Ram-Rahim, “Justice” and the Politics of JNU

Link: http://indiaheadlines.in/en/2017/08/29/courts-judgementjusticeand-politics-jnuideological-fissures/

Court’s Judgement, “Justice” and the Politics of JNU: Ideological Fissures

We live in a secular country, if not a religious, that has given birth to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Din-e-Ilahi. And, if the news reports are not wrong, one more, “Lingayat,” is about to born. Whatever be the religion of one, s/he at the time of their birth are religious, in one way or other. But today, everyone forgets, what is a religion? The chapter of this transition was written in 1950.

By adopting the written Constitution, the notion of old religious thought had died and a new one called democracy, though weak yet strong, come into existence. Comparatively, the weakest is the politics, and the most potent form of it is the Judiciary. It most substantial existence is proved in August 2017 with two judgments that changed the way one thinks: Progressive opinion on Triple Talaq and the sordid chapter of Ram Rahim

 With these rulings, the whole of India in general and the JNU, in particular, is divided into two fronts—one against another with added hatred. It seems the intellectuals, by wish or force, become the protector or destroyer of some idea: whether it is Triple Talaq or the case of so called saint. If one looks closely, the JNU student wing is not criticising the idea, but disrespecting “religion,” whether Hindu or Islam, by hateful comments.

When the judgment on Triple Talaq came, the Left side of JNU was hiding its face, and who knows where. Similarly, the result of Ram Rahim makes the Right Wing invisible. Is it a joke to blame the religion of others? Its answer is partly yes, and partly no—if the question is asked in concern of JNU, the nest of future intellectuals who, in the real sense of the word, are no intellectual at all.

These intellectuals are foot soldiers, in the guise of student wing parties, who work more on Facebook and less on the ground and even less on papers, I mean academic. They believe in a hit and run theory—just criticize and abuse the religion through pamphlets or Facebook status.

About religion, no one, not even these rightist or leftist, are aware of the direction they are going. Instead of defining how these spiritual gurus and ulemas become a self-state, an uncrowned king who runs a parallel government of its kind, they are criticising the politics in general and religion in particular. From the ages, religion is preferred over politics, don’t you know. If you look historically too, faith comes first, and rest of the options are optional.

Undoubtedly, the story of Ram Rahim is enough to fade any Bollywood movie. It would be an added surprise that a saint has enough power to control the politics of the state, if not the country. By examining the previous case of some saints like Aasharam, Rampal, and others, one finds that these are now behind bars for their crimes. But, this is not enough, as it has another hidden and unmentioned angle.

Sakshi Maharaj, an MP, and Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam, are some controversial but religious figures that too needed attention. They deserve the same place next to these saints, and as soon as possible else it would be too late.

But, instead of a quick action, we believe in late by preferring the slow pace of judgments by the court. The intellectuals of JNU never take a criminal as a criminal until s/he was declared same by the tribunal. Think about Sakshi Maharaj and Syed Ahmed Bukhari. Should they be highlighted along with Babas but, in JNU, one is selected over the other. This great university, talk about Sakhshi Maharaj but forget Bukhari. Why is JNU so selective by not talking to other? Where are those revolutionaries of Left, Right, Centre, BAPSA, Collective, Hundred Flowers Group, the GSCASH, feminists and all other whose name is not here? Silence prevails. It could shake their vote bank.

The JNU student parties escape from their responsibilities, how these holy saints become a power station. But, I will go on to do their job: first, try to find those gap and then attempted to seal it with the concrete and cement.

The power of religious saint is the mass following, which is often uneducated, poor, simple minded and even devotee of the first order. They are attracted under the greed of food and good condition of living, and even the health sanitation. They are given so much privileged that if one works the whole day, then that person, male or female, will not be able to get the same type of hygienic conditions of living given by the Babas. From here, the treacheries, misguiding are shaped, and these innocent people are used as a human shield to hide their sin.

Ram Rahim is neither the first and nor the last of this chain, thousands more to come and from which religion who knows. The mistakes are of ours, and we have to accept these sooner rather than later. We protect them and put them in the highest position of religion that is purely unchallengeable. It's perfect and living example is Sahi Imam of Jama Masjid, who, from last ten years, cannot arrest despite his non-bailable warrants. Like Ram Rahim, he too gave mutual support to various political parties but no talk about him.

