A press release from Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that India postponed the issuance of visas to 192 Pakistani pilgrims who wished to attend the annual Urs of Khawaja Nizamuddin Aulia, which is to take place in Delhi from January 1-8, 2018. This move has deprived pilgrims from attending the death anniversary of the 13th century mystic, who is revered by Muslims as well as non-Muslims because of saint’s message of love for humanity. The non-issuance of visas before the Urs ceremony is also a violation of the spirit of the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines agreement, the press release said. The decision comes just two days after Pakistan freed 145 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture; and India continues with its intransigence and intolerance. Instead of being grateful that Pakistan had allowed Jadhav’s wife and mother to meet him on humanitarian grounds, India has unleashed propaganda campaign against Pakistan.
In June this year, several Sikh pilgrims travelling to Pakistan for the death anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev as well as Maharaja Ranjit Singh were stopped by the Indian government despite issuance of visas by the Pakistani High Commission in India. Only 16 pilgrims were able to arrive in Pakistan to attend the death anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev in the second week of June, after India deprived more than 200 Sikh pilgrims from visiting the anniversary, what it called on technical grounds. A few pilgrims managed to arrive had come aboard the Samjhota Express instead of the special train arranged for yatrees. Later in the same month, India stopped over 300 Sikh pilgrims, who wished to attend the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and did not allow crossing the border, citing refusal from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to clear their names for travel to visit Pakistan.
Recently, Pralay Kanungo wrote an article captioned ‘Birth of Hindu Nation’ in the Indian magazine ‘Outlook’ dated December 11, 2017 marking the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition. The significance of the article is that without waiting for the Indian Supreme Court decision, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently announced that a mandir would be constructed at the site of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. The author wrote: “Asserting that there will only be a mandir and no other structures at the disputed site, thus fast-tracking the temple construction agenda. With the announcement of construction of mandir, the RSS has entered a new phase of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement: construction of a temple as a new symbol of a Hindu India. Bhagwat’s confidence needs to be understood in the context of an all-powerful RSS now being in control of the levers of political power at the Centre and in a majority of the states.”
One really wonders what name should be given to those Hindu fanatics of ultra religious-right that have made the lives of minorities miserable in India? Should we show apathy to those elements who have indulged in Sikh massacre, Christians’ bloodbath, Muslims’ pogrom many a time in Indian history? Which term will be suitable to describe those fiends who pull down the Holy shrines of the minorities and proclaim publicly that they have no regrets at all? Should they not be identified as Hindu Fundamentalists? India has been claiming as a secular state and the largest democracy of the world. However, in reality one neither sees secularism nor democracy, as its 62-year history after partition of the subcontinent is replete with atrocities of Hindus over the minorities of India. December is also the month which brings somber memories of a dire incident when thousands of Hindu fanatics marched towards Ayodeya in 1992 and demolished famous and historical Babri Mosque in the presence of the state machinery.
- Latest
- Trending
