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| Babri Masjid destruction 22 years ago |
Religion benefitted
immensely whenever political power became its handmaiden. Christianity, for example, was a suppressed
religion until Emperor Constantine (r 307-337) was converted to it after the
Battle of the Milvian Bridge. As Paul K. Davis, scholar of military history,
writes, "Constantine’s victory gave him total control of the Western Roman
Empire paving the way for Christianity to become the dominant religion for the
Roman Empire and ultimately for Europe."
Buddhism spread far and
wide after Emperor Ashoka became its votary. Later some Shaiva kings ordered the
destruction of Buddhist monasteries and the killing of monks in north-western
India in the mid first millennium A.D. Later
still, Muslim rulers in India destroyed many Hindu temples or converted them
into mosques.
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| Christian church destroyed in Delhi on 2 Dec 2014 |
More recently, in our own
times, the Babri Masjid was destroyed by the knights of our own emperors who
stood at a distance and watched the destruction even as Nero watched Rome
burning in allegedly less civilised times. Now, Christian churches are under attack in
India. A month after a church in Dilshad
Garden, Delhi was gutted, the crib of a church in Rohini, Delhi was found burnt
down in the morning of 3 Jan 2015.
Can’t political power wean
itself from religion? That’s not easy is
the plain answer. Reason: religion is a
shortcut to political power. People can
be manipulated easily in the name of gods.
This is just what the Modi government and the numerous organisations
that have sprung up like grotesque mushrooms are doing: manipulating people in
the name of gods.
Destruction of religious
places was not always motivated by religious animosity, as historian Romila
Thapar said in a speech
she delivered in Delhi on 3 Dec 2014. “There
was also a greed for wealth and a desire to assert power,” she said. Both these motives are evident in the acts of
India’s contemporary knights in shining armour.
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| Crib burnt down in a Christian church in Delhi on 3 Jan 2015 |
The only solution to this
sort of problems lies with the people themselves. If they are ready to open their eyes and see
what really motivates the religious warriors, if people are ready to broaden
and deepen their consciousness, if they are ready to learn from history, if
they are willing to cultivate their intellect a little more, then there is a
solution to the mindless violence and wanton destruction engendered by
religions throughout human history.
Otherwise history will continue to repeat itself ad infinitum, ad
nauseam.
PS: When the Garden needed blood for its survival, it was our throats that
were first slit. Yet people in the Garden tell us/ This garden belongs to us
not to you. [Source]
oh I so totally agree with this. Religion and politics have been bedfellows for centuries and it has never ever worked out happily. Instead of learning from our mistakes, we seem destined to repeat though now, aren't we?
ReplyDeleteExactly, we keep repeating the mistakes. It seems we are condemned to do just that. Evolution stopped long ago!
DeleteThis is the whole reason why I am anti religion and pro spirituality. That the unscrupulous will use religion to manipulate. There was a very interesting article in the Hindustan Times on Saturday about the rise of rationalists http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-moral-policing-no-communal-violence-please-are-indians-going-the-good-without-god-way/article1-1303180.aspx Do read it. Cheers
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, Kalpana. Just read it. I'm encouraged by the statement, "According to rough estimates, there has been a tenfold increase in the number of atheists and rationalists in the country in the past ten years,"
DeleteThis exposes man's persistent ignorance his continued response to his ignorance century after century down the ages...Yet man believes he is civilized.... from the caveman stage to the robotec hitec man....Is it that ignornance, religion and science blinded him paralyzed him and destroyed the humanity
ReplyDeleteMy plea is precisely that we, the people, should strive to rise above our ignorance. We should begin to question a lot of things. We are now ruled by goons and thugs because we refuse to understand the truths.
DeleteThere is culture and there is spirituality - religion conveniently takes from both and politicizes it. In my opinion, it is impossible to separate the two, for they're two sides of a coin - as we can see from the history you have mentioned. Very good read this is :)
ReplyDeleteDid India ever have that culture?
DeleteSir, when it comes to religion most people are blind. Religion is a powerful tool in the hands of these so called powerful people. Sad to know about such acts of violence. Wonder when will people change.
ReplyDeleteThat's just what I wonder too, Saru. See what these people are doing at the Indian Science Congress in Mumbai. It's ridiculous to mix science with myths.
DeleteVery true , sir ! Religion is a powerful tool in the hand of bigoted politicians. But what is sad is the ready willingness of a large section of the crowd to be brainwashed by these harbingers of hatred. Just the other day, I had a tough time explaining to a friend that good Muslims also exist.
ReplyDeleteWhen will we ever learn?
The present style of governance (which is ironically being celebrated as "good governance") won't ever help to change the mindset. Rather, it is reinforcing blind beliefs, prejudices and hatred.
DeleteI agree with you.It really troubles me the thought process of current government and their stand regarding religion
ReplyDeleteIt is becoming alarming, Avinash. See what's happening in the Indian Science Congress. Please read my today's blog in case you haven't read reports about the Congress.
Delete