While Manipur Is Burning, Fanatics Are Burning the Posters of Adipurush

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 21 June 2023 I'm sure, had the useless mythological flick ' Adipurush ' been released only a decade ago, no Hindu would have cared for its Thela-Chhaap (handcart) dialogues written by a hard-core BJP sycophant who answers to the name (of) Manoj Shukla Muntashir. By the way, this scatterbrain has lived up to his nom de guerre Muntashir which predominantly means ' scattered ' in Arabic! We all justify our names. Don't we? Imphal: People at the site of a fire incident after violence broke out on Wednesday between tribal and non-tribal during 'Tribal Solidarity March' called by All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM). (PTI Photo) ------ That apart, why is Hindu India going berserk over a mythological film with its mythical characters? Leo Tolstoy wrote that religion blinds a country or community to the basic human realities and plights. No one seems to be bothered about the deplorable happenings in Manipur. That small and beautiful state in the North-East of India has been burning for more than 45 days but the narcissistic PM has no time as he's hobnobbing with Biden in the US and his reckless Hindu followers are ransacking theatres wherever the movie is being screened. This reminds us of the famous adage, Nero fiddled while Rome burned. It's a matter of great pity and also of grave concern that an otherwise tolerant community (read Hindus) has degenerated into a huge group of goons and hooligans. What the Hindus would accept and ignore until 15-20 years ago may prove to be a bogey to them in these religiously intolerant times. Bengal's famous writer, critic and columnist late Nityapriya Ghosh, brother of famous poet Shankha Ghosh, wrote nearly three decades ago in The Ananda Bazar Patrika (he was its regular columnist): " Only in a country like India, the factotum of a so-called god also becomes the Lord/god." He alluded to Hanuman and Ram. No Bengali raised his or her eyebrows and took umbrage. In fact, many of them endorsed his viewpoint. Say the same thing in this age of in-your-face social media, you'll be burnt at the stake and martyrized. Adipurush Poster ------ Ironically, India in the pre-internet era was much more tolerant and mature than what it's today. Now everyone, even 'highly educated' ones, seems to have become religiously extra-sensitive and touchy. We're not ready to accept even an oblique comment or insinuation about our sacred figures and characters. This rabid intolerance has always been the prerogative of Muslims. Now it has spilled over and seeped into Hindu consciousness. Just like Muslims saying and writing that exceedingly exasperating PBUH (Peace Be upon Him: Are your characters never in peace and forever restless?) whenever Muhammad or any revered Islamic figure's name is uttered, Hindus have also begun to use PBUH with their godly characters! Jay Ho! It's an unhealthy competition in ossified religiosity. What's happening? There're no rains. More than 80 percent of India is staring in the face of impending drought. Nearly 50 percent people are jobless. Train accidents and ethnic skirmishes are taking tolls. Climatic changes are wreaking havoc. But who cares? Practically, India is a third-world country, battered by fanaticism. Salman Rushdie said on his 70th birthday: "World is sinking into a quagmire of religion, god and all that utter s***. Like puppets on the strings, humans are being moved to dance to the tunes of politicians, clerics, clergy, Mullas and Pope who know how to befuddle the gullible humans in the name of religion. The future is dismal." Today's religious India illustrates to a T what Rushdie said six years ago. Politicians are befooling people by instigating their dormant religious instincts and the zombies are also responding brainlessly. You can see this happen across the country over one lousy film, Adipurush that has made us behave like Adimanavs (Neanderthals). It's really a shambolic state of affairs. URL: https://newageislam.com/current-affairs/manipur-fanatics-posters-adipurush/d/130039 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism