INTOLERANCE REDEEMED

I read a poem by T S Eliot penned in 1922  named 'The Burial of the dead'

"That corpse you planted last year in your garden,.
 Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year? ............"

The corpse has probably germinated again.The ugly skeleton has come out of scarlet and started showing its ugly face.The most unwanted flame 'INTOLERANCE' of 2015 turned into an inferno throughout the country was successfully doused by with iron hand by Prime Minister of the country has unfortunately ignited again. First the group of so called Mullahs and so called keeper of the religion, who are nothing less than fundamentalist from Islamic community met with organisers of Jaipur Literary Festival with a vehement request to ban Ms Taslima Nausreen, the renowned author living in exile at India, with an opinion that she is spreading against Prophet Mohammad's teaching and Islamic faith as well as against the teaching of their holy Quran. The organiser of festival headed by Mr Sanjoy Roy had to bow his head towards the demand raised by this (un) holy group of self proclaimed Mullahs and fundamentalists and took a stand not to invite Ms Nausreen in future at this festival. However, he took a middle path and also declared that however if she publishes a new book then she will be allowed to be there at the festival, which means otherwise that Ms. Taslima has to write and to get published compulsorily a book every year if she desires to attend this festival.

Again, in same state governed by the same ruling group who are at centre has proved its inability to control the fundamentalism and intolerance in the name of religious belief, where another group of people (goonda??) forcefully entered in a fort where shooting of a Hindi film was about to start. They vandalised the set,damaged all costly cameras and physically assaulted the director of the movie Mr Sanjoy Leela Bansali, who himself is an icon and national award wining director.This time this self proclaimed keeper of the religious faith denounced the making of this film named 'Padmavati' on the plea that Bansali has defaced and disoriented the history of Hindus whereas the shooting of movie was not started at that moment.This group of goonda has been given support by another national level orthodox Hindu organisation later on.

These two incidents are not separate.It has shown that ugly intolerance in the name of religion,that we all believed has been dead so far has come out of the shroud.This proves that we have never learnt from the history. Muslim and Hindus are living in this great country since 1000 years and although originally Muslims are invaders, but they ultimately adopted this country as their own and India got a great culture,backed with the patronage of great Mughal emperors. Its art fed, the music, sculpture and so on.All great musicians and vocal singers from Muslim hair achy like Faiaz Khan, Ustad Alauddin Khan, Bismillah Khan any many more combined with Annapurna Devi, Pandit RaviShankar, Allah Rakha, Vishnu Govind Yog, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and many more.But I am not saying that all are good in Islam. There are ugly history of mass genocide of Hindu subjects, forcefully taking away good looking Hindu girls by Muslim Nawabs and Jaminders. In the film under question the fundamentalist say that director wanted to show love scene between Padmavati and emperor Alauddin Khilji that does not fix with history.
Now question is that are those both group of fundamentalist do have right to take law of land in their hand? The law of land has its own dictum for all wrong doers whoever he/she may be. So, why this highhandedness by some group of people? 
Where as Hindu India has a different history altogether. They never invaded any country.neither they had any such intention since last thousand years. The teaching of tolerance and peaceful co-existence great religion believed to be 5000 years old chanted with hymns of Veda became den of mannerism for a long time. Actually Hinduism was totems at the beginning like any other religious faith.In Egypt, Mesopotamia and many other civilisation including that Mohen Jo daro and Harappa Hindus also worshipped idols of different deities. Their initial Gods were from the nature that they were afraid of. They used to worship Sun, Moon, and Fire etc. Many years passed like this and later on, when Lord Buddha was incarnated who talked about one God that does not have any shape. He advised through his teaching of Three ‘Pitakas’ Viz, Vinoy, Shutra and Abhidharma the message of peace and harmony. His sermon against killing and sacrifice of animals and human was accepted by many and with royal patronage of Great Emperor Ashok teaching of Lord Buddha was spread over whole of north India. Hindu culture was abandoned by people and it became refuge for some Bramhin priests who confidentially worshipped their idols to keep the faith alive. Thus the, teaching of great Hindu philosophy became a peanut and puppet of those few Bramhins who controlled the practice of worshipping as per their whims.

But, the great teaching of Buddha slowly faded away in this country after death of Asoka and went out to east and Far East of the world. Next generation of people could not understand properly the abstract teaching of Buddhism and again some group of Bramhins led by King Pushyamitra Shunga started converting people forcefully towards idol worshipping in the name of Hinduism. Then the Muslim invaders entered in 712 AD and by next 100 years they rode horse back with a sword in the hand conquered miles after miles along with mass conversion of faith.

The so called Hindus led by a group of Bramhins who eventually forgot the teaching of Vedas and Upanishads practically went cocooned themselves inside the shell and great Hinduism became Kitchen religion. It started directing people like a sick patient don’t touch this, don’t touch that, don’t eat this and don’t look at that etc. Teaching of different ‘Marga’ by Lord Buddha changed into the Marga of Untouchability.

