Did you notice – more Indians are now talking about the value of secularism or raising concerns about the dangers it faces in India. Actor Aamir Khan said recently that his wife, anxious about the safety of her child in India, had even asked him if they should think of moving out of India. In a way he seemed to echo concerns voiced earlier by a few literary award winners and scientists in the country about what they termed ‘intolerance’ in India – including intolerance to secularism.
Hindus form about 80% of India’s population, the rest
made up of Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians or Parsis. If anyone in
the country says he values secularism, what does it mean? It means that person appreciates that India, with
a vast Hindu majority, freely allows others practising their religion in India,
even more than it does for Hindus. Those
who like Indian brand of secularism are mostly not Hindus or not serious
believers. That is understandable since they directly benefit from India being
secular that way, or it accords with their belief or unbelief. Indian secularism is also unique. Nowhere in the world can you find a country
like India where law and government grants citizens of minority religions –
when the majority is as high as 80% - special status and privileges, i.e., more than equal importance. A Muslim in India, for example, should feel
more privileged and protected than if he were living in a neighbouring Muslim
majority nation. Full credit to India and its people.
Non-Hindus in India would be satisfied, and happy too,
over how the Hindu majority country treats them socially and politically –
leave alone any aberrations that have to be addressed. It is fair that they should wish that a Hindu
living in every other country enjoys similar religious and social freedom, equality
and protection, if not the privileges, that they have in India. What does anyone convey when he argues that
India is a secular country and hence all non-Hindus should feel equal with
Hindus? He means that secularism is a
great virtue for a country to follow. Then,
at the same time, if he fails to come down on other countries which do not
practise the Indian brand of secularism and which make Hindus, a minority in
those countries, live a subdued second-class life, he would be plainly
dishonest. If he is also a non-Hindu
living in India and basking in its secularism, he would be ungrateful too. Anyone can see this is not a criticism or an
abuse, but is natural human feeling with most Hindus in India who wish
non-Hindus well.
Now back to Aamir Khan. Aamir talking about going out of India along
with his family should evoke no concerned reaction from those staying back. First, I am not sure if those thoughts are
serious at all, and it is good if they are not. Then there are lakhs of Indians who have done
it in their lives over decades because, thanks to inept governments, they see
no way of making a living or prospering or getting the best out of themselves
in the land of their birth, while Aamir has been lucky he could do it to the
brim in India. As a nation, we suffer a deep loss year after year by driving
out talented Indians to other countries. This should be more worrying for
Indians than Aamir Khan’s statement which had doubtful intent, which he has
also later clarified for a happy filmy ending.
India’s concern for its citizens should travel beyond western
nations attracting educated Indians.
Unemployment and low wages within India have taken out lakhs of other
Indians, skilled and unskilled, to Gulf countries to work hard in difficult
conditions to secure a better future for their families back home. We do not seem to feel for them who are
forced out of their country to keep body and soul together.
Last month a 55-year old lady from Tamil Nadu who was
working as a housemaid in a Saudi home returned to India sobbing. Shortly before she came back her right arm
had to be amputated in a Saudi hospital, seemingly as a result of a fall when
she was fleeing from her oppressive workplace. That
passed off as a news item in India without stirring the conscience of our
rulers, or even of fellow-Indians here, over the widespread poverty in our land
which sends Indians out of their homeland to sweat out and suffer.
A few months ago when strife was brewing in Yemen with
rebel forces taking control, Indians who had been there on work were hurriedly rescued
by air and sea by an alert Indian government. Not many pitied them for having to go to Yemen
to earn a living and risk their lives. Aamir
is lucky he had some sympathizers, for a mere statement that his wife asked him
if they should move out of India.
Wherever Indians live abroad in huge numbers, affluent
in the West or average-earners in the Gulf – with no one ruing they had to move
out of India – Aamir Khan and many like him in Indian film world may visit
them, appearing on ticketed stage shows. They may also screen
their Indian language movies in those countries and push up revenues. Full thanks to India and its people - who live in India or have moved out of India.
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Copyright © R. Veera Raghavan 2015
Copyright © R. Veera Raghavan 2015
Well said Veeru. In Whatsap a voice message from Mr Fadnavis the CM of Maharashtra is circulating where he urges all not to fall into the trap laid out by the media in discussing the statement of an actor who has prospered in India wanting to leave India because suddenly it has become intolerant in the eyes of a handful who in my view are only intolerant in dubbing the country as intolerant. Neither the government nor the secularists not the intellectuals ever worry about the point touched upon by you - the Brain Drain. We are fed by the Media on empty talk shows and our energies are wasted in the process. The real problem is the breach of the tolerance limits of the young minds who are disillusioned with the politicians and their ways and fly away to far off lands in pursuit of education never to return to their motherland. The real reason for this is that we have become materialistic and have lost sight of the values which our rich tradition has exhibited. We must redeem the younger generation and ground them in our culture at the school level. Both parents and teachers have a big role to play in this process.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a question of Amirkhan's staying in or going out. Fundamental terrorists of the day make Amirkhan's feel and express the way he did. The country has to put an end to the menace to the society growing INTOLERANCE.
