Acharya Tulsi
History of Indian culture is the history of tolerance, liberality and acceptability. This country has faced so many attacks and tortures. But other than defensive actions, public of this country sustained them peacefully. Attackers, invading this country, demolished many temples, robbed precious properties—people tolerated these misdeeds. Numerous temples were also converted into mosques drastically, but perhaps no Indian thought of constructing temples by demolishing the mosques. Whether this liberal attitude is not such asset which is to be preserved at any cost.
Last year India witnessed severe disputes between temple and mosque. Who poured inflaming fuel into the fire? This is not a matter of talk but a matter to think. To waste time in search of the person, who evoked fire, after the occurrence of fire, is to facilitate spreading of fire. Everything of ours is being burnt out in fire and we are simply watching the incident joyfully. Who can rely on such state of intelligence? It is the joint responsibility of the Government and the public to extinguish the tiny sparkles of such disputes and prove the truth of the acclamation—‘Hindu-Muslim Bhai-Bhai’.
In our country religious places are regarded as sacred places. Entrants to these places come there in desire of turning the life into holiness. If in the name of religious places situation of violence and disorder arises,’ whether it will not pollute the purity of these places? Someone dismantled your religious place. You felt it bad. If you take same type of action, whether it will not prove the justification of that action which you had thought inappropriate till now?
Akbar was a devotee to his mother. His mother once told him, ‘I have heard that the Christians have put the holy book Kuran- Sharif on the back of an Ass and got it rotated on the roads. I’ am very much shocked for this incident. I want that such treatment should be paid back to the Bible also. Akbar said, ‘Mother! I am ready to obey all your orders, but I not do similar evil deed to eradicate an evil deed.’ Whether there is none to think over this disruptive context following the viewpoint of Akbar in his mind?
I cannot advise anyone to tolerate injustice calmly. But how injustice can be eradicated by injustice? The action done with the feeling of revenge may be emotionally vigorous. But by such action, eyes of conscience remain closed. It is necessary to discuss the issue of temple and mosque in new perspective.
Mutual conversation is a highly effective measure to sort out any dispute peacefully. Both the parties involved in the dispute, should restrain themselves from their prejudices and fix up the goal of compromise and should not allege each other. Such initiative may open up the route of solution. There is a most relevant proverb, ‘If your leg slips, you can tackle, but if your tongue slips, it cannot be tackled.’ If aimless talks on this issue are stopped in the perspective of the said proverb, the expanding gap of brotherhood may be bridged.
