India Is Paying the Price for Ignoring Swami Vivekananda's Warning: Sectarianism, Bigotry and Fanaticism Have Wreaked Havoc on The Indian Society

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 13 September 2023 Swami Vivekananda Had Warned of The Dangers of Religious Fanaticism in The Parliament Of Religions In 1893 Main Points: 1. He said that the Vedantic approach was the solution to many challenges of the modern world. 2. Religious fanaticism has subjected minorities to violence and bloodshed. 3. Ambedkar also stressed on the need of a religion based on equality, liberty and fraternity. ----- 9/11, the date reminds us of the ghastly terrorist attacks on twin towers in New York. Many of the victims of the attacks are yet to be identified. The attacks changed the world and it also underlined the need to fight religious fanaticism. The date also reminds us of the Parliament of religions held in Chicago in 1893 where India's representative, Swami Vivekananda delivered his memorable speech. He had said that sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism had caused immense bloodshed and therefore, it should be eradicated. The day also reminds us of Mahatma Gandhi's first Satyagraha in South Africa against racial discrimination. Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions in 1893. Credit: Wikimedia Commons ------ Swami Vivekananda had hoped that the Parliament of world toll the death knell of sectarianism, bigotry and its 'horrible descendant' fanaticism. Unfortunately, we see today that sectarianism and religious fanaticism have assumed a more horrible shape in India. India, whose social philosophy is based on Vedanta that stresses on inner purification and monism which believes in the unity of God and his creations. The Vedantic philosophy promotes love and sympathy for all beings and peace. This philosophy has been suppressed and the ideology of sectarianism, violence and religious fanaticism is being promoted. The target of this ideology are the minorities, particularly, the Muslims. Dalits and Christians of India have also suffered at the hands of majoritarianism. For centuries, the low caste people were subjected to humiliation, oppression and discrimination by the upper caste people who enjoyed power and authority. The world Maleccha was invented to address them. The Muslims are the new targets of this majoritarianism. Muslims are the new targets of this majoritarianism. They are lynched, boycotted and discriminated against in every walk of life. Dharm Sansads (Parliament of religions) are convened to issue calls of their massacre and for their economic boycott while Saudi Arabia, India's strategic partner provides employment to millions of Indians on its land contributing to India's foreign exchange. The Muslims of Saudi Arabia or other gulf countries do not issue calls of the economic boycott of Hindus of India. The government has not been able to rein in such groups that openly indulge in violence against Muslims, Christians and Dalits (the low caste). The violence against Muslims in Nuh and against Christians in Manipur are the worst manifestations of religious fanaticism in India. Ambedkar, the chief architect of India's Constitution also believed that India can prosper only if it has a religion based on equality, liberty and fraternity and such a religion will derive its sustenance from Upanishads. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Nation, also said he had Gita in one hand and the Quran in the other. But the rise of majoritarianism in India has threatened the composite culture of India. Communally-laced statements of politicians on national media has done a grave damage to the social fabric of the country. Communal campaigns against the Muslims on the national media has filled the gullible minds of the youth with hatred of Muslims. Recently, a police constable shot three Muslims on a train near Mumbai out of hatred of Muslims. Many Muslims have been killed by the so-called cow vigilantes, including Monu Manesar in a country cow slaughter is not banned in many states. The Muslim girls are harassed for wearing hijab in a country where Hindu women wear veils inside homes and outside. This kind of veil is called ghoonghat. Many Hindu girls nowadays wear mask which is similar to veils of Muslim women. Nowadays, religious processions have become another means of causing harassment to and violence against Muslims. Various religious processions are taken out in which participants carry weapons and shout anti-Muslim slogans. These slogans shouting sometimes sparks communal clashes but the government does not take pre-emptive measures. The violence in Nuh, Khargone, Delhi and Howrah took place during such religious processions. Still the government has not formed any policy to deal with such religious processions. The riots between Kuki ad Meitei communities continue since May but the government hs not been able to control the violence. The video of sexual abuse of two hapless women by a mob of rioters has not stirred the conscience of the people at the top. Here in India riots continue for weeks and months while tje common people in another parts of the country go about their routine life and politicians busy in their electoral politics. This demonstrates the ugly truth that we as a nation have lost our conscience. The dream of Swami Vivekananda and Ambedkar of a peaceful society has shattered. ------ Remembering 9/11 Speech of Swami Vivekananda That Warned Us of the Dangers Posed by Fanaticism By S.N. Sahu 13 September 2023 Today is 9/11, 2023. Normally, we remember 9/11 for the terrorist attack on America in 2001 by some fanatics who destroyed Twin Towers in New York and assaulted other places. 