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Journalism of Courage
The hapless situation of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, currently running from pillar to post to ensure a peaceful stay in India, once again points to the fact that we as a nation have been ceding our authority to fundamentalists. But we must ensure that we don8217;t propagate double standards in chastising one brand of fundamentalism while condoning the other.
Take the case of M.F. Husain, one of India8217;s best known painters, who has been forced to live in exile in London for many years. A non-descript Hindu organisation has been threatening him with dire consequences because they believe he showed disrespect to Hindu religious idols in his paintings. Husain has clarified, again and again, that he has no disrespect for Hinduism, but on the contrary, has utmost respect for Hindu religious deities. People who know him have never doubted his deeply secular viewpoint. In fact, in London, Husain is part of all Indian celebrations 8212; be it Diwali, Holi or Indian Independence Day. But because of this paralegal ban on his entry into India, Husain has been unable to properly contest the court cases, many of them frivolous, filed against him in various courts in India.
In my view, Husain8217;s safe return to India must be ensured by the government to reassert the state8217;s authority.
He is an Indian citizen and the government must take care that he is allowed to live a safe and peaceful life in his own country.
Between friends
The ongoing cricket series between India and Pakistan is remarkable for an easily-overlooked reason: the complete lack of hostile emotions against the visiting team by the Indian public. There are no war-mongering chants or slogans, no provocative banners and remarkably, no mass demonstrations of hysterical jubilation upon Indian victory or nationwide gloom over its loss. The sense of normalcy has been so wide-spread that even players are no longer talking about moments of high blood pressure or nervousness on match days. Everything is so normal and peaceful that it seems as if India is contesting against any other nation instead of so-called 8216;arch-enemy8217; Pakistan.
To bring about this change of atmosphere was precisely the goal of the cricket boards and the governments of both countries a few years ago. India8217;s tour to Pakistan four years ago proved a major breakthrough when visiting Indian fans got a first-hand chance to experience Pakistani hospitality and warmth from people of all walks of life, something that they did not quite expect. Remarkably, India won that series, and instead of any hostility from the fans, all they received were congratulations and admiration. In fact, Pakistanis went out of their way to make Indian cricketers and fans feel at home. And today, the Pakistan cricket team visiting India no longer attracts any superfluous attention. Clearly, we have come a long way since the hostilities and hysteria of the nineties, best remembered for highly-watched matches played in Sharjah and Toronto.
The writer is a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha
