Opinion A culture of tolerance
Freedom of the Press,the Ark of the Covenant of Democracy,as proudly proclaimed by our Supreme Court,is not in good shape....
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Freedom of the Press,the Ark of the Covenant of Democracy,as proudly proclaimed by our Supreme Court,is not in good shape. A document published by The Free Speech Hub,an initiative of the Media Foundation,records how journalists in Kashmir have been beaten and shot at by the security forces. Journalist Amulya Pani was assaulted when he went to cover the police firing on villagers in Kalinganagar in Orissa,and journalists Moirangthem Romeo and Atom Lukhoi were arrested by the Imphal East commandos in Jirabam in Manipur,for no apparent reason.
Attacks on freedom of the press and journalists are not the monopoly of the security forces. Attacks on and vandalising M F Husains paintings,threats against writer Arundhati Roy for her article about Maoists and the onslaught on Bollywood film My Name is Khan emanated from intolerant social and political groups. The root cause is the inability to stomach anything which is unconventional or opposed to ones idea of truth and morality. In short,it is intolerance. We have not learnt to accord freedom to the thought we hate or to a movie of which we disapprove. Regrettably,law enforcement authorities look the other way when powerful political personalities and organisations are involved. It is thanks to firm judicial intervention that freedom of expression is protected,for example in the case of the painter Husain and the actress Khushboo. However,real protection lies in a temperament,culture of tolerance in civil society. Education has to play a key role in this behalf. Practice of tolerance should be prescribed as a fundamental duty of every citizen.
The beard hazard
The treatment that was meted out to Maulana Noor-ul-Huda,a respected Islamic scholar,is shocking. An NRI woman co-passenger misunderstood his conversation to his son on his mobile and concluded that he was about to blow up the aircraft (udaane waala hoon) whereas all he had stated was jahaaz udne waala hai (the plane is about to take off). Acting on the co-passengers information,Huda was forced to get off the Emirates flight to London and was arrested and thrown into Tihar jail. The woman co-passengers misinformation got credence apparently because Huda is a Muslim and sports a beard. This mindset is disturbing. There should be exemplary recompense for the indignity inflicted upon one of our co-citizens and the mental trauma he and his families underwent. The NRI woman co-passenger must make suitable amends and should not go scot-free.
Professional greed
A senior Supreme Court lawyer living in a palatial mansion in Delhi was requested to appear in a case before the Punjab & Haryana High Court. He agreed,provided the client was agreeable to his fees and other conditions,viz.,Rs 30 lakh for each days appearance,plus two compulsory conferences for Rs 2 lakh each,travel by a special jet from Delhi to Chandigarh and return,and of course,the fees had to be paid in advance,trusting the lawyer not to accept another more lucrative brief and ditch the client. This is not only scandalous but is the epitome of professional greed. Shakespeares ominous statement,The first thing we do,we kill all the lawyers,may not remain a theatrical flourish but may be translated into reality.
President extraordinaire
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is an amazing personality. His government has enacted a law banning the wearing of full-veiled burqa in public. This has caused resentment amongst the Muslim community in France and in neighbouring countries. Yet,the French President,with a charming straight face,assured Muslim women that no hurt or humiliation was intended by the proposed law. The President and his wife were staying at Windsor Palace as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeths guests. Understandably,thanks to the ambience of the palace and its romantic surroundings,the President and the first lady were in an amorous mood. Their boundless sexual enthusiasm was not a bit dampened by the prospect of keeping Her Majesty waiting to receive them at a reception arranged in their honour. Sarkozys priorities are illuminating.
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