Permalink Submitted by unmesh pgemp 5... on Tue, 2017-06-13 21:48
Thank you professor for writing such a strong message in very concise manner. It specifically talks about how extremists’ i.e. “Ideology of fundamentalism” brainstorm their followers and become closed minded to accept any other or opposite view. In current times we see this through “Terrorism”. Ideology of fundamentalism especially in current times, as I feel, is product of some selfish people who brainstorm people for self-benefit/interest. In this case defence companies might be one of the culprits.
You have also mentioned about the intolerance and nonviolence. But wanted to bring in another angle to it. That angle is about violence against enemies especially when filled with patriotism. Some people call them as self-defense and is natural. Answers to the questions like
• why did Chanakya destroyed and captured “Nand Empire”,
• why did Shivaji Maharaj killed Mughals
• why did Lord Rama killed Ravana
can very well explain this. If we see other side of example of Shivaji, then Shivaji was also a so called “Anti Mughals” from Mughal’s point of view. He too was driven by ideology of fundamentalism and was brainstormed by his mother against Mughals. The point here I want to me is Nathuram also found Gandhi as enemy of the country and this view was right from his own point of view.
Even, Gita which talks about nonviolence also talks about destructions of evil powers by god himself. Below para from Gita explains it in Sanskrit. So does this mean intolerance accompanied by violence is natural? On a lighter note only god can answer this through Gita II. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata
Abhythanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham
Paritranaya sadhunang vinashay cha dushkritam
Dharmasangsthapanarthay sambhabami yuge yuge
But Professor, I do agree on your point of intolerance. I am a follower of non-violence (to some extent) and hence could imagine about how this Indian Subcontinent would had prospered had Shivaji (great strategist) and Mughals (Full of power & energy) have had ventured together. This could have had happened only through tolerance and nonviolence.
I also sometimes feel that we should be well balanced in terms of intolerance & nonviolence and our conscience should decide when to tolerate and when to give it back.
Intolerance - natural ?