The thing is, as I read through links from outlook from one of my favorite bloggers, a vague feeling of familiarity stuck. I am not going to come off extremely politically correct in the process. Because what I could visualise was how the dialogue of the hindu extremists would flame most hindus.
As I read the rioter's voice, somebody who has heard those rants before, I can see the trajectory from where they were coming.
See, I went to a school which promoted hinduism, I went there mainly because it was a CBSE school and that was a must for us with parents in transferrable job. Plus dad thought we will learn sanskrit.
Just to tell you how hindu,We had extensive bhajan session every friday. Half a day every week went in just singing Bhajan. Most of other schools were christian in the small city and they had their own dogma, insisting no bindi, no anklet and teaching hymns. So which ever school you went religion was thrust down your throat.
When I was ten years old, I was told to pay a Rupee for a stamp of a temple. It was compulsory and I don't think I knew what Babri Masjid was. But yes I contributed a rupee to that unknowingly. But I remember fighting with Parents and Uncles who had once again voted for congress instead of the raising BJP. I remember feeling enraged when some teacher explained to me that the Masjid was built on a Hindu temple.
Most of us tend to develop an attachment or bonding or loyality to things we are associated with - Religion, family, country, Race and sometimes even actors.It is as simple as that. We might not even know the meaning of things, if you throw any allegation, we could easily come up with an explanation for it.
Logically, a decision follows arguments. Sometimes in cases such as religion, you are already into a religion in full force. And we start collecting pros for something we are already into. Like in my case I used to say how Hinduism is an not an organized religion. Today I think I am a follower of Hinduism, because I was born into it. If I had born into any other religion, I know I would have followed it and equally argued for it.
Still, We develop a bond for that religion. With that bond as a base, each attack against your religion and favoring of other religion angers you.
Like a Shah Bano case or how Babri Masjid is Janma Bhoomi of Ram and the fact that muslims rulers destroyed the temple and built a Mosque there. Or this whole civil code which allows polygamy etc will be used .Keep repeating that how Hinduism is the only religion that politicians attack again and again. In tamilnadu's case, Karunanidhi does that. He is an atheist, but this actions are anti-hindu than anti-religion. Obv. he is after the votes. Politicians are always after votes. Yes, they might have started off due to their loyalities, but a raj thackeray or a karunanidhi know what they are doing today.
I am not going to say that the Hindus are the only Bigots. As a Hindu I can see the trajectory. But as a Muslim/Christain, the very fact that I understand that you are a minority is enough to cause insecurity.
I never got why minorities might be more insecure than majority but I think now I do know. Minority means in terms of crisis or fights with other people of other religion, the person responsible for protecting your rights, might himself be from the majority religion and the impartiality might be effected. Gujarat with its Narendra modi.
Not everything can be blamed on politician. To start with people weren’t politically correct either. People alredy branded each other, Hinduism=casteist, Christainity = conversion*, Islam = meat eating. But people never shied away from going and buying their parle-G’s and hamam soap from Bai Kadais. The way I see it, they co-existed with their prejudices intact.
Since we co-existed for the first 30 years of independence, I am assuming these prejudices doesn't cause riots but rather got fueled by the politicians agenda.
Having said that I still don’t know how they make that transition. How from people with prejudices they turn into people who have blood in their hand, I don’t get it. At the end of the day, it is blood in their hands, how they develop their insensitivity to feel muslims not as humans, I can't quite understand.
I was once told, Mob mentality was the explanation. There is a scene in Hey Ram. In the morning, the mob will try to attack Kamal and his tailor who is part of the mob will save him. The same tailor will be part of the mob that rapes Kamal’s wife that evening. As Kamal seeks his revenge, you will hear the tailor scream, it was all done in a moment, I don't what came over me.
The reason why I mention it here is, the outlook article tells me something very similar. Some rioters know the people they attacked, personally.
An insecure mind flared up. 22000 of them flared up to attack the people they know because they converted.
I hope it explains to some extent how these things happen.
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