! The name of Ram is sacred to many in the majority community of India. As the highest Executive of this country, you must put a stop to the name of Ram being defiled in this manner,” the letter said.
They added that “no ruling party is synonymous with the country where it is in power… Hence anti-government stands cannot be equated with anti-national sentiments. An open environment where dissent is not crushed, only makes for a stronger nation.” “We hope our suggestions will be taken in the spirit that they are meant — as Indians genuinely concerned with, and anxious about, the fate of our nation,” it said.
But on this letter, there was much hue and cry in the media, and after a day or so , other 62 imminent people wrote a letter in reply to the above letter
In the letter, the 62 personalities termed the earlier open letter of 49 others as “an attempt to foist false narrative” with an aim to “tarnish” India’s image at international level by portraying PM Modi-led NDA government’s efforts in the negative light.
In the open letter, these personalities have asked why the 49 eminent personalities were silent “When tribals and marginalised became victims of Naxal terror, why did they didn’t speak when separatists issued dictates to burn Kashmir’s school, or when the demand for dismembering India – tukde tukde – were made.”
Accusing the 49 others of “bartering” the freedom, unity, and integrity of India in the name of freedom of speech and expression, the signatories claimed that for them the former was “sacrosanct” and anyone who questions these values will be resisted.
The 62 personalities include actor Kangana Ranaut, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, classical dancer and MP Sonal Mansingh, instrumentalist Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, filmmakers Madhur Bhandarkar, and Vivek Agnihotri among others.
Those who had written the letter questioning PM Modi over the alleged rising “communal” incidents in the country included, social activists, filmmakers and artists like Adoor Gopalkrishnan, Mani Ratnam, Anurag Kashyap, Soumitro Chatterjee, Aparna Sen, Konkana Sen Sharma, Revathy, Shyam Benegal, Shubha Mudgal, to name a few.
This letter further mentions the passage of ordinance on triple talaq – which is being opposed in the Rajya Sabha where the number of the ruling dispensation is not in majority – and asks why the 49 personalities don’t speak on the need of equality and women empowerment.
One of the a signatory on the letter while speaking to Media said that the 49 personalities who wrote the open letter don’t think that an alternative discourse exists in this country.
In my opinion these so called pseudo seculars always start raising their voice in the media, when something of high importance is happening in the country or happened recently to degrade India in the world’s eye, and this time it was launch of Mangalyan.
Now why were this gang of so called pseudo seculars do nothing when
- The fanatic were attacking Zaira Wasim
- Where were they when Muslim clerics asked minorities to pick up arms.
- Why are they selective about raising their voice.
- When Mamta Banerjee arrested a girl Priyanka Sharma on meme issue. They did not raise their raise voice.
- Where were you when a man was attacked for saying Jai Shri Ram.
- Where were you when 7 years old was attacked for chanting Jai Shri Ram.
- Where were you, when the temple in Chandni Chowk , Delhi was attacked.
- All these years these people kept quiet on the issue of Kashmiri Pandits.
- Where were they when critics of Kumaraswamy was arrested in Karnataka.
- Why these people keep quiet when Mamta Banerjee bans last day of Durga Puja procession, or when Kashmiri liberals are passing hate comments and giving hate speeches.
- Why they kept quiet when a judge ordered a girl to distribute Quran.
- When people attend the funeral of terrorist Burhan Wani, that time they do not write a letter fearing the future of nation.
As per Director General of Police of UP ‘ Recent cases of Muslims forced to chant Jai Shri Ram are fake. This type of fake news is being spread by the interested media all over the country.’
The problem is that these so called pseudo seculars are for last so many decades have been fed up on the policies of Congress Govt, and these people do not want to realise that there is some other party also in the country whose policies are different from the Congress. These people can not digest that NDA govt led by Modi has come to power twice in succession with majority in the general elections. So after every few months they come out with their intolerance theory.
These type on incidences will keep on happening in near future also.
Waiting for your views/comments/feed backs.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
29th July 2019.