09-11-2009
Let’s not make it a land of fatwas.

With reference to ‘Let Vande Mataram bridge the differences’ (Swapan Dasgupta, Nov 8), the hullabaloo over the Vande Mataram issue is not only futile but also ridicules Indian ethnicity. Honoring one’s nation can, by no means, be a violation of any religion. Both the Darul Ulum and the R.S.S. must realize that a song cannot be the sole parameter to one’s patriotism or religious preference. One may sing the national song & then indulge in corruption; similarly a forthright person may avoid singing it. Both spirituality and nationalism are rooted in humanity and righteousness. In a country where a Prasoon Joshi pens a suffi song and a Rahman composes a bhajan for the same album, such a controversy is a national shame. The energy wasted on the issue of the national song could have been utilized for some constructive purpose. We have no dearth of burning issues. It is a paradox that we have included the virtues of ‘Unity in Diversity’ and religious tolerance in the school curriculum; concurrently such fatwas dominate the headlines.