Unfortunately, there are contradictions in the principles and practices of leaders of different political parties.
New Delhi: We have been witnessing many interesting facets of politics nowadays. Uma Bharti, a worshiper of Lord Ram and Shiva and a senior BJP leader, have made two public demonstrations in a few days. The first involved the big issue of liquor ban in Madhya Pradesh where we have seen Bharti was protesting against the selling of wine, even by throwing stones at a liquor shop. The second one involved her announcement of hunger strike until the locks of an ancient Shiva temple near Raisen are opened by the Archaeological Department. This temple is open only for 12 hours on Maha Shiv Ratri and the doors remain closed for the remaining 364 days. Uma Bharti during the public demonstration was adamant to open the doors while sitting in front of the temple. The administration and police pleaded to Bharti not to do so, but in vain. Doors of the temple, however, remained closed. The two said public demonstrations are being seen as a move to get importance in politics and a step to remain in public attention for the upcoming elections in the state. The state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also pitched in persuading his party colleague to relent, but Bharti remained adamant. Both of them interacted through Twitter which is in public domain.
I have had enough opportunities for decades to understand BJP’s politics, Uma Bharti and Madhya Pradesh. I have seen changing dimension of politics which I have written extensively and also have given interviews and comments on TV channels. Therefore, it seems appropriate to write about the interesting paradox of the present era. After both these demonstrations of Uma Bharti, I got an opportunity to visit Indore-Ujjain last week. I watched the first major news on a local YouTube channel “Ujjain TV” which covered details of offering liquor to twenty-four pillars Mata on Chaitra Maha Ashtami by Niranjani Akhara on Saturday, and then offering the same liquor to 42 to 45 gods from the temples spread over 28 kilometers and then giving it as prasad to everyone. According to Ravindra Puri, the head of Niranjan Akhara, “Every year there is a program of offering wine to Mahamaya Mahalaya Devi and Bhairav Devta with a drum beat. It has been happening since the time of Maharaja Vikramaditya.”
From this point of view, a journalist or anybody would tempt to ask Uma Bharti, who raises the voice of society and culture, whether she was aware of the tradition of the practice of donating liquor in the form of prasad. Certainly, there are problems in society because of alcohol, but you need to get rid of it through awareness. Similarly, due to the archeological importance, there is a ban on visiting the Shiva temple in Raisen. But do they or other leaders not know that for the last few months, for offering water, flowers and Belpatri to the god in the historic Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, a common devotee has to buy ticket worth Rs 1500? Without the queue, a ticket costs Rs 250. During the festival days, ordinary people stand in the queue for eight to ten hours just because they cannot afford to buy tickets. It is obviously costly for them. It is certain that leaders like Uma Bharti or Shivraj or Digvijaya Singh do not have to take tickets or wait in queue for worship. However, thousands will continue to visit the temple and the income from tourism will be given to the government or the trust of the temple. But many have asked me if the income of the government can be recovered from the tax on liquor, why the leaders of various parties who talk about protecting the Hindu religion do not raise their voices against the expensive tickets in the temples?
There is another similar issue that is ‘Azaan’ from loudspeakers of mosques and the threat of playing Hanuman Chalisa by Raj Thackeray in retaliation. Governments or local administrations have set a technical limit for sound from speakers. If it is not followed, there is a right of objection as per the rules, and this rule is not only applicable to mosques but also to temples, gurudwaras, churches or any other religious or commercial institutions.
This has nowadays become a point for creating political issues in different states, whereas in many cities like Ujjain, Mathura and Kashi, Hindu-Muslim communities have been celebrating festivals together. There are many localities around the Mahakal temple of Ujjain, such as Pandariba, Simhastha streets where Hindus live, and half a kilometer across the road, in Artillery-Iron Pool area, Muslims have prominent presence. On Holi, Diwali, Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi, people of both the settlements and also from other parts celebrate the festivals together. In 1970s, M.N. Booch was the collector of Ujjain and there was no protest when the front part of the mosque was demolished to widen the road in front of Chhatri Chowk. Ten and twenty yards from the mosque is the Gopal Mandir, where on Ganesh Utsav and Anant Chaturdashi, celebrations take place throughout the night, but no community ever objected. A section of the Muslim community comes out on the occasion of Muharram in Ujjain, Indore, Lucknow, Delhi, and Mumbai, but hardly any objection has been raised by the people of the Hindu community. During the crisis of the Corona pandemic, people belonging from different religions helped each other in every possible way. Which hospital asked about religion or caste? Not only this, can the Centre’s toilet, house construction, domestic gas or farmers’ subsidy or Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme be applicable only for people of one religion? Unfortunately, there are contradictions in the principles and practices of leaders of different political parties; they only take up issues at their convenience. Wouldn’t it be better not to ignite unnecessary passion on communal and economic issues for the sake of social harmony and progress?
The author is editorial director of ITV Network-India News and Aaj Samaj.