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| Gandhi statue desecrated in US |
January 30 was Gandhiji's martyrdom day. He was killed by a fanatic who claimed to be a Hindu and felt that Gandhiji was working against the interest of the Hindus. A fake narrative has been built since then. It was indeed sad to see Gandhi's statue being desecrated in the United States. I don’t think that it served any purpose.
Gandhiji was a political leader who played a big role in bringing anti-colonial forces together in India and led the country’s freedom movement. One may disagree with his views on caste system as well as religion, but one cannot ignore his pivotal role in the freedom movement. It is possible to reject his theories on caste and untouchability as also his socio-economic model. But let us not take away his role as a leader who brought together people from diverse communities and faiths.
The Government of India 'condemned' the desecration of Gandhiji's statue in US. It is strange to see this government is so 'active' to protect Gandhiji's 'honour' in US and elsewhere, but failed to do so in India. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, he converted Gandhiji into a #SwachchBharat icon, even as completely ignoring his monumental contributions.
The murderer of Gandhiji, Nathuram Godse, was from a dominant Hindu caste. His lunatic followers even today celebrate Gandhiji's killing. Can anyone imagine a Twitter hate campaign in the United States siding with those celebrating Gandhiji’s killers? Twitter and Facebook showed spine to block president Donald Trump in US for his tweets which they claimed were unsubstantiated.
However, the same social media platforms have shown no responsibility and accountability in India on the manner in which goons continue to use social media for hate campaign, intimidating their opponents with active support of the ruling party.
The collapse of institutions in India has ensured that those who fight for their rights are treated as criminals and face numerous cases filed against them while the goons sponsored by the ruling regime become the 'rashtrabhakts' (ardent nationalists), supported by the police.
Whatever happened in the recent past in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Aligarh Muslim University, the Jamia Millia Islamia, around the Rohith Vemula case and during and after the Delhi riots are all examples how police have behaved as the militia of the ruling party. This is surely going to have a devastating impact on our democracy and institutional impartiality.
It is not unsurprising to see the hate campaign against Gandhiji on Twitter and Facebook without any action being taken against them. After all, the leader who termed Gandhiji as 'chatur bania' (clever merchant) is the second most powerful person at the moment.
Gandhiji was not killed by a Muslim, or a Dalit or an Adivasi. In fact, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar “saved” his life by signing the Poona Pact, yet none claimed that they saved Gandhiji. But, ironically, Hindutva leaders, who dislike Gandhiji, want to use Gandhiji by chanting his name even as allowing their campfollowers to carry out hate campaign against him. It is hypocritical that those who are seeking to benefit from Gandhism are crying against him.
Today, when the Government of India has condemned vandalism against the Gandhi statue in US, one wonders why it has failed to act not act or did not ask any of the social media heads to take action against those have celebrated Gandhiji's murder. Nobody can beat Indian political leadership at the moment on the issue of doublespeak: Condemn what happened outside India but allow your ‘chelas’ (camp-followers) to abuse. Demagoguery at its best!
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*Human rights defender
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