Recently, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde claimed that the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) are promoting something called "Hindu terrorism." This is not the first time when someone tried to link some religion with terrorism. Even the above-mentioned term (Hindu terrorism) was used in the past by some leaders, but I still wonder what is the logic behind using terms like this? I guess what he meant by this was these parties are using Hinduism to create a communal rift in society. Don't all political parties work based on the same philosophy of divide and rule? Similar to this term there are some other terms like "Islamic or Muslim terrorism." All these terms are used to describe terrorist groups or organizations that use particular religions to misguide people and spread communal tension. To associate only a particular religion with terrorism is wrong. All religions are equally good or bad in this aspect. Therefore, just to single out any religion for this is stupidity or at best one can call it a very opportunistic approach to get some political mileage.
Religion and politics are two sides of the same coin. They both work on many similar principles and ideas. They both are human-made institutions. They can be compared with big corporate organizations that try to maintain their hold on their customers by aggressive advertising and brainwashing. Their main intention is to grow their customer base by using all available resources and techniques. All organized religions present today have a long history of violent conflicts with each other, with nonbelievers, or even with factions within them. Depending on their strength and attitude weaker religions have suffered at the hands of more powerful ones. There are many reported incidents in history where these conflicts become violent and many people lost their lives. The use of divide and rule strategy is also not new in politics. Most politicians are in search of something that they can use to divide people and polarize their opinions. This helps them to create their own loyal vote bank. Politicians know very well that most people don't think rationally when they become emotional and they love to exploit this weakness. Religion, caste, or race are very powerful tools to challenge people's emotions. They polarize people's opinions which creates divisions among them and this technique is used very commonly in politics all over the world. It is often used by politicians to appease their vote banks.
The dominance of religion, caste, or race in people's minds works in favor of these politicians who use these things for political advantage. People form very strong associations with things like religion, caste, race, or anything with which they like to associate their identity, and these things are exploited not only by politicians but also by various cult movements. Religious institutes or organizations (temples, Churches, Mosques, etc.), gurus, and many other entities exploit this weakness for their own selfish purposes. Many times, these emotions are also used to organize people to do something good but such events are very rare. Mostly, these emotions are used to scare people, blackmail them emotionally, financially exploit people, or for political/personal gains.
For me, the most interesting part of this equation is this dirty trick works every time. I have not seen this trick failing, this high success rate makes this tick a very attractive and potent weapon. Even after all these years of advancement in knowledge and understanding of our surroundings, people fall for these things regularly. I can understand people's dependence and their need for religion and God but I fail to understand why don't they question when these things are used to divide them. Why do they put blind faith in these books and their authors? Why do they still search for their identity in all these things? Why for many of them it's not enough just to identify themselves only as humans? Why do we allow personal things like religion and race to be used to divide us and create rift or enmity among us?
As long as people don't ask these questions and find their own logical answers these things will be used to divide them. Such people will be used as cards in the game of politics and religion where they will try to beat each other and kill each other without even realizing why and for whom they are doing all this. The ultimate winners in any card game are not cards but the players who use those cards. Cards might think that they are powerful where king beats queen, a higher number is more powerful than a lower number but they don't realize that it all depends on how the players use them. If the cards stop listening to the players then the whole game will collapse and become meaningless for players. This is what we need to do to stop the exploitation of these emotions by politicians and religious organizations.
Terrorism or violence doesn't belong to any particular religion, sect, community, or country. Every religion and country has used it as per their own requirement and desire. All are equally guilty. No one can point fingers at others as there is blood on everyone's hand. Instead of playing this pointless blame game endlessly which we all know no one is going to win why don't we stop this game and take a break. Why don't we focus our attention on more important topics like social reforms, women's empowerment, finding solutions to many problems that still trouble humanity, and tackling issues like climate change? The list is very long, why not discuss these things instead of propagating hate for the benefit of wasted interests? As long as people are going to give unnecessary importance to these things there will be people or organizations who will exploit them for their own benefit. We give them this chance so why only blame them?
