Can constructive criticism be considered as an insult?

Can raising a question about some traditions be called an insult? Can constructive criticism be considered an insult? Can objecting to the views or opinions of some famous persons be considered an insult? Is constructive criticism really an insult? I am asking this because some people who claim to be ardent fans, devotees, or followers of some famous personalities like Chanakya or ISKON founder Prabhupad or followers of any particular religion or cult movement, objected to my questioning of some of these people's views and my criticism of traditions or rituals. They all believe that just criticizing someone's views or objecting to their statements can be counted as an insult, they don't seem to believe in constructive criticism. I am also an admirer of Chanakya for his views related to topics like governance and economics but I do not agree with his views about women, that's why I wrote a blog post about it. I also clearly expressed my opinion about Prabhupada and his sectarian views, especially about his misleading book, Gita as it is, in which he claims to explain the Bhagavad Gita as it is. These two posts along with some other posts related to women suppression and gender equality attracted a lot of such criticism.

Freedom to ask questions is a very important characteristic of any liberal and progressive society. Most of the ancient books or scriptures that people think are divine and even worship were written because there was freedom to express new things contrary to established beliefs. Constructive criticism is also very necessary for the progress of any society or culture but if it's not taken in the right spirit it can be misunderstood as an insult and can create problems. There is a huge difference between criticism and insult. Criticism, especially constructive criticism, is offered to improve things and insult is used to demean things for no reason. Some people are just not comfortable with the idea of old traditions being questioned, or views of some big names being criticized, they just reject these things. Instead of thinking about the objections or questions which are raised they just try to attack the questioner. They try their best to silence the voice of a person raising the question rather than trying to answer it. They do this because they find it easy to silence the person rather than trying to answer difficult or uncomfortable questions. Every religion has a dark spot in their history, rather than accepting these things and acknowledging their mistake they all just try to downplay it, justify it, or even deny it. This is what leads to confrontation and more questioning. Because of this attitude, I am labeled as anti-Hindu, anti-religion, or anti-Indian and what not, it seems if you raise an objection about anything (let's call it X) you are X hater or you are anti-X, there is no middle path for these people.

Respect doesn't mean keeping silent even if you see something wrong is going on. Just because something was practiced for centuries (traditions or rituals) doesn't mean it was right. We should not accept anything blindly just to show respect to some tradition or because it was said by someone great person. Such behavior to show respect is a very narrow and timid definition of respect. Seniority should be respected as much as it needs to be, following age-old ways of showing respect are really superficial (like standing every time someone senior enters the room or tolerating their improper behavior just because they are senior, etc.). Such things need to go. Everyone should understand that questioning is not an insult, it should be done properly and it is a sign of a healthy society. Everyone should have the right to raise objections to anything that they believe is not right. In true democracy, every voice counts so it should be heard. Forbidding questioning is like forbidding progress and I don't think any culture or society can evolve by discouraging people who want to object or think differently. Let's keep our gates open for new questions, new doubts, and new challenges, this will take us to new heights and will bring a lot of new ideas and new solutions. Please remember that knowledge is not stagnant it's a continuous and endless process and questioning is an integral part of it. Nothing is sacred in the process of generating knowledge, everything is open for discussion and debate. Once we understand this then people will realize the potential and power of questioning and constructive criticism, until then let's try our best to keep on asking questions.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Chanakya and his views about women 
2. Bhagadvad Gita-As it is or As it is NOT..Part-I
3. Bhagadvad Gita-As it is or As it is NOT- Part-II