The latest screaming of families of "disappeared" describing autocratic Chinese dispensation as "fearful and Panic-stricken" reminds us the doings of religious fanatics in India. Ever since, the BJP came to power Delhi, the sectarian sentiments are more vociferously active, dead set to saffronize the dissenting voices, and if they can't then stifle them. The cowardly act of murdering Karnataka leading scholar Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi is just another manifestation of fanatics' frustration. That's what a hardcore criminal does. Kill the voice if you can't suppress it. They have done earlier too. Dr. Narendra Dabholkar was was killed in 2013 for debunking self-styled godmen, so-called healer-preachers etc. He was the founder-president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), an organisation set up to eradicate superstition . His murder forced Maharashtra govt to promulgate the pending Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance was promulgated in state, four days later on 20 August 2013. He was awarded the Padma Shri for social work posthumously in 2014. After working as a doctor for 12 years, Dabholkar became a social worker and joined movements for social justice, such as Baba Adhav's One village – One well agitation.
His feverish campaign against superstitions, confronting dubious tantriks and holy men promising 'miracle cures' for ailments angered such elements and was punished for this. Never mind. India is a land of dicersity and a few fanatics can't stifle fearless voices. In a democratic set-up, every citizen is free to cultivate ideas and propagate them. Sadly, saffron men wants to convert India into "theocratic" dispensation where free ideas are crushed. Seventy-seven year old Dr. Kalburgi, a former vice-chancellor of Kannada University had spoken against idol worship and superstition last year at a public function. Since then, he was receiving the threats. A complaint was filed against him by a religious activist in June, last year for "offending religious sentiments," Dr. Kalburgi had angered some followers of the Lingayat Hindu sect over his assessment, in a scholarly work, of the sect's founder in 1989,. As the criticism escalated to denunciations and then threats, Kalburgi eventually renounced his findings. Kalburgi had said at that time: "I did it to save the lives of my family. But I also committed intellectual suicide on that day." Kalburgi had been under police protection for a time after rocks were thrown at his home on several occasions. Kalburgi discontinued the protection several months ago. He like Dabholkar and many others paid the price for offending religious fanatics. US President Barack Obama during his New Delhi visit was also upset over "acts of intolerance". He had said that "acts of intolerance" by religious faiths of all types in India in the past few years would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi. The father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi had said that" Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit. However, sane voices are never heard by fanatics. They will keep on hitting the very roots of Indianness.
His feverish campaign against superstitions, confronting dubious tantriks and holy men promising 'miracle cures' for ailments angered such elements and was punished for this. Never mind. India is a land of dicersity and a few fanatics can't stifle fearless voices. In a democratic set-up, every citizen is free to cultivate ideas and propagate them. Sadly, saffron men wants to convert India into "theocratic" dispensation where free ideas are crushed. Seventy-seven year old Dr. Kalburgi, a former vice-chancellor of Kannada University had spoken against idol worship and superstition last year at a public function. Since then, he was receiving the threats. A complaint was filed against him by a religious activist in June, last year for "offending religious sentiments," Dr. Kalburgi had angered some followers of the Lingayat Hindu sect over his assessment, in a scholarly work, of the sect's founder in 1989,. As the criticism escalated to denunciations and then threats, Kalburgi eventually renounced his findings. Kalburgi had said at that time: "I did it to save the lives of my family. But I also committed intellectual suicide on that day." Kalburgi had been under police protection for a time after rocks were thrown at his home on several occasions. Kalburgi discontinued the protection several months ago. He like Dabholkar and many others paid the price for offending religious fanatics. US President Barack Obama during his New Delhi visit was also upset over "acts of intolerance". He had said that "acts of intolerance" by religious faiths of all types in India in the past few years would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi. The father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi had said that" Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit. However, sane voices are never heard by fanatics. They will keep on hitting the very roots of Indianness.