What is Intolerance?

If I disagree with you on some issues, whether in private life or public sphere, can you call me ‘intolerant’ just on that score? If you do, you would be calling yourself intolerant too because you also disagree with me. 

We hear hundreds of voices now erupting in India, in varying shrillness, from the literary world, scientists and scholars, the media, Congress and other Opposition parties, and even show business, protesting against ‘intolerance’ by the present central government.  We are a politically sensitive nation – though not always sensible in that domain – and all segments of people have strong and divergent opinions about politicians and anything political.  So, if several persons in many fields are not quite pleased with the BJP coming to power at the Centre, that too with an absolute majority, especially with Narendra Modi as prime minister, their resentment will come on display.  If a charge of ‘intolerance’ is the maximum criticism they could make, they are patting the government indirectly.  But, without being aware, they are really raising some other concerns about the direction and maturity of our democracy.

If two political parties have conflicting views on a few key issues, that is not intolerance of one by the other.  They let themselves be judged by the people and get elected to govern or sit in the opposition.  That is how politics in a democracy goes.  If they do not respect their differences – i.e., submit their differences to the people and accept people’s verdict at the polls gracefully – they could be immaturely hating each other, and that is intolerance.  But then, that by itself is not worrisome.  What spells danger, and indefensibly torments others, are a ruler or ruling party committing serious ‘acts of intolerance’.  Three examples here illustrate the point. 

Mahabharata tells us that between two groups of Hindu princes who were cousins, the 100-strong Kauravas could not tolerate the rightful stake of their five Pandava cousins in the Hastinapur kingdom and they cunningly maneuvered to banish Pandavas from the country for long years and further forced a battle on Pandavas on their return before perishing in the end. Mohammedan invaders of India could not tolerate the subjects of their conquered land being Hindus and razed Hindu temples in thousands and forcibly converted multitudes of Hindus as Mohammedans.  Christian Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of Germany, hated Jews for their faith and put them to deprivation, inhuman torture and death.  So we see that actual ‘acts’ of intolerance, i.e., giving no room to differing persons and opponents and unjustly trampling them by deceit or brute force are the acts to be condemned and checked – not vague notions of intolerance perceived as an attitude in others.

What then are the actual ‘acts’ of the new central government which the Opposition parties, led by the Congress, have openly or slyly criticized?  One, Prime Minister Modi is “spending more time visiting foreign countries than tackling domestic issues”.  Assuming this has substance, obviously this is not what they mean by intolerance.  Second, Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, an anti-superstition activist of Maharashtra, and Dr. M. M. Kalburgi, a rationalist of Karnataka, were murdered – probably for their beliefs or for spreading their ideas – and Mohammad Akhlaq, a Muslim of Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, was beaten to death by a mob which suspected him of killing a cow and consuming its meat.  These are the acts which seem, at least to those who complain, to be intolerance, but let us enquire. 

Suppose pirates have a free run along India’s coast attacking our merchant shipping vessels and fishermen, who should be blamed? It is the central government and the party which rules at the Centre, and not any state government.  Why?  That is because dealing with ‘pirates and crimes committed on the high seas’ is in the charge of the central government, as per our Constitution, and a state government has no role there.  Likewise, when the Constitution prescribes that ‘public order’ – which includes solving the crimes that occurred in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh – is the sole responsibility of states, what follows is this. The central government is not answerable for those events, and the governments in those three states and their ruling parties at the time when those incidents occurred have to explain and take steps to bring the real culprits to justice swiftly.  This is plain and simple and requires no debate – surely not a hollow debate the Congress Party and a few intellectuals have opened now.

There are no other allegations against the present central government that amount to acts of intolerance.  The ruling party at the Centre may feel glad and relieved at this. But the spectacle before us has its tinge of sadness. 

As a political party, the BJP may pride itself for having won an absolute majority in Parliament after a hard fight at the polls in 2014, trouncing the Congress and many other parties.  But we cannot do away with the Opposition in a democracy. Presently the Congress Party is the strongest contender to be a good Opposition party in many states, and at the Centre too, in India.  Now is the time for it to conduct itself responsibly and with dignity, while re-connecting with the people in various ways – for example by being at the forefront actively in relief work where needed.  Going physically close to the people and talking to them with genuine concern will also shore up support for political parties among the vast numbers of simple-minded Indians.

What happens if the Congress Party harps on the issue of intolerance as it does now?  It will click only with those who support the Congress in their hearts.  It will serve as a hot topic for people who savour controversies for their daily diet of news but are going to vote as per their set preferences.  Print and electronic media will also have a good time.  But it does not really help the Congress to enhance its current circle of supporters.

Like it needs the BJP, the country needs the Congress too.  The Congress Party has a glorious past, which had leaders who made enormous personal sacrifices for India’s freedom. It should always have a widespread vibrant presence in India, including New Delhi.  The Congress owes it to itself, and to the nation, to grow back and do its bit to make democracy work and shine in India.  So the Congress should not lose its way over meaningless and temporary attractions in politics.  That could give way to narrow-minded regional leaders rising and capturing power in a coalition at the Centre as an alternative to the BJP in future – and who knows, delighted to keep each other at bay, they could again install a puppet prime minister like Deve Gowda who merrily ill-fitted that post earlier. That should be a concern of many whose hearts beat for India.

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Copyright © R. Veera Raghavan 2015