Opinion Menacing intolerance
The ban on James Lanes biography of Shivaji was struck down by the Supreme Court....
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The ban on James Lanes biography of Shivaji was struck down by the Supreme Court. It rightly pointed out that in judging the nature of a book it is impermissible to ban it because of a few isolated stray sentences divorced from the context of the main theme of the book. The so-called offence of hurting religious sentiments must be judged on the touchstone of normal balanced individuals and not by the reactions and standards of hyper-sensitive persons who perceive hurt in any and every criticism and are offended by unpalatable comments. Not surprisingly,there was adverse reaction against the Supreme Court judgment in some bigoted quarters. There were intimidatory protests that the book would not be allowed to be sold or distributed in Maharashtra despite the Supreme Court judgment. Regrettably,the Chief Minister of Maharashtra impliedly endorsed this blatant intolerance in his press conference. The result was that the publisher of the book,obviously for considerations of commercial expediency,caved in and agreed to stop distribution of the book. So much for the authority of the Supreme Court judgment and so much for freedom of expression in our country which can be held to ransom by fanatics. Another shocking manifestation of intolerance was the vandalising of the office of TV channel Headlines Today. The furniture and equipment in the office premises were badly damaged and the office staff was manhandled. The excuse was that a sting operation aired by Headlines Today,insinuated that RSS leader Indresh Kumar had links with Devendra Gupta,a key accused in the Ajmer blasts case. As usual the police were mute spectators and failed to protect the news channel. In this sorry state of affairs,tough and well-armed private security guards may offer a solution. In that case we may bid adieu to the rule of law. And that is the vexed and distressing part.
Fatwas galore
Darul Uloom in Deoband has of late issued fatwas which are incomprehensible. After its fatwa asking women to avoid workplaces requiring them to freely mingle with men without the veil,two more fatwas have been issued recently. One of them ordained that women should cover themselves even in women-only settings. More bizarre are the fatwas which declare that activities,such as adolescent girls cycling or woman wearing perfumes are un-Islamic! The basis for these fatwas is attributed to the Quran or the Hadith,a collection of sayings attributed to Prophet Mohammed. Some Muslim scholars have questioned the validity of these fatwas and are of the view that neither the Quran nor the Hadith justify these fatwas. It seems that historically it was common for texts to be re-interpreted to accommodate changing realities. Assuming that Darul Uloom could do the same re-interpretation should be progressive and in keeping with present norms and not result in fatwas which on their face lack common sense. Besides,these fatwas are impractical and will be honoured more in breach than observance. This will impair the authority and credibility of the Deoband Darul Uloom. Instead of issuing negative fatwas concentrating on donts in matters of dress and toiletry,fatwas enjoining practice of tolerance and abjuring extremism and violence in all situations would be salutary and most welcome.
Jazz musician honoured
Legendary Canadian jazz musician Oscar Peterson died in December 2007 at the age of 82 after a 65-year career as a piano virtuoso recording artist and composer. He is a great jazz icon in Canada. Peterson has received official recognition in his country. Streets,squares,concert halls and schools have been named after him. He was also honoured by the issue of a commemorative stamp. The pinnacle of his fame and recognition took place last month when a bronze sculpture of Peterson was unveiled in Ottawa by Queen Elizabeth of the UK. It is heartening that there is no royal prejudice against jazz. Quite a few jazz musicians have performed at the White House. If Canada,UK and US can honour jazz musicians,there is no reason why India should lag behind when we have produced excellent jazz musicians.
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