Politics blended with religion culminates into a deadly cocktail

Samarjit Kambam *

Road accidents and terminal diseases such as cancer and diabetes account for a large number of deaths everyday in the world. However, it may not be wrong to mention that the death toll caused by religion, ethnocentric and race based facets far exceeds the toll caused by other factors. On the one hand the earth is termed as a global village about to become a global family in this fast-paced technologically driven world while on the other hand killings on religious ground are gaining momentum. With the number of religious fundamentalists increasing exponentially, the rifts among the people created by religious issues get wider with each passing day.

Of late, through mass media we have witnessed many innocent men, women and children hacked, lynched, hanged, butchered in crisis torn ISIS dominated areas who are yearning for a separate Islamic state in the most gruesome and unimaginable ways. Video footage of prisoners of different nationals in orange coloured apparel mostly journos and humanitarians have been hacked to death by masked ISIS militant clad in black by beheading them one after the other known as "Foley's Effect" wherein such beheadings came in tandem with James Foley, an American journalist and war video reporter who was officially declared the first publicised victim from foreign soil beheaded the "mullah" way after he had endured harsh torture such as virtual starvation, waterboarding (a method introduced and meted out by US military to al-Qaeda prisoners in Guatanamo Bay) that simulates the subject to getting drowned in water and hung upside down by the ankle for hours.

The video footage where Foleys tryst with destiny in August last year was directly flashed to the White House, USA like a birthday gift to President Barak Obama. The world was shell-shocked when this footage went viral. The ignoramus act beyond the realm of barbarism where a Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kaseasbeh was burnt alive by Islamic State militants inside an iron cage shocked the world. The pleas and requests for release of the foreign prisoners by their family members fell into deaf ears. Besides, umpteen other killings, mass massacre, rape of women and girls not sparing even six year old girl children and forcefully picking up young boys ranging from seven to eight years old to recruit them as members of ISIS are going on abated as they capture new territories of Iraq and Syria as a routine affair. In fact, it is genocide of the new order.

True, religion brainwashes people. Religion maketh one a good, kindhearted, compassionate and philanthropic human being. It also makes man merciless, one sided, wicked and evil to the core. To such religious fanatics and fundamentalists, human values and compassion are non-existent thereby becoming a living killing machine. The recent carnage at a temple of learning by terror group Taliban at Peshawar where 132 innocent students were killed and many injured was an act inhumanity in its crudest form. It is only hatred in the name of God which comes at their forefront and objectives.

But hatred breeds more hatred. The remaining family members of the dead victims must be brewing with rage for revenge. Its human nature. So, whenever they get the chance, will they spare those who killed their loved ones? Never. Jordan executed Rishawi, a prisoner requested for release by ISIS as a vengeance against the ghastly murder of their fighter pilot. Jordan's King Abdullah, a trained pilot, swore that he would voluntarily lead in revenge airstrikes on Islamic State. It is a vicious cycle, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a spade for a spade. Even wild animals of the same family or species do not kill each other but we the humans have gone down to the level lower than animals for we kill each other even if we belong to the same religion or race.

The number of religions adorned with different human races in the world may far outnumber the number of living species on our planet earth. One of the most disappointing reality is that there is hatred even between people of the same religion by dividing themselves in sects, castes, class and creeds. The reason – every religion in the world has a hierarchal structure. The Christians are also divided into Catholics, Protestants, majority Christians, higher class Christians, lower class Christians and minority Christians.

The Muslims have the majority Sunnis and Shias that are like water and oil and various others considered lower sects of Muslims. The Hindus, since the Vedic age have remained segregated viz Brahmins, Kshetriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. The status quo is that India has a multitude of High caste Hindus, low caste Hindus such as Dalits, tribal Hindus and even untouchable Hindus, converted Hindus, re-converted Hindus and the likes. When asked about the differences in the same religion we won't be short of answers.

Hindu philosophers may opine that its their birthright or a result of the karma of the past life that they are born as a high caste or a low caste Hindu, a segregation to maintain order viz a viz. Silly, silly, silly me, silly you. In our home turf, we the Meeteis/Meiteis are further differentiated into Vaisnavites, Sanamahists, Bishnupriyas and SCs. The Nagas are further differentiated into Tangkhul, Phom, Angami, Zemi, Konya, Rengma etc etc with more than 30 different dialects.

