At the very outset it needs to be stated that one cannot condone the death of an innocent man by the means of mob violence. On one hand the democracy gives power to the majority to decide the future for the whole nation, on the other hand it also bestows the majority with a sense of responsibility for not trampling over the law. The beauty of my argument lies plain and simple in the concept of a majority and a minority in a democracy. Nothing more. Nothing less.
The problem lies in the age old system of identification of a minority by a majority. But the bigger problem lies in the selective lamentation of a mob lynching incident by a particular majority against a particular minority. There is a lynching which is condemnable and then there is lynching which is condonable.
My question to you is who exactly decides which is what? Also, who has empowered these pseudo righteous people to conveniently cherry pick a lynching incident to protest against and another lynching incident to quietly turn away from? And why do these pseudo-secular fads and gigs eventually fail and die their natural death?
The sad answer is we- the Hindus.
Not only are the Hindus as a majority responsible for their passiveness against lynching, but we are equally responsible for our inability to develop an intellectual brigade to counter the politics being played over it. It is because we have rather allowed our laziness, ignorance, lethargy, and reluctance to conveniently look away from any kind of lynching- either Secular or Communal. For we the Hindus, lynching is lynching. Be it against a Muslim or against a Hindu or against any other human being, we do not like to play politics over it. One might totally differ. But one might also argue that it is in fact good that Hindus do not play politics over any kind of lynching. To counter argue, one must be told that the Hindus not protesting against any kind of lynching is the reason why lynching will only spread.
Recently a “Lynch” map of India was released by the self-proclaimed crusaders against “Communal” lynching. So this “Lynch” map does not attribute any incident where a Hindu has been lynched by a mob. The “Lynch” map is also a map that has come to its significant existence after 2015. Before that, if we are to believe these Holier-than-Thou vigilantes, the #NotInMyName mafia, and a pure and pious media, there has never been a communal lynching against a Hindu in our great nation. Ever.
Such is the impact of their creativity against the Hindus. Of course, the media is there to cover it. It is their job. If we Hindus do not make a public outrage out of any kind of lynching, then the fault lies within. So the real problem lies in cultivating this intellectual group to counter such politics.
Look around the world. There is an acknowledgement of Islamic terror by two to three nations who are permanent members of the UN Security Council. Yet there is no definition to deal with it. The modus operandi is that there will be a terror attack, the perpetrators will be identified, there will be a protest, there will be a debate, and then there will be an outcome. The outcome is that terror has no colour, terror has no religion, and terror harms all. No religion propagates hatred or terror in its name. Congratulations! You have successfully neutralized any free thinking, truthful debate in the garb of being a secular humanitarian. One must appreciate how beautifully the focus is shifted from terrorists to the people calling out the terrorists. This is an example of strategic brand management. When it is being done by the people who are running the chaos machinery around the world, I do not see any reason for any self-respecting community to not do the same. The opinion is not to defend any Hindu wrongdoing, it is rather to defend and counter any attack against Hindus as a community. It is hence important to understand why it has not happened as yet.
Hindus, historically and politically, have been about masses and not classes. Of course, there is a scourge of classes within the community, but that has never hindered the cultivation of intellectuals from any particular class within the Hindus. Also, historically, those who became literate enough to speak and comprehend English and their ways, more or less ended up in the Congress party and the like. They inevitably spoke the same language, held the same mannerisms, so then who is to blame about their hypocritical thought process. Educated elite Hindus were apologists then and that tradition has not only continued but strengthened its roots since independence.
It is only fair to suggest that this iron hold of a pseudo-intellectual mafia is a byproduct of the sixty years of Congress misrule and its toady culture. These elements of hate mongering are in the media, they are in the universities, they are in the debates, they are in literature, and they are in fine arts. They have been in a state of complete domination and hegemony. These pseudo intellectuals are so well organized that within a flick they are out on the streets with their propaganda. The propaganda has now shifted to provocation of the Hindus in the name of communalism and fascism. How should Hindus fight this propaganda?
Hindus should develop a safety valve approach which cannot be hijacked by any political party. Its interest and its agenda should be the defence of any anti Hindu opinion or sentiment to death. A soft, non-violent, humiliating death through words and art. Hindu thinkers should be strategically placed in education, media, social media, or wherever any potential intellectual outlet is observed. There is no other way to counter the dirty politics of convenient protests. Hindus have a tendency to go in a state of self-pity and despondency despite being the victim for ages.
No one spoke about West Bengal, about Kerala. No one also spoke at that depth about how a Kashmiri was killed because his name on the door read “Pandith”, but he was actually a Muslim. The problem is the facts and figures are in our favour. But the momentum of advocacy is otherwise.
Now there are two ways for Hindus to go from here. First, to maintain a status quo of ignorance which Hindus as a community and a majority have decade after decade. By giving a free run to those who want to play politics on lynching until one day a vegetarian Hindu is lynched in the name of slaughtering and butchering plants for his sustenance. Secondly, by cleverly recruiting intellectuals who would organize and sensationalize violence against any Hindu on the basis of identity. If Hindus were smart enough to protest against any lynching that happened in West Bengal and Kerala, the chances are that these lynching incidents elsewhere in India would not have even occurred.
To conclude, we as Hindus should create Lutyens’ like lobby, where we talk about Kashmiri Pandits’ exodus and its repercussions till date with a glass of Bordeaux 24 and Pashmina shawls. We as Hindus should create JNU like university where we go on a strike holding banners, “Humidity did not kill Hindus in Kerala and West Bengal, Leftists did it”. We as Hindus should create Al-Jazeera like channels where we have ever so charming and eloquent TV journalist. We should produce documentaries to show to the world that sadly Aborigine Kashmiris are no more there. We should show to the world how Hindus are treated in Pakistan and Bangladesh. We should show to the world as to how Nepal is no more a Hindu nation.