Let Religious Harmony Prevail

After going through the news "Maoists cut off hair tuft (tupi) and throw away the sacred threads (janai) of Brahmins", I was compelled to think where do the Maoists of Nepal want to lead the nation? Certainly not Afghanistan, I consoled myself. My thoughts must not be taken as a comment of a religious fanatic. After living for many years in foreign countries, and having travelled extensively I have become more liberal and tolerant than ever. The news reminded me of 1956, Mao’s slogan of "letting a hundred flowers bloom, letting a hundred schools of thought contend". When this campaign got out of hand and threatened party rule, he reversed himself.

By instigating guerrillas to disrupt religious harmony, the Maoist comrades are pushing the country towards ethnic and religious divide. They must not forget the result of religious hatred and divide in Kosovo, Indonesia, Nigeria and Northern Ireland. In the name of social justice and equality, the Maoists in Nepal have stepped into the shoes of traditional Stalinism and seem to have been diverting the youth across the country towards the dead end of guerrilla war. What surprises me most is where are seasonal human rights activists who are often seen rallying along with the Dalits. I am by no means defying their rights of rallying along with the Dalits and oppressed class but where are these human rights champions when people of certain faith and religion are humiliated in broad daylight? They don’t dare utter a word. What these self-proclaimed champions of human rights must understand is human rights is the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual. Human rights violations in situations of terrorism and insurgency call for a careful handling, and no violation, big or small, should be condoned. Each case has to be viewed in the overall operational context to find out whether the act was deliberate and mala-fide or accidental and bona-fide. While trying to establish as a human right champion, one should not fear calling a murderer a murderer, and murder, murder.

Hari Bansha Dulal
(Via e-mail)