Fanatics at the front door: The case of Hauz Qazi

There is an Urdu couplet by late poet Dr Bashir Badr Sahab. “Mujhe Ishtehaar si lagti hain, ye muhabbaton ki kahaaniyaan Jo kahaa nahin voh sunaa karo, jo sunaa nahin vo kahaa karo.” Which loosely translates to: “I find the stories and claims of higher love which you make to me, slogans without feelings, Thou must learn the subtle art of listening to the unsaid and saying what has never been said before.” When I today sit thinking about the vandalism of the Hindu temple in the heart of Delhi’s capital, Hauz Qazi, and the outpouring of emotions of citizens, addressed to the newly re-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, somehow this couplet came to my mind. Unlike crazy, violent men baying for the blood, threatening mayhem when religious symbols of any other religions is even slightly mocked at, what stood out was a steely Hindu resolve standing firmly behind the rule of law, albeit with a bitter taste of betrayal in its tongue. Witnessing a broken nation in 1947 on account of religious fanaticism, Hindus have come a long way, wading through political apathy, mockery and even hatred as the ruling class aligned with the minorities in order to establish their secular credentials through appeasement; as the intellectuals class aligned with the ruling class in order to establish its loyalty; as the establishment-aligned to both of them to establish its unquestioning subservience. As the hurt settles and slowly the intellectuals return to their routine manner of maligning Hindus, whether they are criminals or victims, we are reminded of the hope philosopher Will Durant expressed towards the Hindus when he wrote- “Perhaps in return for conquest, arrogance, and spoliation, India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the unacquisitive soul, the calm of understanding spirit, and a unifying, pacifying love for all living things.” – Will Durant, Hinduism has always been a faith of Dharma, the spirit of doing the right thing.