Thousands in traditional attire join Girgaon’s Gudi Padwa procession, performing vibrant ringan celebrations. | FPJ Photo/ Vijay Gohil
There have been some very interesting but hardly noticed events happening in society. Gudi Padwa, or Ugadi, and Good Friday fell practically on the same day. Celebrations overlapped, and the best thing was that there was no violence, as many people had feared. Agreed, the security forces were very vigilant—our thanks to them. At the same time, one also has to appreciate the people who are not provoking each other and maintaining peace and harmony.
Similarly, on Wednesday night, the Waqf bill was passed after a massive 12-hour session. The quality of the debates was good in pieces. Some arguments may have been pathetic, but all that apart, no one rushed to the well of the House. There was no unnecessary shouting of slogans and attempts to vitiate the atmosphere. On the whole, the politicians behaved themselves with a certain sense of decorum. Not a bad beginning, given the nature of the bill.
Even outside, by and large, the politicians did not try to incite the masses for or against the bill. All this is a healthy sign for society. Can we dare to hope that people have learnt to love and let live, correct a few historical wrongs, and move on with the business of living?
Individual peace is an individual responsibility. One has to learn to be calm and peaceful, irrespective of the situation outside, that purely is the spiritual growth of the person. But social peace is a collective responsibility, the responsibility of us as individuals and the responsibility of political leaders. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that laws are just and fair and to correct any unjust or irrational laws.
So, when you look at the big picture, it definitely looks as though we are moving in the right direction. Of course, there’s a big responsibility on religious leaders to ensure that, in the name of religion, they don’t create mistrust and hatred among people. Yes, they can always champion their respective religions and learn to live and let live. This has been the traditional ancient Indian tradition.
The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at [email protected]
