Dormant anger

Even after 24 years have passed since the anti-Sikh riots, it may take not less than 20 minutes for a communal conflict to flare up in the country. There is something strange about religion. While every religion talks about peace, it is restricted to a mere discourse for most of its followers. This may be a personal opinion, but there are thousands of examples to support it, the latest being the shoe-throwing episode in Delhi by journalist Jarnail Singh. I am sure Singh did not intend to fuel a communal riot. However, the incident took an altogether different turn. My daily discussions with an uncle in my neighbourhood, which usually covered topics such as politics, business, home and career options, became a religious debate. He not just supported Singh’s conduct, but also wanted various associations to award big money to him for his guts. I was astonished to hear these arguments, especially because this uncle always came across to me as someone who could never speak ill of anyone. It seemed almost like a threat when he said if the Congress gave a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler, there would be another riot in the country. I realised that it was a sudden burst of anger that had been lying dormant in him for years. It’s not just about him alone. There are thousands like him in our midst. We saw them on the streets when the Central Bureau of Investigation gave a clean chit to Tytler for his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. However, the issue is larger. Even cool dudes and dudettes (including me), representing the so-called educated and advanced India, tend to lose their cool when there is a discussion on religion. When he aimed the shoe at P Chidambaram, Singh said he wanted to know how the home minister could be happy when one community was in deep anguish. But, can we as a country really be happy if everything continues to be a community issue?