Responsibility

Srisri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal’s case has seen the most peculiar reactions and they are predictable from a mile away. Everyone in English and Tamil and almost everyone in Hindi media have reacted exactly like you knew they would. The lack of decorum in some cases is startling though, like a very senior political editor on a smartly dressed and generally well-spoken English news channel saying, “Jayendra Saraswati has asked for permission to keep his mouth shut”. Wouldn’t “to remain silent” be better news manners? Whatever befalls the dharma guru of Kanchi, our media might like to reflect on its responsibility — though one winces from using such pompous terms. But really, the flagrant side-taking on this case seems impelled more by the self-image of the commentator than by the first rule of natural justice: audi alterem partem. Hear the other side. Contrast this instant judgement by our press, of which one is usually so proud, with the propriety of the British media in the case of killer-doctor Harold Shipman until his conviction. The Kanchi acharya, on the other hand, seems to have behaved with restraint and correctness, despite the reportedly ugly handling by the Tamil Nadu police and certainly despite the “scoop” of him wiping away his tears in lock-up. But the Kanchi acharya is known to have shed tears before, when deeply moved by devotional music. President Shankar Dayal Sharma wept openly in Parliament at the appalling behaviour of elected representatives to our “temple of democracy”.

Meanwhile, many in media and academia urge Hindus to “forget and forgive” the dominant military past of Muslims. They are right. But, alas, some of them sound like they want to pillory Hindus eternally en bloc for their socially dominant past, even those who try to institute change despite carrying the heaviest weight of tradition, not all of which they are able to toss away in one go. But you can’t have a rule for one and a rule for the other. We need an unconditional sweep of mutually inclusive goodwill, otherwise we get tragic closet believers. We get communities that will never relax and open out because of all that acrimony outside that wants to turn them into featureless persons.

Why has this happened? The simplest reason seems to be lack of responsibility. For decades now, many of us, whatever our religion, have either submitted to the status quo or just cast it away, leaving it to those who do not want change or those who misuse our emblems and ideas. Each of us must question, adapt or resist tradition, yet if we wish, stay fearlessly connected to worship. We need to know and interpret scripture sensitively in our changed world. There are brave reformers already in every faith. Isn’t it time we joined them?