Skip to main content

In these 'dark times', why are people in India crying out in one voice: Let there be Light

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* 
India today is enveloped in darkness! As the nation embroils itself from one issue to another, the burden is felt by the ordinary citizen, as never before and in more ways than one. Fascism throttles the country; at this juncture, one cannot help, but reminded of that immortal epigram composed by Bertolt Brecht in 1939.
Brecht, a playwright and poet, who was vehemently anti-Nazi wrote, “In the dark times / will there also be singing? / Yes, there will also be singing. / About the dark times.”. In these dark times, the people of India cry out in one voice, from the depths of their being “Let there be Light”!
Significantly, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, whilst on a visit to India recently strongly stated:
“India’s voice on the global stage can only gain authority and credibility from a strong commitment to inclusivity and respect for human rights at home… As an elected member of the Human Rights Council, India has a responsibility to shape global human rights, and act and promote the rights of all individuals including members of minority communities…. The Indian model of plurality is based on the simple but profound understanding: Diversity is a richness that makes your country stronger. The understanding is the birthright of every Indian but it is not a guarantee…
“It must be nurtured, strengthened and renewed every day in this and in every other society: by practising the values of Gandhi, by securing and upholding the rights and dignities of all people, especially the most vulnerable, by taking concrete action for inclusion, recognising the enormous value and contributions of multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic societies, by condemning hate speech unequivocally, by protecting the rights and freedoms of journalists, human rights activists, students, academics, and by ensuring the continued independence of India’s judiciary… This is the India that the world has celebrated. And, I urge Indians to be vigilant and to increase your investments in an inclusive, pluralistic diverse community and society.”
Coincidentally, this year, United Nations Day and Diwali are on the same day 24 October. The underlying message is the same...
“Let there be Light”!
Hate speech and acts of violence, particularly against the minorities, continue to thrive in the country, with the blatant approval of the ruling regime. In a landmark order, a two-member bench of the Supreme Court expressed deep its over hate speeches, while calling these “very disturbing” and wondering “what have we reduced religion to”.
Its order on 21 October directed the police chiefs of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand “to take immediate suo motu action against the offenders by lodging criminal cases without waiting for formal complaints.”. Further, it warned authorities that “any hesitation to act in accordance with this direction will be viewed as contempt of court and appropriate action shall be taken against the erring officers”. The apex court saying on hate speech…
“Let there be Light”!
At the same time, human rights defenders, those who have taken a visible and vocal stand for justice and peace, those who have taken up cudgels for the excluded and exploited, the marginalised and the minorities are at the receiving end of a brutal vengeful system.
Many, as those in the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case are still languishing in jail without trial. Recently, Prof GN Saibaba, Umar Khalid, Jyoti Jagtap and Siddique Kappan were denied bail. Stalwarts like Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt are hounded and harassed no end. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to understand and realise that those who support constitutional rights and the democratic framework of the country have false and fabricated charges foisted on them. The people of India say…
“Let there be Light”!
Interestingly, on the other hand, we have the case of Bilkis Bano. On 3 March 2002, Bilkis a pregnant Muslim woman was gangraped by a Hindutva mob; her three-year old daughter was murdered in front of her eyes. Other women relatives were also gangraped with a total of 14 members being murdered. The perpetrators of this inhuman and heinous crime were sentenced to life imprisonment.
On Independence Day 15 August, the day he waxed eloquent about the safety and protection of women in India, the Prime Minister and his government authorised the premature release of the eleven men who were convicted.
This despite the State acknowledging that “the Superintendent of Police, CBI, Special Crime Branch, Mumbai and the Special Civil Judge (CBI), City Civil and Sessions Court, Greater Bombay had, in March last year, opposed their early release.” There is a national outrage on this remission, which is challenged in the Supreme Court; in the meanwhile, the one prayer uppermost in the heart and on the lips of Bilkis (others too) is…
“Let there be Light”!
Brecht, vehemently anti-Nazi, wrote: In the dark times/ will there also be singing?/ Yes, there will also be singing/ About the dark times
On 3 October, in the wake of some communal clashes during the Navratri Festival in the Kheda District of Gujarat the police detained ten Muslim youth. In full public view, with a mob of locals cheering, the police tied the youth and flogged them.
This was caught on camera and the same went viral. On a petition from concerned citizens the Gujarat High Court has sent a notice to the State Government and police officials. Such ‘kangaroo justice’ is certainly not acceptable anywhere; civil society says…
“Let there be Light”!
On several other counts, the country is in the doldrums: on the Global Hunger Index, India is ranked at an abysmal 107 out of 121 countries; on the Human Development Index, 132 out of 146 countries; in the global gender gap report the ranking is 135 out of 146 countries. India has been ranked at the bottom in a list of 180 countries that were judged for its environmental performances in the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI).
A recent World Bank Report concluded that 80% of those who fell below the US$2.15/day poverty line in 2020, were Indians! The Finance Minister has the audacity to say recently that ‘the Indian Rupee hasn't weakened but in reality, it is the US Dollar that has strengthened!” Unemployment is on the rise; inflationary trends are runaway!
The rich become richer and the poor, poorer. Media is godified, corruption is mainstreamed. Freedom and rights of the citizens are denied. Migrant workers, labourers, fisherfolk, Adivasis, Dalits, the LGBTQI and other vulnerable sections of society make a heart-wrenching cry…
“Let there be Light”!
So as we enter and celebrate our great ‘Festival of Lights’ and wish each the Blessings of the Divine, we all need to pray in the words of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad (1.3.28.) "Asato mā sadgamaya, tamaso mā jyotirgamaya, mṛtyormā'mṛtaṃ gamaya" (From falsehood lead me to truth, From darkness lead me to light, From death lead me to immortality).
We are challenged in these dark times to be a light that enkindles other lights! From the depths of our being, let us together internalise and radiate the light of justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, dignity, diversity and unity!
“Let there be Light”!
---
*Human right, reconciliation & peace activist/writer

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.
Post a Comment
Read more

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”
Post a Comment
Read more

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.
Post a Comment
Read more

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas*  November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.  
Post a Comment
Read more

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.
59 comments
Read more

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 
26 comments
Read more

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. 
1 comment
Read more

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad*  The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.
Post a Comment
Read more

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor*  Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.
Post a Comment
Read more

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor*  Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.
Post a Comment
Read more