Respect everyone's democratic rightsIn a democratic set up, freedom of expression is absolutely necessary. Indian political establishment claims to be secular. But many a times our politicians don't behave as if they are secular. These politicians can tend to be communal. If they were secular they wouldn't have created controversy over Salman Rushdie's participation in the Jaipur literary festival. They wouldn't have let M F Husain to breathe his last in exile. They wouldn't have bundled Taslima Nasreen out of the state. By displaying such intolerance the Indian government has created an illiberal atmosphere in the country. Our politicians tend to create communal tensions unnecessarily to make political gains for themselves.
The politicians of UP have given a call to prevent Rushdie from attending the Jaipur festival because of a book he wrote a quarter of a century ago. These politicians have built a controversy around this issue. They have their eye on UP elections next month and hence they indulge in such gimmicks. The thing is Rushdie's previous visits to India had gone off peacefully. Then why raise hue and cry this time? This is perversion of secularism.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot too behaved irresponsibly. His job is actually to uphold law and order and not to create tense atmosphere. He acted irresponsibly by publicly airing his apprehensions about a possible law and order breakdown in case Rushdie attended the festival. His government leaned on the organizers of the festival to persuade Rushdie to call off his visit. Now, this is really disgusting.
Gehlot coolly ignores the more pressing issues of governance in his state and instead tries hard to make an issue of non-issue just to extract political capital on assembly-election eve. This is not the first time that political parties have raised the law and order bogey to make political gains. They have indulged in such kind of act in the past too. The cases of M F Husain and Taslima Nasreen are examples.
These acts of intolerance are not acceptable in a democratic set up like the one we have in our country. By touching upon this Salman Rushdie issue, Congress has made another attempt to create communal tensions even where there has been none. This is not a democratic way of behaving. This is not the way a genuinely secular person would have behaved.
It's high time political parties came out to strongly defend secularism and freedom of expression. This is the only way in which a democratic atmosphere like the one existing in America can be created in our country too. We need to care for the democratic rights of every individual. Only then can our country become advanced. Not before that.
The politicians of UP have given a call to prevent Rushdie from attending the Jaipur festival because of a book he wrote a quarter of a century ago. These politicians have built a controversy around this issue. They have their eye on UP elections next month and hence they indulge in such gimmicks. The thing is Rushdie's previous visits to India had gone off peacefully. Then why raise hue and cry this time? This is perversion of secularism.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot too behaved irresponsibly. His job is actually to uphold law and order and not to create tense atmosphere. He acted irresponsibly by publicly airing his apprehensions about a possible law and order breakdown in case Rushdie attended the festival. His government leaned on the organizers of the festival to persuade Rushdie to call off his visit. Now, this is really disgusting.
Gehlot coolly ignores the more pressing issues of governance in his state and instead tries hard to make an issue of non-issue just to extract political capital on assembly-election eve. This is not the first time that political parties have raised the law and order bogey to make political gains. They have indulged in such kind of act in the past too. The cases of M F Husain and Taslima Nasreen are examples.
These acts of intolerance are not acceptable in a democratic set up like the one we have in our country. By touching upon this Salman Rushdie issue, Congress has made another attempt to create communal tensions even where there has been none. This is not a democratic way of behaving. This is not the way a genuinely secular person would have behaved.
It's high time political parties came out to strongly defend secularism and freedom of expression. This is the only way in which a democratic atmosphere like the one existing in America can be created in our country too. We need to care for the democratic rights of every individual. Only then can our country become advanced. Not before that.
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