Let's make one thing very clear to these people, we are not going to fall for these things anymore. Let's tell them that they can not fool us by using these emotions anymore. Terrorism or violence has no face or identity. Violence only hurts. We can not preach peace by using violence. Let's diffuse this bomb permanently which is being used to divide and ignite us so many times.
Religion and politics are two sides of the same coin. They both work on many similar principles and ideas. They both are human-made institutions. They can be compared with big corporate organizations that try to maintain their hold on their customers by aggressive advertising and brainwashing. Their main intention is to grow their customer base by using all available resources and techniques. All organized religions present today have a long history of violent conflicts with each other, with nonbelievers, or even with factions within them. Depending on their strength and attitude weaker religions have suffered at the hands of more powerful ones. There are many reported incidents in history where these conflicts become violent and many people lost their lives. The use of divide and rule strategy is also not new in politics. Most politicians are in search of something that they can use to divide people and polarize their opinions. This helps them to create their own loyal vote bank. Politicians know very well that most people don't think rationally when they become emotional and they love to exploit this weakness. Religion, caste, or race are very powerful tools to challenge people's emotions. They polarize people's opinions which creates divisions among them and this technique is used very commonly in politics all over the world. It is often used by politicians to appease their vote banks.
The dominance of religion, caste, or race in people's minds works in favor of these politicians who use these things for political advantage. People form very strong associations with things like religion, caste, race, or anything with which they like to associate their identity, and these things are exploited not only by politicians but also by various cult movements. Religious institutes or organizations (temples, Churches, Mosques, etc.), gurus, and many other entities exploit this weakness for their own selfish purposes. Many times, these emotions are also used to organize people to do something good but such events are very rare. Mostly, these emotions are used to scare people, blackmail them emotionally, financially exploit people, or for political/personal gains.
For me, the most interesting part of this equation is this dirty trick works every time. I have not seen this trick failing, this high success rate makes this tick a very attractive and potent weapon. Even after all these years of advancement in knowledge and understanding of our surroundings, people fall for these things regularly. I can understand people's dependence and their need for religion and God but I fail to understand why don't they question when these things are used to divide them. Why do they put blind faith in these books and their authors? Why do they still search for their identity in all these things? Why for many of them it's not enough just to identify themselves only as humans? Why do we allow personal things like religion and race to be used to divide us and create rift or enmity among us?
As long as people don't ask these questions and find their own logical answers these things will be used to divide them. Such people will be used as cards in the game of politics and religion where they will try to beat each other and kill each other without even realizing why and for whom they are doing all this. The ultimate winners in any card game are not cards but the players who use those cards. Cards might think that they are powerful where king beats queen, a higher number is more powerful than a lower number but they don't realize that it all depends on how the players use them. If the cards stop listening to the players then the whole game will collapse and become meaningless for players. This is what we need to do to stop the exploitation of these emotions by politicians and religious organizations.
Terrorism or violence doesn't belong to any particular religion, sect, community, or country. Every religion and country has used it as per their own requirement and desire. All are equally guilty. No one can point fingers at others as there is blood on everyone's hand. Instead of playing this pointless blame game endlessly which we all know no one is going to win why don't we stop this game and take a break. Why don't we focus our attention on more important topics like social reforms, women's empowerment, finding solutions to many problems that still trouble humanity, and tackling issues like climate change? The list is very long, why not discuss these things instead of propagating hate for the benefit of wasted interests? As long as people are going to give unnecessary importance to these things there will be people or organizations who will exploit them for their own benefit. We give them this chance so why only blame them?
Let's make one thing very clear to these people, we are not going to fall for these things anymore. Let's tell them that they can not fool us by using these emotions anymore. Terrorism or violence has no face or identity. Violence only hurts. We can not preach peace by using violence. Let's diffuse this bomb permanently which is being used to divide and ignite us so many times.
Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.
(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)
References:1. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/shinde-blasts-bjp-rss-for-inciting-hindu-terror/article4325767.ece
2. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Shindes-statement-on-Hindu-terrorism-based-on-facts-Salman-Khurshid-says/articleshow/18132530.cms