The cow dung became more sacred and faithful then medicine. When someone fell extremely sick commoner started visiting temple and the priest instead of going to doctors. Those dummy Gods used to advise ailing person to arrange for a puja in large scale to satisfy the God who is angry on him. Those persons are generally from lower strata; who kept their supreme faith on God as well as on those priests would arrange such puja by selling their valuables to satisfy God and to get cured from serious diseases. In most of the cases their prayer failed.

Tagore has vehemently criticised these practices. In one of his poem he shown how one poor mother, despite of worshipping and praying in different temples by selling all her jewelries she could get her only son cured from serious ailment. She did not go to doctor instead depended upon old myth that of giving away first child to holy Ganges. Blind faith worked and she carried her ailing son near the river and after completing all ritual as per faith she drowned her son into running water with a faith that mother Ganges would give her fully cured son back. After waiting about an hour with eyes closed imagining mother Goddess bringing back the child with good health she opened her eyes and faced the sharp reality. Hinduism went down with such mockery of false faith and myth during last century. Till today, in the villages of Karnataka, if a Bramhin guest arrives in the house of a Gowda the host himself will wash the feet of the guest with clean water and let him in with highest respect. All rooms of house would be cleaned with Ganjella (cow dung) before that.

The philosophy of Vedas, Vaghbatgita etc had been immersed into the flowing dark river of Untouchability, Varna, etc and those Bramhins soared high such an extent among the handful of people they declared themselves almost dummy God and they practically weighed virtue and vices of commoners.

Meanwhile the great leaders of Renaissance like Debendra Nath Tagore (father R.N Tagore), Kesav Chandra Sen in north India, who preached against this idol worshipping and founded a new faith called ‘Brahma’ (Means supreme energy). They got many followers of this new faith and it spread many parts of India during first part of last century. It is known that Debendra refused to attend the rituals after the death of his father with Hindu priest and thrown out the idol of Laxmi Narayan from their prayer room. He with his friends of same faith tried their best to educate the civil society. Tagore himself was the follower of this faith. But, again, after independence the brahma believers gradually lost their ground due to poor patronage from rich and cultured class and almost all rechristened into idol worshipping. Only a handful people from Brahma faith are found now.

When British came to rule this country, they also carried Gun in one hand and holy Bible on the other. Welsh Missionaries started distributing copy of Bible freely to all and extended economic refuge to those poorest among poor. They could easily convert them with free food and basic education and thus Christianity spread over the country. Hinduism under the influence of those petty Bramhins was at its nadir until Ramakrishna Paramhansa and his worthy disciple Swami Vivekananda arrived. The so called Brahmanism got a jolt when Vivekananda spoke loudly towards the world about actual philosophy of Hinduism. He reminded the world the great philosophy of Veda and Upanishads. He preached for the religion like a tiger when he spoke in world religion conference.

“I represent the most ancient religion of this world to whom Christianity is a distant echo and Buddha was none but a rebel child”

Whole world had shivered first time. Those old gourds of Hinduism under the camouflage of Brahmanism could not get place to hide their face. ‘Rajyog’, ‘Bhaktiyog’ etc written by swami Vivekananda opened a new path to Hindus and shown new light of faith to them.
Whereas in the present scenario,its a pity that  the great tolerance of this religion has reversed in the hand of certain (un) holy people and intolerance has  re germinated.
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Prof Shyamadas Bhattacharjee : End of an era

Prof. Shyamadas Bhattacharjee an eminent historian, author, educationist and in multiple ways he was connected into social life of Shillong has breathed his last on 03./01/2017 at a nursing home at Silchar. Born on 1^st November 1931 at Jalpaiguri (West Bengal) started his carrier at Shillong in 1956. He joined in Saint Edmund’s College for a brief period and later part of same here he joined in Lady Keene College and retired in 1991 form there. He was founder principal of Nontalang College in Jaintia Hills after that and continued till 1999 before he shifted to Kolkata (then Calcutta).  For me he was my ‘Dronacharya’ and I am his ‘Ekolobyo’. He was my inspiration along with late Bibhu Bhushan Choudhury to enter in the literary circle. Thus he holds large space in my first published novel as his references contained in many chapters. Today with deep heart I would like to share an exert form one of the chapter from my work ‘Log Out North East India’ for our readers in social media as many of them may not know who he was. He was recipient of ‘Bharatjyoti’  award  from Government of India in 2001,’Best citizen of India’  award in 2006, ‘ Vijayshree’ award in April 2006, ‘lifetime achievement ‘award in September 2006. May Almighty rest his soul in peace.