9/11 associated with India’s history is more sublime and constructive. On this day, on 9/11, 1893, Swami Vivekananda addressed the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. On this day in 1906, Mahatma Gandhi started his first Satyagraha in South Africa. Swami Vivekananda’s short and profound 9/11 speech stirred the Americans, by casting a spell on them. Later, through his numerous lectures on spirituality and Vedanta, he made a deep impact on their minds. In that historic Chicago speech, he profoundly stated that “sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendent fanaticism drenched the earth with the blood of innocents”, and hoped that the bell that tolled to announce the commencement of the World Parliament of Religions would be the death knell of fanaticism. Those were indeed very stirring words. Hundred and eight years after Swami Vivekananda uttered those words, America was attacked by some fanatics. Unfortunately, in 2023, the world, and especially India, is now confronting the combination of sectarianism, bigotry, and fanaticism in the form of majoritarianism and the polarisation process triggered by those controlling the state apparatus of our country. Call For Genocide And Ethnic Cleansing Now, we are facing a relentless spread of hatred and violence in the name of religion. Calls for the genocide of minorities, and that too of Muslims, are being issued day in and day out from the so-called Dharma Sansads, religious parliaments. They are also accompanied by sinister calls for comprehensive social and economic boycott of Muslims. Very recently, it happened in Nuh in Haryana where Muslims were targeted violently, they were asked to flee from their places of work, and their houses were bulldozed. The Punjab and Haryana high court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and asked in its order if it was an exercise in “ethnic cleansing”. Stones and bricks used in the riots can be seen everywhere in Nuh. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale It is shocking that the orders of the Supreme Court to the states where such calls for genocide and social and economic boycott are being issued are being ignored. In the recent past, the Supreme Court wondered if the state of Maharashtra had become impotent to deal with hate speeches. The unprecedented violence and bloodshed in Manipur on ethnic lines is sadly continuing. Unimaginable brutality suffered by women and the videos of brutal sexual violence against them on ethnic grounds bring out ghastly manifestations of sectarianism and bigotry which Swami Vivekananda flagged and cautioned about its horrible descendent fanaticism. He would have been deeply anguished to see that the words he uttered on 9/11, 1893 are being ignored in India, which he said, gave shelter to those persecuted on the basis of religion in other parts of the world. Survival Of A Nation Endangered By Hatred Swamiji had cautioned that the very sustenance of a nation would be endangered by spreading hatred against others. He traced India’s decline in history to hate generated within society and cutting off all communication with fellow Indians by showing contempt against them. In a letter to his disciple Alasinga Perumal from the USA on October 27, 1894, he sensitively wrote, “No man, no nation, my son, can hate others and live.” “India’s doom,” he added, “was sealed the very day they invented the word MLECHCHHA and stopped from communion with others.” This letter is available in Volume 5 of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda and its contents are of immense significance in the context of India of 2023 where hatred in the name of faith is dividing Indians, and inter-faith communication and harmony are poisoned. Supreme Court Flagged the Danger Posed By Fanaticism Swami Vivekananda’s cautionary utterances of 9/11, 1893 that “sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendent fanaticism drenched the earth with the blood of innocents” can be ignored at our own peril. Danger posed by fanaticism was flagged by the Supreme Court in its judgment of October 13, 2022, in its order in the Aishat Shifa Versus The State of Karnataka. While allowing Muslim girls to wear hijab anywhere in schools and colleges in Karnataka, the court relied upon S.B. Chavan Committee Report, 1999, which strongly recommended education about religions as an instrument of social cohesion and social and religious harmony. The court quoted its para which stated, “Value-based education is likely to help the nation to fight against all kinds of prevailing fanaticism, ill will, violence, dishonesty, corruption, exploitation and drug abuse …………… Let knowledge, like the sun, shine for all and that there should not be any room for narrow-mindedness, blind faith and dogma. For this purpose, also, if the basic tenets of all religions over the world are learnt, it cannot be said that secularism would not survive.” Composite vision of India More than a hundred years back Swami Vivekananda defined India in a very composite manner without relying on any one religion. He said that India needed a Vedantic brain and Islamic body. Such an approach underlines a multi-faith approach to understand India in contrast to cultural nationalism which promotes uniformity and endangers multiculturalism. Those who swear by one nation, one culture, and one faith negate the vision of Swami Vivekananda whom they often hail as their icon. Nehru and Ambedkar on Vedanta It is fascinating to note that the Vedantic approach of Swami Vivekananda was mentioned by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru when he wrote in his famous paper Basic Approach that eventually a Vedantic outlook would provide solutions to many challenges of modern civilisation, which he said, caused mental exhaustion. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar while bitterly criticising Hinduism and describing it as a religion based on graded social inequality wrote in his essay on Annihilation of Caste that India required a religion based on liberty, equality, and fraternity, and such a religion would derive sustenance from Upanishads. In fact, the Upanishads constitute the Vedanta. It is instructive that both prime minister Nehru and Dr. Ambedkar, builders of modern India, stressed on Vedantic approach, which was prescribed by Swami Vivekananda along with the values of Islam to conjure up the vision of India. It is important to remain anchored in the vision articulated by Swami Vivekananda on 9/11, 1893, to defeat fanaticism threatening the very Idea of India. ---- S. N. Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K.R. Narayanan. Source: Remembering 9/11 Speech of Swami Vivekananda That Warned Us of the Dangers Posed by Fanaticism URL: https://newageislam.com/current-affairs/vivekananda-sectarianism-bigotry-fanaticism-indian-society-/d/130664 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism