A disconcerting trend emerging has been noticed in conservative religious groups across India as they give a call against the celebration of New Year and Christmas, citing cultural heritage and religious traditions. This phenomenon is particularly evident in India, where the fear of Hindutva propaganda influencing Indian-origin communities abroad has sparked concerns. Instances of Hinduphobia and attacks on Hindu temples and Sikh Gurdwaras are on the rise in several countries, suggesting a potential “action-reaction” dynamic at play. This has also been seen by Muslim religious figures who have given similar calls to their followers to not partake in these celebrations given that they may have ‘pagan’ and ‘western’ origins.

Thus, the changing landscape of India and the world, with a shifting political and cultural climate, has given rise to a peculiar form of intolerance. Communities that once happily celebrated events like New Years and Christmases together are now witnessing a surge in misinformation campaigns against these very celebrations, as seen in a tweet from the Jaipur Dialogues. Furthermore, they are deterred from participating in these festivals which may include people from all religious groups and thus may be a site for potential cross-community interaction.

However, these moves by conservative and right-wing groups are not new. For instance, another notable example of this trend is the Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust of the Andhra Pradesh Endowments department in 2017 issued a notice advising temple authorities to refrain from New Year celebrations, welcome banners, and floral decorations on January 1. The department justified its stance by claiming that celebrating the Western New Year is not in accordance with Hindu traditions, thereby urging temples to focus on festivities during Ugadi, the Telugu New Year.

Similarly, in Aligarh in 2017, schools were warned against celebrating Christmas, with concerns raised by the Hindu Jagran Manch, a right-wing Hindutva group affiliated with Yogi Adityanath’s Hindu Yuva Vahini. The group suggested that Christmas celebrations might lead to ‘forced conversion’ of Hindu students, showcasing a fear-driven narrative against religious minorities. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, another conservative group, had appealed to Hindus nationwide to celebrate the New Year only on Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada (Gudhipadwa), rejecting the celebration on January 1 due to its perceived lack of historical, natural, and spiritual significance. Further, in December 2023, a school in Madhya Pradesh specified that students need written permission from their parents before they could participate in Christmas Day celebrations in school.

In late November 2023, the Janajati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch (JSM) had plans to organise a rally on December 25 in Agartala, the capital of Tripura in northeast India, as reported by UCA News.

Functioning as an affiliate of the pro-Hindutva and supremacist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the JSM advocates for the exclusion of Christianity and Islam, which it deems as “foreign-origin religions.” The organisation argues that indigenous tribal individuals who have converted to these faiths should be omitted from the official Scheduled Tribes list. This exclusion would result in the denial of educational and employment quotas, along with other welfare benefits, as part of India’s affirmative action programs.

In 2022, notorious for reportedly engaging in hate speech against religious minorities in India, Suresh Chavhanke stated that Christmas is an “imposition of the 2 % over the 98%.” The Sudarshan News Editor-in-Chief was speaking at an event held by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti in Jalgaon, Maharashtra on December 25. Furthermore, expressing anxiety about the prospect of “mass Hindu conversions,” he stated, Christianity has ruined “our intellect,” and further stated that, “The Hindus are so gullible that they are putting up Christmas trees in hotels, malls, airports. Is there any relation of Christmas trees and India? (Crowd echoes a ‘No’) But we were made into fools. From December 25 to January 5, we will not see anything else. Our children will grow up looking at Christmas tree and they will think is ours and that is why Sudarshan (his news channel) since the past 10-12 years has started worshipping the tulsi plant instead of worshipping the Christmas tree.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Hindutva outfits over the celebration of Eid, as elaborated in a detailed piece by Sabrang India, which detailed the “anxiety ‘ Hindutva has with regards to celebration of Eid. The article details several instances where people celebrating Eid were disrupted, including one celebration in a school which was disrupted by Hindutva supporters. The article also notes that the police was seen chatting in an amicable manner at the scene of crime in the school with the attackers from the Hindutva outfits had disrupted the programme.

Other religious groups such as Muslims too have raised concerns about celebrating festivals that are not from their own religion. For instance, in December 2023, a Sunni cleric named Sadiq Ali from Kerala wrote a Facebook post decrying the celebration of Christmas by Muslims. This post came after members of the IUML (Indian Union Muslim League) engaged in Christmas celebrations. He further sought to cement his claims and argued, “It is wrong to take part in certain celebrations. Participating in certain other festivals would lead you out of Islam. This is clearly stated in the books on Islamic jurisprudence.” However, he further added, “Islam teaches us to be tolerant and to establish good relationships with people of other faiths. Islam teaches that if a goat is slaughtered in your house, the first share should be given to the neighbouring Jew.” Furthermore, these incidents raise questions about the broader implications for communal harmony and diversity by arbiters and advocates of religious conservatism.

This growing intolerance is not limited to India alone. Similar instances of conservative religious groups opposing New Year and Christmas celebrations can be found globally. In Saudi Arabia, religious kingdoms have successfully employed such tactics to maintain control and foster religious homogeneity. The underlying narrative appears to be one of religious fanaticism seeking reasons to polarise citizens, with calls for boycotting Christmas or condemning New Year seen as forms of hatred towards minority communities, especially Christians. Such incidents reflect a worrying trend where personal choices to celebrate certain occasions are not only discouraged but actively degraded.

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Madhya Pradesh: District after district polices Christmas celebrations, children can’t dress like Santa Claus without “parent permission”

What is the truth behind the ‘Chota Pakistan’ video?

The post Growing intolerance across religion: Conservatives, Hindutva and some Islamic groups oppose New Year and Christmas celebrations appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Once a religious fundamentalist, always a religious fundamentalist. Hate speech is a habitual offense and an addiction which keeps returning for those who are extremists across the religious spectrum. And in a recurring atmosphere of intolerance and polarisation, this is a vicious cycle waiting to be repeated. 

Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui of the famous and secular bastion of Furfura Sharif has yet again put his foot in his mouth with violent and aggressive hate speech. He has stoked widespread controversy on a delicate and sensitive subject now stalking various districts of Bangladesh, where the communal fault-lines have been sharpened and intensified by fundamentalist forces. 

The Bangladesh government has declared that those who were against the liberation of the country in 1971 are actually behind the violence unleashed against the minority Hindu community during the Durga Puja festival. This clearly points fingers at Islamic fundamentalists who have been pushed to the backfoot by the current Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Abbas Siddiqui has said that the man who placed a copy of the Quran in a Durga Puja pandal in district Comilla should be beheaded. A video doing the rounds shows him using this language. He was apparently addressing a religious gathering in North 24 Pargana. Earlier he had passed derogatory comments against some secular initiatives in Durga Puja pandals in West Bengal. 

Siddiqui had founded the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in alliance with the CPM and Congress in the recently held assembly elections in West Bengal. Even at that time, he was accused of inflammatory speeches and the Left was criticised for aligning with him. The CPM had countered by arguing that the ISF comprises minorities, Adivasis and Dalits, among others, and is essentially secular. The alliance got drubbed. Even a young rabble-rouser with apparent vociferous and loud supporters could not translate this support into votes. Even his own uncle, the senior Pirzada, refused to align with him. 

Earlier, his sexist and abusive speech against a Muslim MP from Trinamool Congress, who is also a famous film actress in West Bengal, was criticised widely. He, however, seemed unrepentant.

As SabrangIndia had reported from the ground in Furfura Sharif during the election campaign, even secular Muslims in his own bastion seemed reluctant to vote for Siddiqui, while, later, they overwhelmingly voted for Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress to defeat the BJP across the state. Despite his rabble-rousing skills, there was transparently lukewarm support for him in Furfura Sharif. Indeed, Muslim women, like most women in Bengal, especially in rural areas and among the economically weaker sections, voted for ‘Didi’. 

Since then, Siddiqui has been lying low while his alliance partners are still rubbing their wounds. The communal flare-up in Bangladesh has given him a chance to spread his wings yet again, it seems, as it has done to various hues of fanatics and fundamentalists across both sides of the border. 

Apparently triggered by inflammatory content on social media and crass propaganda, Durga Puja pandals have been attacked in multiple locations across various districts of Bangladesh, including in Comilla, Chittagong, Noakhali, among other locations. Hajiganj in Chittagong witnessed widespread arson and police opened fire on a violent mob which was attacking a temple. Four persons have reportedly died in the firing, while around seven Hindus have been reportedly killed. 

Even in Dhaka which witnessed over 200 Durga Pujas, the police had to intervene when a crowd gathered to protest the ‘sacrilege’ in Comilla. Five people were arrested. Despite fears of violence, all the immersions of the goddess were conducted peacefully with heavy police protection. 

The Bangladesh government, from day one, has moved with decisive intent and speed. The most elite and special forces were deployed to protect the Durga Puja pandals. Violent extremists were nipped in the bud even as they went on a spree of arson and attacks on the pandals. 

Sheikh Hasina called upon the Hindus to feel totally safe and secure in her secular country and said that the government stands with them and will not tolerate any violent extremism from any quarter. She instructed Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to take quick and effective action. She also asked the Puja Committees, including the small ones, to inform about their location etc. to the administration and police so that they can be protected from the rowdy elements. She and her home minister have appealed to the people to not believe anything on the social media without fact-checking; they have categorically declared that rumour-mongering on social media and hate speech will be dealt with an iron hand. 

“A thorough investigation is under way on the incidents in Comilla. Nobody will be spared. We are getting a lot of information about the incident. It does not matter which religion they belong to. They will be hunted down and punished,” said Sheikh Hasina. She was addressing worshippers at the historic Dhakeshwari temple in Dhaka during the festive days via a virtual speech. 

The police have meanwhile narrowed down on one man who apparently did the act. He is currently on the run. Besides, activists and leaders of the Awami League party have been holding harmony and peace rallies and processions across the country. “Do not fear, Hindu brothers and sisters. Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are with you. Sheikh Hasina’s government is a minority-friendly government,” Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader is reported to have said at a rally at the party’s office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka. “Resist the communal forces on the streets,” he has appealed to his party workers. 

Civil society groups, artists, writers, academics and students too have joined in the peace process while restoring old cultural and social ties of friendship and harmony with the minority community. Bangladesh has an ancient and inherited tradition of celebrating Durga Puja across communities, and this communal violence seems instigated by fundamentalist forces out to create polarisation, especially since they have been effectively marginalised in recent times. 

Bangladesh has around 10 percent Hindus who live as dignified citizens observing their cultural, social and religious beliefs in a largely secular society, which has been strengthened under the Awami League government. There have been no cases of any discrimination against them in the recent past. 

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has appreciated the support of the Bangladesh government and the large majority of the public which has helped in conducting the Durga Puja celebrations peacefully. Its spokesperson said that the Bangladesh government has promptly dealt with the disturbing events. 

The question however remains is: Will the West Bengal government act against the hate spewed by Abbas Siddiqui?

Related:

Furfura Sharif cleric Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui adds fuel to communal fire
Battleground Bengal: Notes from Furfura Sharif and village bylanes

The post Hate Speech: Abbas Siddiqui does it again! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The writer in conversation with Sreelakshmi

Image Courtesy: Janata Ka Report

Sahitya Akademi Award winning writer Paul Zacharia recently courted controversy when speaking at  an event organised in honour of the eminent Malayalam writer and cartoonist, O V Vijayan, in Palakkad, Kerala. Zacharia raised objection to the late writer (who is best remembered for his novel Khasakinte Itihasam) accepting the Sanjayan Puraskaram from Thapasya Art and Literary Forum – an organisation affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). O V Vijayan had received the award in 2004, a year before his death.

Zacharia’s statements charging Vijayan with having right-wing leanings angered many writers in Kerala, especially when he remarked, “If Hitler was alive today and he came and offered me an award, I would refuse it. In fact, if Narendra Modi, the murderer responsible for the killings in 2002 in Gujarat, offers me an award, of course I will refuse it rather than accept it!”

There was clear disagreement even among the writers present at the event, most of who contested Zacharia’s statement regarding O V Vijayan. Besides the writers in Kerala, certain right-wing groups have also taken offence with him for referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “murderer”. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secretary for Kerala B Gopalakrishnan threatened to have the writer beaten up unless he issued a public apology to the Prime Minister.

Sreelakshmi from the Indian Cultural Forum spoke to Paul Zacharia, about the issue.

Sreelakshmi (SL): There are reports claiming that you called O V Vijayan a communalist who practiced “soft Hindutva”. Would you like to comment on this?
Paul Zacharia (SL): I did not call O V Vijayan a communalist. I simply wanted to point out that he made a mistake in accepting the award from Thapasya Art and Literary Forum. Vijayan was a soft hearted man. He believed in what others said. It was this simple nature that led him to accept the award from Thapasya, an RSS funded organisation, without looking into the organisation’s work. The point I was trying to make was simple: no writer should accept awards from any religious fundamentalist organisation. Doing so is akin to endorsing such organisations.

SL: Some people have pointed out that, in 2017, you accepted an award from Gulf Madhyamam, which is funded by an Islamic fundamentalist group. Would you like to respond to this?
PZ: Yes. I have faced quite a lot of backlash for accepting that award. In fact, I am planning to write an article on this issue. According to me, Madhyamam’s publications are as credible as Mathrubhoomi’s or Manornama’s. It was Madhyamam that offered me the award. The Gulf Madhyamam, which is one of Madhyamam’s subsidiaries, was one of the sponsors of the award. Both Gulf Madhyamam and Madhyamam are funded by Jamaat-e-Islami. Initially, both these publications only claimed to be news organisations but were actually propaganda channels meant to spread fundamentalist ideology. However, over the past 25-30 years, their work has shown clear secular primciples. Today, almost every writer of note has had their works — poems, short stories, and novels — published in their newspapers and bi-weeklies. A distinguished writer like M Mukundan has had his novels published in these; K Satchidanandan has contributed poems; people like me have written short stories for it.  Moreover, works by people like M T Vasudevan Nair, Sugathakumari, and P Radhakrishnan have also appeared in the Madhyamam weekly. It was this Madhyamam weekly that offered me the award. For me, Madhayamam is a secular journal and many eminent secular thinkers have published their works in it. I find it extremely problematic when people compare Madhyamam with the RSS funded Thapasya. It is an RSS front organisation. Even after all these years, it continues to function as a front organisation. It has never had any secular leanings, and never will.  If we read Thapasya, all that we will learn is communalism. The magazine pits communities against one another; breeds enmity between them. No mainstream writers of merit have ever contributed to this magazine. As opposed to this, Madhyamam magazine has widely covered issues like the discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community, land protests, workers rights, and student protests, among other things.  Even though Madhyamam had communal undertones in the beginning, it has grown to become a secular space. It is no longer informed by Islamic fundamental ideologies.

Besides, we need to understand the difference between the majoritarian and minoritarian fundamentalism. Majoritarian fundamentalism eventually leads to the existence of organisations like Thapasya in Kerala. We need to unmask their principles. When Madhayamam had just started out, they offered me an award. I had refused it back then because I wasn’t sure of their secular credentials. It was during this initial period that they gave an award to the celebrated poet Satchidanandan, who accepted it. Later, it was given to T J S George, a secular democrat. It was after them that I accepted the award. By then, I had seen enough of their work to be sure of their political leanings. Secondly, in principle, I support minorities rather than the majority. But that does not mean I support fundamentalists from minority communities. I hope I have made my stand clear regarding this. Any form of fundamentalism will only lead to violence, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Judaism,  or any other religion.

Sreelakshmi is a member of the editorial collective of the Indian Writers’ Forum.

Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum

The post “No writer should accept awards from any religious fundamentalist organisation”: Paul Zacharia appeared first on SabrangIndia.