Why the silence prevails in case of Imam. Who knows what would be the fate of Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Sakshi Maharaj, and Ramdev. In a question to, why there is no spotlight on them? My answer is, they are not arrested and convicted by the police, hence, no spotlight. In this sense, they are innocent for their the masses, Hindu or Muslim does not matter. In fact, it is fear of loss of vote bank rather than fear of religion for the government.

Crime is a crime, and criminal is criminal, this is the lesson religion taught us but, we have forgotten it completely. We just try to prove, the religion of other is not right as compared to ours. Naturally, JNU is divided into “us” and “they.” It seems, a cold war of religion is going on, but no one holds responsible oneself for it and blames it on others. Let me tell you, how it works.

An unpopular, not popular, author in the twentieth century says, “Justice is a sister of popularity.” When a popular-cum-powerful person, having a reputation of a high order, is convicted by the Court of Law is considered as “justice.”

Before the judgment, a socio-political critic, not even by the single stretch of the imagination, have the guts to criticise that accuse like Ram Rahim. For example, let me remind you, there exists in “no headlines” on Aug 22, but suddenly, the saint received the media attention, national as well as International.

By defining about him in length would be to waste my words on unnecessary narrative. But, as a footnote to Baba, I would say, such is also applicable to Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam. Ram Rahim is famous and convicted by the court; Imam is too popular but not convicted. Thus, due to the absence of the second form of justice, justice remains incomplete.

According to this, the case of Baba is “justice,” but, dear followers of students wings from JNU, what about Imam. Similarly, until and unless, the court does not convict imam, he will remain in the position and enjoy all the privileges—like Ram Rahim. But despite knowing all the facts, no, JNU party will come out in the open. If they do, then it, by the mere fact, could be a chance to set equilibrium in Justice. But, they needed the vote. So, why I am crying for justice, which already died long before I was born.

Herein, my focus point is not Imam but the way these spiritual gurus hold position, legally or illegally does not matter. But, they are powerful enough that they can wither away the state. Asharam, Ram Rahim, Rampal, Ram Rahim and Imam and others create a problem for the country. They, in simple wording, believe neither in Supreme Court, not in Democracy or the Constitution. Their only belief is a religion, but it is not the religion that is written in holy books. Instead, they created a new definition by their own and forced it on the innocent people.  My question, why the JNUiets are wordless when the issue of different religion and ideology confronted us. Moral bankruptcy it is.

In fact, religion is a shade of protection and well as a vote bank. Who could forget the 13-year-old Jain girl who dies in Hyderabad in 2016 after “Fasting” for 68 days? The issue was sensitive as religion involved in it, and it is even more sensitive when a minority group comes in picture. I do not know about goodness and badness of that Jain festival. But, religion, as used by the Jain community, should not be utilized in the way, it was used.

We should check each religious matter according to the constitution as well as per the needs of the twentieth century.

Babas and Imam were at the better position before Independence, but today they are corrupted to the last edge of the stick. There is no need for their post. Hence, all must be dismantled soon, if not with immediate effect.

We lived in a religious country, but we forget even the definition of religion—it is for the people, but people are not for it. It is awful for the powerful judiciary when the people, whether related to Triple talaq or Ram Rahim verdict, disrespect its judgment by preferring the religion, which is itself unwritten.

Think for a while, whether it is Prophet Muhammad or Lord Ram both are born as a human of flesh and blood. They were, for the promotion of peace and spreading of harmony among the masses, but we, the Indians of today just believe in hate. The defeat the different religion only by hate becomes our motto.

Each religious Guru or Imam wants to be powerful, and he uses the way he likes to attain it, including violence.

Do we forget the partition, a dirty chapter of the Indian history? In a question to “how many gurus and Imam were killed in that brutal violence” the answer would surely be “a few” but, the local people were, “unnumbered.”

All happened because of Gurus and Imam, the protector of religion. Apply the same here. The followers of Ram Rahim got killed, but Baba survives and one day will be roaming free like the birds in the sky. Rethink that the masses are their cannon fodder, and they kill us for their “sport.” In fact, we fight for their cause and life. If they have to live, we, the actual soldiers of religion or the ideology, have to sacrifice our life. Reapply this in case of Imam. Wake, arise or be forever fallen.

But, why to do this. It is the kitchen in which we cook our food, so called vote bank. The parties won the battle only by showing the fear of one religion to other.