Editorial Viewpoint
We are not alone
The vandals at the Bhikha Behram Well shattered more than mere stained glass panes. They destroyed the illusion that the Parsis were safe from the ills that befall other communities, especially minorities, in India.
While there is as yet no apparent communal angle to the desecration of the 279-year monument, the elements of fear and concern hang heavy. Could it happen again? Will a school or a library or a fire-temple be the next target? What line of defense is possible? Are we safe?
Perhaps all these fears are unfounded. Vandalism cuts across all religions, peoples and countries. The object is to cause maximum damage with, perhaps, some financial gain. But in a country like India where people are often historically singled out for attack on account of their religious leanings, one can understand the anxiety.
Added to that worry is also the attack on individuals and institutions that dare to question conventional wisdom or even assist anyone who is in quest of knowledge. The attack on the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Poona merely because an American author researched the history of the Maratha warrior Shivaji at that library clearly demonstrates the hostility towards intellectual inquiry.
Community research institutions could similarly be targeted one day. Scholars from all over the world explore our treasure trove of books and manuscripts. The institutes have no say on what they discover, deduce and write.
So it is understandable that agitated Parsis would gather at a candlelight vigil to express their concern.
The Parsis are not new to discrimination. Both in Iran and in India, Zoroastrians have faced religious persecution. Not only Muslims but Hindus too have slaughtered community members in the centuries gone by.
Aside from the handful of individuals who speak out on such occasions, the rest of the community and community institutions remain silent. No doubt this is done with the honest belief that if we dare to voice our dissent, we may be the next to be singled out for attack. But appeasement is no guarantee of safety. As a matter of fact it can leave one all the more vulnerable. The shift of the Hindu fundamentalists’ ire from Muslims to Christians is partly because the Christians are viewed as softer targets.
If Parsis participate in inter-faith activities, why should they not join in condemning attacks on believers of other faiths? Why should our punchayets, anjumans, educational institutions, trusts remain silent when great wrongs are being perpetrated?
One recalls the lines from Tagore’s poem Ekla Chalo Ré (walk alone):
If no one hears your knocking/And all men shut their doors;/Then lose not heart oh! Hapless one./But in the fiery thunder set,/The torch of your heart aflame,/And burn in the darkness alone.
Fortunately on April 13, 2004 at the Azad Maidan, where India’s freedom struggle flowered, we were not alone. The cosmopolitan Public Concern for Governance Trust called for the candlelight vigil. The city and state organizations have voiced concern and rendered assistance. The police are investigating the desecration. No other such untoward incident has occurred thereafter.
The vandalism at the Bhikha Behram Well was unfortunate. But everyone made their protest in a dignified and civilized manner. Now we have to do the same for others who are similarly victimized.
While there is as yet no apparent communal angle to the desecration of the 279-year monument, the elements of fear and concern hang heavy. Could it happen again? Will a school or a library or a fire-temple be the next target? What line of defense is possible? Are we safe?
Perhaps all these fears are unfounded. Vandalism cuts across all religions, peoples and countries. The object is to cause maximum damage with, perhaps, some financial gain. But in a country like India where people are often historically singled out for attack on account of their religious leanings, one can understand the anxiety.
Added to that worry is also the attack on individuals and institutions that dare to question conventional wisdom or even assist anyone who is in quest of knowledge. The attack on the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Poona merely because an American author researched the history of the Maratha warrior Shivaji at that library clearly demonstrates the hostility towards intellectual inquiry.
Community research institutions could similarly be targeted one day. Scholars from all over the world explore our treasure trove of books and manuscripts. The institutes have no say on what they discover, deduce and write.
So it is understandable that agitated Parsis would gather at a candlelight vigil to express their concern.
The Parsis are not new to discrimination. Both in Iran and in India, Zoroastrians have faced religious persecution. Not only Muslims but Hindus too have slaughtered community members in the centuries gone by.
Aside from the handful of individuals who speak out on such occasions, the rest of the community and community institutions remain silent. No doubt this is done with the honest belief that if we dare to voice our dissent, we may be the next to be singled out for attack. But appeasement is no guarantee of safety. As a matter of fact it can leave one all the more vulnerable. The shift of the Hindu fundamentalists’ ire from Muslims to Christians is partly because the Christians are viewed as softer targets.
If Parsis participate in inter-faith activities, why should they not join in condemning attacks on believers of other faiths? Why should our punchayets, anjumans, educational institutions, trusts remain silent when great wrongs are being perpetrated?
One recalls the lines from Tagore’s poem Ekla Chalo Ré (walk alone):
If no one hears your knocking/And all men shut their doors;/Then lose not heart oh! Hapless one./But in the fiery thunder set,/The torch of your heart aflame,/And burn in the darkness alone.
Fortunately on April 13, 2004 at the Azad Maidan, where India’s freedom struggle flowered, we were not alone. The cosmopolitan Public Concern for Governance Trust called for the candlelight vigil. The city and state organizations have voiced concern and rendered assistance. The police are investigating the desecration. No other such untoward incident has occurred thereafter.
The vandalism at the Bhikha Behram Well was unfortunate. But everyone made their protest in a dignified and civilized manner. Now we have to do the same for others who are similarly victimized.
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