Go beyond religion

Like everything else happening in India, Ayodhya has also become a global issue. So though I am still in Delhi, I got a call from a UK-based talk show to discuss the Ayodhya verdict. However, whilst the tone of discussion in the Indian media has been largely restrained and respectful of the judgment, and most of the Indian public

seems to have welcomed it, the tenor of some of those who were phoning in and sending emails to the UK show was both worrying and surprising. It was almost as though instead of applying a soothing balm, the verdict had antagonised some of them into saying the most outrageous things. Even those callers who praised the judicial verdict as a triumph of the democratic process could not help but take a dig at one or the other community. Needless to say that all the Asian callers were based in the UK and other parts of the world — but their reactions were quite shrill: to the extent that, I feel, if some of the reactions had been read out on Indian TV, it could aggravate an already febrile, albeit peaceful, environment.
Does this mean that there is a deeper polarisation between the communities all over the world, and that resentments over the decades (and sometimes centuries) are remembered and brought forth at moments like this?
A few of the participants spoke of harmony and peace , but a feeling was also articulated that perhaps the judgment gave little, or at least not enough, to the Muslims. The fact that it opened a door for a multi-faith place of worship to exist (through the division of the land) was perhaps not emphasised enough — this needs to be understood more, at an international level — as that is the only solution which will ultimately allow the people of Ayodhya to live peacefully.   
If this verdict — a healthy, if still imperfect — attempt at reconciliation created such a deep division, especially among those Hindus and Muslims who are not even living in India any more, it obviously means there is still a canker of resentment. Despite surveys in India showing that the youth has moved beyond these petty, religious disputes, a majority of the non-resident callers on the show were young and angry over historical and past grievances!
The Hindus were angry because they felt “they” had suffered centuries of humiliation during the Mughal rule, and the Muslims were upset over the 1992 Babri Masjid destruction, and indeed, thought that the present judgment added to their minority status woes in India. This historical baggage meant that many of them could not even attempt to think about reconciliation.
All of this was, of course, a far cry from the “unity” theme which was running through the Indian media and politicians as commentators attempted to read it as a positive verdict.
Can there be any other way out of this? Looking at the even more positive side, all I can say is that whilst the mandir and masjid may be constructed, eventually, side by side, can one look purely at the economic and commercial angle and say that the construction of a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will mean a complete regeneration of the city? Forget the religious side of it all, it will simply become an important tourist destination! And why not? In a country where the Sensex is soaring over 20,000 points it is not a crime to take a completely money-making direction. Think of the souvenir shops, the guided tours, the theatrical enactments — the whole industry created around the cult of Rama, Sita and Hanuman. After all, religion has been one of India’s more successful exports, and many of the adjoining countries worship Rama as well, so they will visit too. Instead of the people of Ayodhya living in constant fear of violent confrontations, there will be prosperity and industry, all of which will give employment to those who need it more than they need religion and its ugly shadow of violence.
I can only think of how well Stratford-upon-Avon has been exploited with its association with William Shakespeare. The tiny village rakes in pounds faster than you can say Romeo and Juliet. So if some people actually believe that Rama was born at that precise spot, why can’t
we exploit their belief to the
hilt and make money in the bargain?
The UK is also where many of the disused churches have been converted into shops and flats — and even pubs (without any objections from anyone). And why not? I can only wish that all of us could see things beyond religion, in a more pragmatic fashion. After all, real religion is practiced in privacy, between you and your God — the rest is all dikhawa, or perhaps, commerce.

MEANWHILE, THE other big story, Commonwealth Games, lurches along from scandal to scandal. Everyone is now waiting for the Games to begin so that we can actually see the real reason why our money was spent so recklessly. Otherwise there is a growing impression that it was actually used to get Suresh Kalmadi and Co. rich and richer. However, looking around the new air-brushed Delhi one wonders at the banishment of the “real” India. The India which is malnourished, uneducated and lives in slums has been physically removed from sight. Beggars and even domestic workers have been rounded up. Buildings which are shabby are hidden behind high plastic sheets, and dismal, muddy, barren pavements have suddenly started sprouting green shoots and young trees in abundance. Thousands of plants have been literally thrust into the ground — and now that the rains have stopped — they have already begun to droop and whither. In other areas, men and women are desperately planting grass (just a day or two before the Games). Money is being poured into pavements while those who slept and lived on them are being rudely shunted out.
The “real” India has also vanished because the buses have disappeared from the streets. Think of the loss to the exchequer because people are not being able to come into office on time, partly due to the lack of buses and partly due to the terrible traffic jams everywhere. The worst is that even the thelawallas, ie, the hawkers who come around with fruit and vegetables, are unable to enter colonies due to security restrictions.
All those that the police suspect are being asked for a proof of identity. And these are usually the poor daily wagers. Instead of flying all the way to a remote village in Maharashtra, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could have simply given the unique identification number to one of these poor slum dwellers, right here in Delhi. It could have helped them to stay on in their city — as a symbol of the “real” India.

The writer can be contacted at kishwardesai@yahoo.com [2]