Even before the lockdown was declared RSS had decided to
cancel its Hindu New Year celebrations, the first festival in its
calendar. Swayamsevaks were asked to
stop conducting shakhas in the open. The message from the Sarsanghchaalak was
to obey all laws, support the government’s efforts to stop the spread of Corona
Virus. The only time when shakhas were officially stopped for 13 days was
assassination of Mahatma Gandhi as a mark of condolence. Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha annual
meeting was cancelled for the first time since it began in 1951. The only time
it was not held was during Emergency period. Not only this, after the Lockdown
was declared, its most important training programmes were cancelled for the
year that involve over 100,000 swayamsevaks.
The message from the Sarkaryavaah was to serve the society within the
framework of law in every way possible.
Response of RSS swayamsevaks was spontaneous even before any
official plans for serving the society and helping the people on the forefront.
Within 2 days of the lockdown, many centres in various parts of the country had
come up to serve the poor, the daily wage earners and helping medical services
in setting up clinics and hospitals. Over a period of a week or so, a formal
network took shape in different states and districts and organised efforts
began to serve food to needy, rations to people who could cook, help organise
crowds, help medical fraternity in any way,
including distributing masks to medical and health workers. By ten days,
about 1 million people had been served by over 100,000 swayamsevaks and other allied
organisations. The sudden crises of migrant labour created by unscrupulous axis
of politicians and left media was controlled by RSS swayamsevaks serving the
poor migrants on way in every possible way with food and medical support.
Organisations like Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram went into the most
remote areas help tribal brethren in every possible way. Other Hindu
organisations also chipped in directly or through RSS to help the society tide
over the biggest crises our nation and the world had seen in current history. This is how Hindu society rose to the
occasion. RSS has been in the forefront in this service to humanity. Thus, it
can rightly claim to represent Hindu philosophy of, “Sarve bhavantu
sukhinah, sarve santu niraamaya, sarve bhadraani pashyantu, maa kashchit dukh
bhaagbhavet.” This philosophy prays
for the happiness of all, not any particular sect or faith, health for all, and
prays to the Almighty that may no one be unhappy.
Response of orthodox Muslim leaders was totally different. It was so different that it left average
Muslim embarrassed and alarmed.
The hate driven orthodox Mullah leadership, nurtured and
instigated by faux secular politicians carried the spark that lit the fire in
the major sections of Muslim society. This orthodox leadership remained in
denial. They saw conspiracy of the West
and Indian society to isolate them, kill them, end their religion and decided
that The Book would be their saviour. Hate videos were circulated. The hate of
anti-CAA was further fuelled with conspiracy theory against Hindus. Rumours
that Muslims will be targeted and medicines will be used to kill them were
spread.
While Hindus closed temples without any ill-will, did not
celebrate important festivals, Mullahs went on to call the faithfuls to
assemble for prayers in defiance of all orders.
There were other orthodox Muslim leaders in India who had also spread
the myth of invincibility of the faithfuls against the virus.
While various governments were trying to convince these
misguided people to obey law and save themselves, came the horrendous
misadventure of Tablighi Jamaat. They
had refused to cancel their meeting even when they were refused permission by
the government and the police. They refused to come out of the Markaz till NSA
himself came down to persuade them to move out as danger of Corona Virus loomed
large. The worst part was, after they
were vacated, while some had already moved out; they escaped the police and the
doctors and hid in different mosques. Thus, the mosques became complicit in
this crime against the nation. Then, the as an act of ‘defiance’ and stupidity,
the captured Tablighis behaved in most abominable manner with morbid acts that
are not worth describing. This single episode will be remembered as the
watershed moment in the history of Corona virus outbreak when human bombs have
been let lose in entire nation. Numbers speak for themselves.
Till this time the Muslim community was silent, believing
that Tabhligi Jamaat was a purist, peaceful group preaching orthodox Islam of 6th
Century. It was only after the other
Muslim leaders realised that a large number of Muslims and the non-Muslims were
horrified with the conduct of this play of orthodoxy putting entire nation to
risk; did they tried to distance
themselves. But, they went on finding excuses with ‘whataboutry’ in public. Damage has been done. The entire Muslim
society now has to suffer ignominy for the deeds of these obscurantist leaders
and their followers. Add to this, the conspiratorial silence about foreign Muslim
missionaries coming for this congregation directly from deadly Malaysian
Tabhligi congregation of 18000 people, their mixing up with local Indians
across India. We, then, realise how India is on the verge of Stage 3 because of
these hate-filled Islamists. I have
called them ‘ISIS without guns’.
We also note that Islamic states responded with lockdowns their nations, closed
down their places of worship and took steps to protect their citizens. But, Indian Mullahs, in tune with Pakistani
Mullahs told the world that they were different, and would not follow even
Saudi Arabia, the home of their Prophet, and custodian of Islam.
If Muslims talk about Universal Brotherhood, why did they
behave in such a manner? Was it because the brotherhood is only for the people
who follow their religion, as Dr. Ambedkar had stated? Not only their religion,
but their respective sects alone. Was it because Indian Muslim has not sought
to reforms? Should Indian Muslims allow destructive leaders to lead them? Will
it give up the dream of converting Dar-ul-Harb into Dar-ul-Islam and live
peacefully with people of other faiths in the spirit of co-existence?
Will the new generation of Muslims, with a modern, and
reformist Muslim leadership rise to challenge this ultra-orthodox leadership
that had hijacked the Muslim community since Khilafat days with the help of
Secular Congress of that time? It is time that Muslims realise that they are
also inheritors of a civilisation that truly believes in happiness for all,
irrespective of their faith and way of worship. It is a society that sought to
live in harmony with the nature, hence worshipped all forms of nature,
believing it to be source of life and happiness. They too belong to the tradition of Sant
Gyaneshwar, who sought blessings of the Supreme Being for the welfare of the
entire world. It is time the modern new age Muslims take up the challenge of
leadership, oust the Mullahs from society’s leadership and take control.
Ratan Sharda
8th April, 2020
This article first published on Newsbharati.com -
https://www.newsbharati.com//Encyc/2020/4/8/Corona-and-Civilization-Contrast.html
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