Religiousness is more important than Freedom of expression !
Editorial
In a landmark judgment, the Allahabad High Court held that all must respect religious sentiments, symbols and places of worship. The freedom of expression does not apply there. A person wrote an obscene post about Ram-Krushna on social media. The case went to the Court. The defendant stated that ‘posting in this manner is freedom of expression’. “India is incomplete without Ram-Krushna”, the Court said. It is necessary to respect the culture and great men of the country in which one lives. Our culture believes in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.’ (The whole world is one family.) Our Sages have shown humans the way to become God. Rabindranath Tagore has said, ‘Between Ramayan and Mahabharat, there is a vision of the soul of India’. Indecent remarks against Ram and Krushna are not forgivable. The insult to Ram and Krushna is an insult to the whole country, which cannot be tolerated.
Insult to the religion of the majority
This statement of the High Court says a lot. The Court said that the identities of the majority-Hindus should be respected. India has a majority Hindu society, which is tolerant. Insult of the places of worship of tolerant Hindu society is done in the name of various freedoms and constitutions. Due to the lack of effective organisation of Hindus and lack of devotion to religion, majority of Hindus do not raise their voice. As a result, insults are going on unabated. Islamic countries have strict laws against the insult of Islamic customs, traditions or Islamic symbols, and there are severe punishments for insulting places of worship. We have the opposite picture in India.
Maqbool Fida Husain
Some years ago, anti-Hindu painter Maqbool Fida Husain painted nude and obscene pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Mother India was shown naked. When Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) first raised its voice on this, the so-called scholars ridiculed the protest – “What do you know about art ?” At that time, over 1,200 complaints were lodged against Husain in India after HJS thoroughly exposed how Husain had insulted only the places of worship of Hindus while promoting anti-Hindu sentiments. Complaints were registered. As a result, Husain was forced to flee the country and later died outside India.
The number of Hindus and non-Hindus who criticise Hindu Deities and places of worship is increasing today. Whether it be an advertisement of Tanishq Jewellery, display of products instead of weapons in the hands of Goddess during Navaratri, Hindu Deities are used only in advertisements to increase businesses and are insulted. Certain secularists, religious groups, certain groups on social media who hate Hindu Dharma very much publish hateful, baseless, out-of-context writings. Doubts are raised about the existence of Hindu Dharma. However, they succeed in getting scot-free from the clutches of law and the Police and are free to commit further crimes. To convert Hindus, Christian pastors make fun of Hindu Deities. They claim Christianity to be superior and Hindu Dharma inferior and rusted. Atheists also criticise only Hindu Dharma; not Christianity or Islam. When making products like slippers, doormats, commodes, pictures of Hindu Deities are intentionally depicted. When this is opposed, only an apology follows and the product is withdrawn. There is no punishment.
Education on Dharma and strict law are necessary !
While the places of Hindu worship are being denigrated in India, it is necessary to enact a law against it. The Sections of such a law should be strict. Merely suspecting insult of their sects, its members carry out acts of violence – damaging property, threatening and killing suspects taking the law into their own hands. Therefore, no one dares to insult their religion or remotely criticise their practices. The opposite is true about Hindus. Considering the population of Hindus, which is more than 70%, why are the places of Hindu worship insulted ? The Court has also answered this in its judgment. The Court said the schools should teach culture. Children should be taught about Ram, Krushna, Geeta. A law should be passed in Parliament to prevent insult to Hindu Dharma. Lack of religious education to Hindus is the main reason for the lack of religious pride in Hindus. One is proud of what he knows thoroughly and understands its superiority. Even after Independence, nothing was taught about Hindu Dharma for many generations, how will they be aware of its superiority ? Hence, education on Hindu Dharma should be made compulsory in India. Allahabad Court had said, “Try to give dignity to cows to stop cow-slaughter”. Courts and Judges working to give respect to Hindu Dharma and regain its past glory, are undoubtedly the jewels of our country.