I got many forwards after the attack on Christians began in Orissa. The immediate forwards emphatically talked about how tolerant and secular Hindu India is, how tolerant India is ‘cos Indian culture is Hindu culture. They pointed out that India has had Muslim Presidents, Christian Defence Ministers, a Muslim on the board of trustees of a Hindu temple, Muslim chief ministers, that post Godhra riots are blown out of proportion while Hindu pundits predicament in J&K is soft pedaled, that subsidy is given to Haj pilgrims while none to Sabarimala pilgrims, that Muezzin calls are permitted, and how 85% of Indians – the majority population- craves for what 15% gets. This and more. Much more. I don’t contest any of these. In fact, I agree with every claim and am proud to belong to a model secular state.
But I did not forward these forwards as requested. I deleted them instantly.
And then another set of forwards started burdening my inbox. This time they listed out the number of Christian Churches destroyed, details of people who lost lives and property in the anti Christian riots; they pointed out that there is no relief organized for xians in refugee camps and that xians organizations are not allowed relief operations while they were most active & effective during the Orissa floods; they highlighted how 15 million students of all castes and creeds pass thru xian educational institution every year-but the percentage of conversion is nil. They talked of how there are laws in place against fraudulent conversion, but no cases of false & fraudulent conversion were filed or proved. This and more. Much more. I don’t contest any of these. In fact, I agree with every claim and am proud to belong to the Christian community.
But I did not forward these forwards as requested.I deleted them instantly
For I believe that the net should not be used to polarize the nation. It amounts to serious misuse.
Speaking the truth but not the whole truth, then interpreting them to inflame passions – that’s mischievous. I do not want to be a party to this virtual propaganda which is doing no good to this beautiful nation that is mine.
Let's use the cyber space in a responsible manner.
Jai Hind.
Ah...that's the whole point!
ReplyDelete"For I believe that the net should not be used to polarize the nation. It amounts to serious misuse.
Speaking the truth but not the whole truth, then interpreting them to inflame passions – that’s mischievous. I do not want to be a party to this virtual propaganda which is doing no good to this beautiful nation that is mine."
Hope others who get way too emotional and spread half truths read this.
WIth great power comes great responsibility.
Our ability to write and influence people is our power. With so much power we should LEARN to take a neutral stand.
You are really a role model. I look upto you! :-)
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with you.
But the news papers and TV channels are minting money reporting these incidents.
Besides, your post itself gives enough information on what is happening in this great and wonderful and tolerant country of ours.
Many thanks for sharing!
Have a nice day!
The internet and email are increasingly becoming the most popular(effective?/influential?) media to spread such propaganda be it talking ill about one's own country or creating a rift between communities.
ReplyDelete-Nikhil
LOL didn't you like undermine your intentions by posting the very content on your blog? :)
ReplyDelete@ Joseph Pulikotil & Meanderthal man
ReplyDeleteyes. both of u r right. I did think a lot before i put up those excerpts from the forwards. i finally decided to do it for 2 reasons.
1. had to show how truths is not 'nothing but the truth' when it is not the whole truth. Fitted into certain frames and contexts, these truths need not be inflammatory; they are salutory.but when manipulated into certain discourses, any truth can be lethal. I wanted to show much can be said on both sides, but none of what is said is sacrosanct- can have good or evil effect. I had a point to prove. it couldnt be done without showing those excerpts from the forwards
2. a blog is not a forward. by now i know that my regular blog visitors are like- minded people with their own circles of mostly level headed secular group of cyberfriends. if i can disseminate this idea of not using blogs for anti-secular purpose, i'd be doing a great service to my country.
@ deepak & Nikhil
thanks. it's a v big responsibility, i know
Well said KT! Amen to that!
ReplyDeleteAgree with you 100%. Such forwards are always deleted from my Inbox too. I have even gone to the extent of telling the sender that such forwards are not appreciated. Hope that day comes soon when everyone can set aside their religious differences and see light!
ReplyDelete"into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake" :-)
The net becomes a polarizing tool only when the polarized state is already a reality. Watch it closely, please. We believe what we want to believe. The mind conditioned the Hindu way receives and rejects according to its conditioning. The same with the others. This treacherous quality of the conditioned mind is like gunpowder. It explodes at the slightest spark. I agree with your sentiments totally. Let us not join this madness.
ReplyDelete"Speaking the truth but not the whole truth, then interpreting them to inflame passions"
ReplyDeleteI SALUTE YOU.
Polarisation is done by to politicians to secure their places in Vote banks. Raj Thakare is the typical example of how dirty and insensitive politics can be. Regarding the forwards, both the forwards deserved their place in Recycle Bin. We cannot boast abt hindu tolerance as long as Bajrang dal goons and modi are still there. Christian missionaries are no saints either. They pump money in to poorer section and tribes to convert them. All in the name of God.
ReplyDeleteA good post.But you said you agree with most of the things they forwarded to you.But the things they said in the forwarded mails are mostly wrong. You should be able to point out which fact is correct and which fact is wrong. Otherwise you should not have quoted it in your blog. About net being used for spreading communal hatred, dont be so naive. Each and every media will be used by the communalists to spread their poison. The secularists should try to spread their ideology thru the same media[ as you are doing wonderfully well].
ReplyDelete