The latest judgment of Supreme Court in upholding the breach of Hindu sensitivity in Bollywood film Tandav, unequivocally will put a full stop to the immunity that the religious iconoclasts have thus far been enjoying to degrade and disgrace Hinduism with impunity.
Vivekanand Jha, Ranchi: The latest judgment of the Supreme Court on the Tandav case, is a redeemer of its previous omissions and commissions, more often than not, donning the role of an executive court, should never have come at a more appropriate time. Coming as it did, in the surcharged religious atmosphere, when a new wave of Hindu nationalism has deluged the polity, was the vindication of the fact that, Hindus, notwithstanding their age old pussilanimigy, have begun showing an awakened sensitivity towards their religion, especially against the centuries of vilification campaign that this eternal religion has been continuously subjected to. The destiny too, was never positively disposed towards it: inasmuch as, even in the wake of nation’s independence, Nehruvian secularism, which became the new summum bonum of this republic, left no stone unturned in its Goebbelsian propaganda to crush Hindu sentiments. Ostensibly, the humongous negligence and deliberate shrift given to Somnath Temple, for its rejuvenation by Sardar Patel and later, by Dr K.M.Munsi, has, indeed, assumed the pedestal of the golden saga of the national folklore. Regrettably, in the absence of Hindu regeneration, Bollywood too, in its institutionalised mischives, leaving no stone unturned, sought to poorly depict Hinduism in its own sordid portrayals.
No wonder the depiction of Hindu gods and goddesses in reprehensible manner, continued for decades without Hindus even raising a voice of murmur of protest, far less revolting against such undermining of their religion. Worse still, a section of English educated Hindu ingelligentsja, in their own intellectual gullibility, gloated over such depiction, being blissfully unaware of their own raison de’tre; their own glorious existential past, notwithstanding the foreign subjugation of almost 800 years. Condescending their own religion to that of the sophisticated Christianity, these empowered Hindus, in cahoots with that of aristocratic ruling czars, cheered while the great religion of Hinduism was degraded and disgraced within the republic. Even while this Machiavellian propaganda was unleashed within the republic to thoroughly emasculate Hinduism, such noble spiritual leaders like great Prabhu Pada, had already engendered a Hindu renaissance across the world. In fact, even the American intelligentsia succumbed to the charm of eternal Sanatan Dharma. 21st Century India, notwithstanding multiple ills, as it has come to stigmatise our society, it, however, cannot be denied, for good or for worse, Hindus have increasingly come to identify with their religion more closely and consequently are seldom prepared to witness their religion being unduly disgraced by anyone, even by the Blllhwood, which holds a record of poorly depicting Hinduism in scores of movies, to showcase its sundry shortcomings, to despise its existential relevance.
Significantly, Hindus themselves, being absolutely assured of community’s docility and utter lack of sensitivity, far less an iota of pride, would go to any extent to malign it. Further, the montary benefits which remained the exclusive charm to them, with religious sentiments having completely dried up, they were hell bent to degrade the great religion, in complicity with fellow Muslims, many of whom had always held a visceral aversion towards the idol worship that remains the backbone of Sanatan Dharma, maliciously sought to paint Hinduism in black. Ironically, these producers and directors remained extremely sensitive to Islamic religion, lest any repercussions springing forth in the wake of any negative depiction of Prophet, would have a far dangerous consequences for them-how Salman Rushdie still remains underground, after being hounded in the wake of depiction of prophet in negative ways, in his famous book Satanic verses when Abdullah Khomaini had sought his head for negatively depicting the prophet. However, these same bunch of people had little qualms in excoriating Hindu gods and goddesses.
In fact, Hindus showed some awakenings when Hussain, the famous painter, had so despicably desecrated the sanctity of Hindu goddesses when he was driven out of India and sought refuge in Quatar where he died more than a decade ago. Tandav, is the latest burning example of Bollywood’s casual attitude towards the Hindu sensitivity. Ironically, the height of callousness can be guaged from the fact that how Hindus are the biggest enemies of their own religion. Whereas many of the important stakeholders of the film being Hindus, the film has obscenely depicted Lord Shiva, in such vilest of terms, that aroused a revulsion within this writer who could not withstand the desecration of his beloved Lord Shiva. No wonder then the vileness of the movie which outraged this writer’s sense of religious sentiments, it simultaneously outraged the sentiments of countless others.
Thus many cases were filed in the different court’s, including that of the apex court. Hence, the unanimous judgment of the apex court upholding the breach of Hindus’ sensitivity through such a pejorative depiction. Besides, the court’s refusal to club all the cases together filed in the different courts, so as to insulate the offenders from impending arrest, is an exemplary judgment that should be applauded by one and all. This judgment, along with the outcry across the country, will be a future injunction against such careless producers and directors who, in the absence of any such collective outrage, were desecrating Hindu religion with impunity. Hindus of late, have begun lending credence to the famous stanzas of Ram Charitra Manas of Tulsidasjee who says, ‘ Hari Har ninda sunai jo kana, hoi Paap Go ghat samana'(Those who hear the criticisms of their God’s, they incur the sin equivalent to killing cows)
Vivekanand Jha is an author and a Public Intellectual.