Following are exerts: (From Page 79 to 81)

River Umshyrpi does not look like a river during winter; instead, it becomes a rivulet as its source becomes dry. Hence the supply of water lessens in those months. Large polished granite stones are visible all over on the banks of the river. The riverbed was our favourite place of adventure and play during our school days. We used to watch the calendar schedule and wait for the long winter vacation, a break from studies, after the annual examination. Class promotion exams were conducted by all schools so that after the examination and results, the schools declared long winter holidays which usually started from 22 December of the calendar year till the mid of February the following year when the schools reopened. Some schools, namely Pine Mount Girls School, used to reopen on 1 March. So each of us would become a Tom Sawyer during winter and hike towards the source of the river, jumping on those giant granite stones. A number of Huckleberry Finns were also present. On one such winter holiday, while coming back from usual accomplished mission for the day, I noticed a tall, lanky, handsome person who was walking holding a folio type leather bag in his left hand. His eyes were the most attractive within his dark-framed spectacles. We were returning through Ken chase Trace area and he was going the opposite direction. He crossed us near Dr Hujans’s cottage and went down through the left lane. I was impressed by his personality, and I felt a magnetic attraction towards him. But obviously there was none at that moment to tell me his identity. Naturally, I forgot the person after a few days and became extremely busy with my kite and catapult. But about a week later, while I was crossing the road near lew Dak (commonly known as Bati Bazar) with my father, I saw him again. I felt the magic attraction and could not resist myself, so I asked my father, ‘Who is this lanky but handsome gentleman?’

My father turned around and saw the person I was referring to. ‘Oh, he is Mr. Shyamadas Bhattacharyya, triple MA.’ I noticed sign of regard in his eyes while he answered me.

After that day, I had come across Prof Shyamadas Bhattacharyya innumerable times in my school days on different locations, but it was my misfortune that I could neither plunge into his deep thinking nor get a chance to fathom his knowledge. Many years later, as a grown-up young man, while chatting with my favourite Bibhu uncle, a chapter of golden past of Shillong evolved around Shyamadas Bhattacharyya had surprised me.

‘Have you heard of a drama troop named “Arup”?’ he asked.

My obvious answer was no. He could also guess that and did not wait for my reply. He continued, ‘It was in 1961. No . . . no, actually he joined in Lady Keane College in 1956. With his charisma and cultural affluence, he easily gathered a permanent place in Shillong’s cultural circle. Remember, that was the time, when Bimal Sengupta, Hiranmoy Dhar and his Shilpi Sangha, Rita Mukherjee, Debola Singha, Syandha Das (Lahiri), Roma Bezbaruah, and Gyanada Kakati were all stars and great charismatic personalities in their own way. But Shyamadas Bhattacharyya had his own aroma and talent effloresced very soon to all . . .’

‘You were telling about some troop, uncle,’ I interfered in between.

‘Yes, it was Arup drama troop which was led by Shyamadas. In the year 1961, the birth centenary year of Gurudev Tagore was celebrated at Shillong with much grandeur. I remember Bangiya Sahitya Parishad had some elaborate celebration plan led by the then President Kumud Bhattacharjee (father-in-law of the famous film maker Hrittik Ghatak) along with a presentation of famous Tagore drama ‘Raktakarabi’. This was magnificently presented and performed by the Arup group. Many a time this drama was held in Shillong thereafter, but in my opinion, the presentation of Shyamadas and his group was best.

The role of Raja was performed obviously by Shyamadas. The other roles were performed by probably Gauri Kar (Nandini), Aulad Husain (Gossai), Bakul Choudhury (Sardar), Radhika Chakraborty (Adyapak), and Amal Bhattacharjee (Bishu), but the rest I do not remember now. Other than this, he has acted in many dramas. He is head of the department of History in Lady Keane College till date. His immense contribution towards the cause of Bengali language and literature and above all towards his community is not properly valued till now.’

‘Yes, uncle, I saw his activities closely during my college days. You would definitely remember those hectic days while all literary world of Shillong was ready to celebrate the birth centenary of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee in 1976. He was working towards all modalities and logistics for the function like a true leader leading from the front,’ I added.

‘Yes, how could I forget? That was the last big cultural extravaganza that Bengalis had in Shillong, I mean, before the turbulent time.’ He gave a gentle pat on the back of his pussy cat that had jumped up suddenly from the rear of the room and sat on his warm lap.

‘And most importantly, uncle, you were the president of that committee, and he was the vice president. I saw the drama ‘Pather Dabi’ where he acted in the lead role of Sabyashachi and probably that was the last time he acted on a public stage. His acting and direction both was magnificent. Other than this, there were other dramas too . . .’

‘No, it was not ‘Pather Dabi’ it was named ’He Rajbidrohi’, which of course was dramatised in the shadow of Pather Dabi of  Sarat Chandra Chatterjee,’ he interrupted in between.

The discussion did not last long on that particular occasion as he was busy attending to some of his guests as he was heading his publishing house also. I slowly moved out and proceeded towards Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, the nucleus of Bengali cultural activity in this city till now and God only knew how long we could continue. In the recent past, I came to know that Shyamadas Bhattacharyya settled in Kolkata after retirement. I also heard that he lost his only daughter. He had some other struggle in the domestic front. But the evergreen versatile most charismatic personality of Shillong never lost his endeavour for creativity. Enduring all mental struggles, he started a new journey, a new essay of his life. He had taken the pen to narrate his love, the lively essay of picturesque Shillong, its origin and its residents in his own classical way. He felt most for his community, their glorious past, their dark present, and with a heavy heart he wrote his ‘Shillonger Bangali’.