Editor,
I deem it fortunate that my article, “Religion and Society” has initiated a fruitful discussion, and I would like to thank Zaki Siddiqui for his enlightenment of Islam as a religion of love and compassion according to doctrine and according to written history by various historians. Let us hope and pray that practice justifies doctrine in all religions, not only Islam, and that the believers would practise their faith with love and compassion, with sacrifice and tolerance. Then only would there be a clear perception of the truth. The real truth cannot be discovered in written history by historians with various viewpoints, but it is revealed in the actual history of humanity as it unfolds from day to day.
Yours etc.,
Fabian Lyngdoh,
Via email
On Religion and Conversion
Editor,
At a time when mainland Indian media shy away from taking a neutral stand on world religions the views expressed by Fabian Lyngdoh calling Islam a religion spread by the sword and the courage shown by ST to publish it is commendable. I agree with Zaki Siddique in his counter argument that there have been historians who have tried to malign Islam but then it cannot be denied that Islam traditionally has issues with tolerating other religions. Even without going into historical debates if we look around us at the plight of non Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Bangladesh or the forgotten indigenous Kashmiri Pandits who still roam about as refugees it does not take rocket science to conclude that Islam is intolerant of diverse faiths.
Conversion from one religion to other is one of the world’s oldest political strategy. It was used to neutralize conflicts or subdue revolts, ensure monopoly of kings over their kingdoms, conquer other kingdoms and influence trade and commerce. It is a flourishing business in today’s world. Organizations that promote conversion are funded by leading corporates and patronised by influential people. The politics of conversion is not to be confused with the conversion of John the Baptist by Jesus or Ashoka’s transformation at the battlefield of Kalinga or what happened to the habitual alcoholic Girish Ghosh at the feet of Ramakrishna. In spiritual lingo conversion is typically a state of mind wherein the consciousness expands itself to embrace love and tolerance to extremely high levels. In cases like Saint Valentine or Meera Bai that expansion of love becomes infinite.
However the politics of conversion is devoid of that spiritual thirst. It is all about numbers. Just like politics, the popularity of a religion is measured by the number of quick converts and the entourage of followers it has. Islam stands out as the only religion in the world today where none of its followers has acknowledged the universality of all religions and that every religion is just as true as Islam is. While even the Pope of Rome will not declare all religions equal to Christianity but there are a number of Christians especially in the US, UK and Australia who have accepted the fact that religions should co-exist without the need to criticize, condemn or cajole into conversion the ones who do not follow theirs. Vedantic Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and many others already accept the notion that every religion has its own right to exist by itself.
To live and let others live has never been Islam’s message. High profile Islamic scholars like Dr Zakir Naik openly condemns all religions with a polite yet assertive style with a constant smile on his face and addressing everyone as brother or sister. He accuses 9/11 to be a plot by Jews and Osama Bin Laden as someone abiding by the “book” (refer to his youtube videos) much to the deafening applause of all Muslims he has been addressing.
Zaki needs to understand that even if tomorrow the whole world converts to Islam, it means nothing to the evolution of spirituality which is the core of humanity. Spirituality can exist only when there is unity in diversity. Islam is adamant to bring that unity by destroying the diversity in other religions. Planet earth is so beautiful because it is an enigmatic maze of unmatched diversity. We assume that God had created this world and the universe. In short the creation of diversity is designed by the creator himself. Logic fails to comprehend why we want to destroy diversity of religions when the creator is infinite and ways to approach him too must be infinite.
Yours etc.,
Chandrashekhar,
Via email
Slack administration
Editor,
Apropos the news item, “Employees absence costs state exchequer dearly” (ST Nov 8, 2013) government employees are the main beneficiaries of bandhs. In recent years the majority of them take advantage of such occasions to stay away from their work place although there are no news reports of any incidents during such bandhs which would deter them from attending to their duties. In the past , despite threats and intimidations from pressure groups which were more aggressive many state government employees did make efforts to attend office and the percentage of attendance was much better. Many believe that this downward trend manifested in the last 3-4 years and is attributed mainly to a slack and inefficient administration which does not care one way or the other about employees’ attendance as informed by serving government employees and others who have recently retired. Apparently the same hand-down circulars with direction to government employees to attend office on bandh days were simply circulated prior to any bandh day and such circulars reached some offices after working hours when employees have already left. Some offices did not even receive the circulars. The ritual of submitting attendance reports to a designated authority at specific timings was repeated on every bandh day and what happens after that is anybody’s guess since no follow up action was ever heard of. Many employees stated that in the past, Chief Secretaries along with senior officers would make the rounds during bandh days to physically assess the attendance in the two adjoining Secretariats and in some Directorates. But the absence of vigilance in recent years sent wrong signals. The few who attended office during such days by defying the bandh call felt that their efforts were not recognised while the majority who remained absent are let off scot-free. This lack of recognition and decisive action has de-motivated those who violated the bandh calls/picketing. It explains the decrease in attendance percentage lately. Government employees need to be shown that government is serious and they are to be disciplined as well as to be encouraged and appreciated. If those responsible to administer them are not serious and fail to understand the basic principle of personnel management then whom are we to blame if the employees go astray?
Yours etc.,
K.Dkhar
Shillong-2