By Sumedha Pal
Things have come to such a pass in India today that everything – be it an advertisement or a cricket match – is being perceived from the point of view of ‘hurt’ Hindu sentiments.
The dominant Hindutva ideology has been successful in vitiating environment to such an extent that India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli’s nine-month-old daughter has received rape threats. Kohli’s only ‘mistake’ was to stand by his teammate Mohammad Shami, who was massively trolled by right-wingers in the aftermath of Pakistan’s win against the Indian cricket team in a T20 match. That Shami, a Muslim, playing for India did not go down well with those who subscribe to Hindu fundamentalism.
The recent pulling down of advertisements, targeting of a film set, arresting those supporting a different cricket team, among others point to the culture of intolerance that has now spread deep into our society. That India has to be governed by the rule of law with every individual having right to his/her opinion, as enunciated by the constitution, is long given a go by. Not only Muslims but everyone who does not endorse and fall in line with militant Hindutva ideology is being described as an ‘enemy’ of Hindu culture.
In this video of ‘The Wire Explains’, Sumedha Pal brings to the fore the recent incidents where zealous Hindutva activists felt the need to invoke ‘hurt’ Hindu sentiments to have their way, even if that meant resorting to unconstitutional means.
