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Journalism of Courage
Do we find ourselves menaced or delighted when stereotypes are overturned? If we need help in making up our minds, let8217;s remember that God and the Constitution are on the side of the Different. Both want the denizens of India to be inclusive and appreciative of people and points of view that are not exactly us8217;. Shiva tattva, for instance, seems to be about making room for others on honourable terms. It was because serpents were feared and despised, that Mahadeva slung them round his own neck, blue from drinking poison to save the world. This very blue throat is said to have been irresistible to Parvati Devi. It8217;s such a romantic way to urge the positive benefits of inclusion, that you truly wonder about the temperament and character of our early mythmakers.
I think they would have been delighted that an Arora from Pitampura8217; God, how patronising won 25 lakh in Atilde;sup2;f40Atilde;sup3;KBC, just by keeping his cool and by virtue of having religiously read the newspapers end to end since school. So it8217;s amusing just how much finger-wagging is going on about how a money-show is all about greed. That8217;s what I too thought I should feel, at first. But didn8217;t they have tournaments of skill in the old days, with bags of gold to be won? Isn8217;t a game show a modern equivalent?
As for Sanatana Dharma, let us rejoice in the mental freedom it bestows. It has evolved to fit new realities, like general education, the emancipation of women and the destruction of the caste system. So you can kick Manu and most of the Puranas into the dustbin of history and yet be Hindu8217;, because nobody can say Don8217;t8217;. That8217;s why Sanatana Dharma was blessedly free to accept a modern, inclusive constitution, which was in direct spiritual descent from the Upanishads, but also picked up bits from France, England Ireland and America. As they might fondly say in the North: Atilde;sup2;f40Atilde;sup3;Kahin se eenta, kahin se roda, Founding Fathers ne kunba joda.
The spiritual dimension to this socio-legal inclusivism goes way beyond sharing our berth on the train or writing a cheque for charity. It also seems to mean generosity in thought and word, to not just the disadvantaged, but to those who get lucky with Kama and Artha. It8217;s all too easy to feel kindly towards losers. But letting ourselves feel good about another8217;s success is the ultimate hurdling high. Because our Dharma and Moksha may possibly lie in just that.