ReplyDeleteYou have very nicely expressed ur anxiety over the issue of BRAIN DRAIN .
'Last month a 55-year old lady from Tamil Nadu who was working as a housemaid in a Saudi home returned to India... her right arm had to be amputated in a Saudi hospital, seemingly as a result of a fall when she was fleeing from her oppressive workplace.[One version said that he cut it off, in anger.] That passed off as a news item in India without stirring the conscience of our rulers, or even of fellow-Indians here, over the widespread poverty in our land which sends Indians out of their homeland to sweat out and suffer.
ReplyDeleteIf you read the full story, you would find that greed and avarice took her there for a risky job. Her family and close circle (which included the merciless broker) wanted her as a cash-cow. Indian poverty is not the real reason. I believe she had lot of cash grants from Tamil Nadu government .
All these intolerant utterings - would like to know what exactly they felt, saw or subjected to - they are living a privileged life, compared to the common man, and to say that they feel insecure is not something that I understand. There are sporadic incidents and they should be seen as such and not construed as a larger plan.
ReplyDeleteBeing the ambassador of Incredible India, he has access to the GoI; did he meet the GoI officials or even the PM to voice his concern. Being a man of prominence, he should know very well as to what to speak, when to speak and where to speak and sometimes not speak at all.
All the award wapsi brigade say their voices are strangled, their free thinking is curtailed etc., but did anyone even meet the PM (he actually invited them but nobody bothered). I do not see any difference in the way of life and I don't see anyone being discriminated. It is as good or as bad as it was before.
The focus on religion or cast of an individual to identify is becoming the norm like he is the first dalit president, muslim captain etc., They attained their position because of their abilities, qualification and skills and definitely not due to their religion/ cast etc.,
We should demand excellence in governance from the government and all else to skills/ talent etc., let the government be an enabler and thats it
very goood article...
ReplyDeleteGood write-up Sir! All I can say is that people in lime-light need to watch their words. Some conversations are best restricted to within four walls of one's home. Amir has raked up a controversy by voicing his wife's private concerns(as a mother) in public.
ReplyDeleteA new view point about poor Indians having to go out of India for livelihood. Good article SIr. However you have been too charitable to those "Sickularists". They are anti-National, anti-Hindu traitors paid either by Pakistan;s ISI or by the churches in the West. Reciprocity should be the name of the game. We should treat our minorities EXACTLY the same way Pakistan or B'desh treat theirs. No more, no less. WHy should we go out of the way to treat them any better when they are not even thankful?
ReplyDeleteVery meaningful article written with out rancour towards Aamir inspite of a very ungrateful remark by his wife wanting to leave India.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly. Its become a practise to preach to a silent majority. recently on a program on Sabarimala, NDTV anchor repeatedly mentioned Sabarimala andthen said it was not any religion, bur social rstriction and she was seconded by so many youngsters, all educated in a foreign tongue and grappling with the depth of their roots and culture. Ganging upto criticise. In fact the talk show on temple entry had Khushboo (A Muslim) Advani (A Sindhi) and a Punjabi lady telling us what rules should be followed in Sabarimala. Irony dies a silent death in thisnation of youngsters who have so little connect with thier culture and their natural rebellion against family traditions and values is spilling out as the "mood of the nation"
ReplyDeleteIn fact, Amir AND Shahrukh had more Hindus supporting their right to wrong this nation!
We all do enjoy having a great debate. Sometimes noisy, at times abusive more often irrelevant. Here we have an individual who has expressed a view, which many of us dont seem to take in the way it was expressed.
ReplyDeleteIf we were to take a very unbiased view, should we all not worry about the way many of the law makers in this govt talk about religion, women and the right way we should all live. I mean what to eat, what to wear what to talk and whom we should be seen with. While in the recent past it has more to do with the Hindu votaries, we have heard a lot of stupid silly and downright outrageous statements from the other religious leaders as well.
We also need to understand that all of us Indians are first and foremost Indians. We have been here for centuries. And by and large we have co-existed peacefully. With a majority of 80% we Hindus, dont need to flex our muscles.
Let us all also accept that our great country was not one great country in the recent past. We were a conglomeration of Rajas, Maharajas etc. Who ruled the way the wished and fought with each other.
We also need to accept with humiliation that being the oldest of the great religions, we have always treated a large percentage of our own very very badly. And we still are glad and happy to place people in compartments - SC , BC, ST , OBC etc. Should we be proud of our tolerance to women ? We encouraged Sati. Have we seen how the thousands of widows are treated in our great holy city of Varnasi ? We still have Hindus who are made to clean up excreta, human excreta. Is this tolerance ?
There is a lot to set our own 'Hindu' house in order before fingers get pointed.