Our own setu

At a small party last month to celebrate the publication of a bunch of Faithlines by Penguin, I chose to start the evening with recitations from the Koran Sharief because I think of India8217;s religious diversity as a vast candy box into which I can freely dip. But I found many Hindus were not pleased. One lady told me she 8220;felt scared8221; listening to the Koran. 8220;In 2003? Did you see Guzzly or Gory at the door?8221; I asked. 8220;These mullahs teach children to hate non-Muslims, especially Hindus,8221; she argued. 8220;That8217;s unfair to the good guys and the patriots!8221; I protested. 8216;8216;Keep thinking of God as a box of mixed mithai!8221; she scoffed. 8220;The MPLB has squeezed God into a packet of dates, stamped 8216;Made in Mecca8217;8221;.

Remembering that conversation, a wild idea occurred to me in that studio full of angry, dejected people. Let the Election Commission declare Ayodhya-Kashi-Mathura a banned topic in the next chunaoti. Not a leaflet should be allowed, nor even a silent mimed allusion. Any reference in poster, song, dance, speech, whatever, should have the severest penalties attached, since it disturbs the peace. Forbid mandir-majid as an election issue with every mite of constitutional authority at your command. Then see what these politicians have to offer us. Meanwhile, there is an urgent need to bond again as 8220;a community of communities8221;. Every Muslim and Christian should have Hindu friends with whom they are so much at home that they know where the tulsi is kept and help light diyas for Diwali. Every Hindu should consciously make friends with people of other communities and recognise the Throne Verse on the wall or know why special candles are burned. Every Residents8217; Welfare Association should welcome non-Hindu families, initiate a flow of aana-jaana. Our children should study, play and eat together. Let8217;s invite Muslim ladies to join the kitty, to put up stalls in our Diwali melas. Forget scoring cultural points. All we need is love.

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