The Kuki tribe is a consortium of Baite, Doungel, Gangte, Haokip, Hmar, Kom, Maring, Vaiphei etc etc. In Nagaland itself, the western region of the state consider those of eastern region as lower class Nagas. The Nagas in Manipur are considered as Kachcha Nagas by the Nagas of Nagaland, a status quo unpalatable to the Nagas residing in Manipur. Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang's remark regarding de-recognition of Rongmei tribe from Nagaland as non-indigenious which created animosity amongst the Nagas is a glaring example of politics mingling with religion or race.

Mr Modi, you seemed so concerned with the minorities and made brash statements of BJP as one of the most secular parties in India. But you turn a blind eye and a deaf ear whenever the RSS (Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh), the VHP(Vishwa Hindu Parisad), Brajang Dal and many other Hindutva brigades blend religion with politics. You keep mum when they attempt to convert every religion of India into Hindu religion in the name of a "No-minority India" Is the remark of the RSS senior leader Dattatreya Hosabale stating "There are no minorities in India where people are culturally, nationally and DNA-wise Hindus" justified?

Then what about the atrocites meted out to the people of the North East in metro and cosmopolitan cities of India such as Delhi and Bangalore? What strucks one with bewilderment is from where do this "DNA" tag come from. Is Hosabale a theologist cum geneticist? Or are the RSS clandestinely working on human genome projects? It is a known fact that religion is based on faith and science on facts.

Or is he trying to instill religion with scientific temper? A sluggish, bland, unconvincing and insipid statement, I should say. What about the mongoloid chinky featured north east indigenous people and minorities who have their own faiths and multitudes of religions and races? Hindi is the national language of India as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. No doubt, every Indians accept it but the RSS leader's statement comes out more as an insult to all minorities of the nation.

The heart rending ground reality is that even the high profile leaders and elite bureaucrats including IAS officers also take roles and show their true colours when it comes to religion, caste, creed and race. The high level education inculcated in their brains cannot erase the tainted mindset of narrow-minded religious intolerance, a tragedy for the Indian nation and an insult to the very foundation or root of democracy.

Of late many churches have been destroyed and vandalised in many regions of India, even in the national capital of India and very recently in Jabalpur by various Hindu brigades. Such sinister acts are pre-planned ones by religious fanatics thereby tearing apart the very fabric of democracy. Forceful conversions or re-conversions in the name of "Ghar Waapsi" is a political histrionic. To maintain Unity in Diversity and a secular India, one should be given the fundamental right to practice or propagate any religion by any Indian citizen as per his or her liking.

Mr Modi, you have been declared throughout the world among the top ten slot of leaders who maintain domestic affairs smoothly. But what about the various elements trying to bring down the house? Or is your soft stance towards the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal etc a result of you being an alma mater of such Hindutva brigades? Is it because such Hindutva entities rocked your cradle when you were a little baby that you seem so powerless?

Mr Prime Minister, now is the time for some serious introspection. The hopes of pluralistic democratic Indians are pinned towards you. Please keep our hopes alive. Besides, your target of wooing investors and "Made in India" will never materialise if Indian democratic platform remains shaky on religious grounds. The statement made by the US President Barack Obama on religious stability in India was a warning that no secularism means no investment.

We the human beings may have different skin colours, languages and religions but the colour of blood that runs through our veins will always remain same. Everyone of us were born naked, loaded with innocence, free from any pride, prejudice, hatred or religious mindset. It is the environment or the institutions in which we grow up that shapes us, robbing us of our innocence, getting ourselves chained from the freedom which we brought along at birth. Tolerance, patience, broad-mindedness are the factors to keep India going at par with other countries by being a truly secular country.

Some of us are really f**ked up and pissed off by religion, no matter what kind. Sometimes we feel that the best solution to break enmity and hatred among us humans is to become apostates. Roller Coaster Write has thought many a times and slowly started to abhor religion and is on the verge of becoming an atheist. Wanna join me? You are most welcome.