This fire of hatred must be extinguished

Delhi High Court advocate Rakesh Kishore’s attempt to throw a shoe at Supreme Court Chief Justice B.R Gavai at 11:30 am on Monday morning after flinging a bundle of papers in his hand as the court proceedings were in progress has shaken the nation. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to Chief Ministers including Pinarayi Vijayan have expressed their protest and concern over the incident. Upholding his dignity and composure the CJI went on to work without paying attention to the incident. However, what is worth pondering is the reason that motivated a lawyer to commit this heinous act, which has no precedence in the history of Independent India. The provocation for the incident from his own account came after the Chief Justice told petitioner Rakesh Dalal to ‘Go and tell the Lord if necessary’, when he had sought directions to install a Vishnu idol at the Khajuraho temple complex in Madhya Pradesh. Later when his statement spiraled into a controversy, the Chief Justice stated that he respected all religions. It is clear from the response that Rakesh Kishor’s religious intolerance was so agitated that he threw a shoe at the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The incident has been condemned by the Bar Council and political leaders. Probably, a disciplinary action may be taken against the accused. However, it is about time to seriously ponder over the fact that the entire country is slipping into such highly objectionable responses.

The national militant establishment, which aims to turn India into a monolithic Bharat, a superpower, is celebrating its centenary. The RSS leadership claims that it is the world's largest, strongest and most powerful organization, encompassing all Indians. However, when examining their history, attitudes, and actions from birth to the present, the Sangh Parivar is expressly committed to making India a Hindu nation, rejecting the idea of a secular democracy enshrined in the constitution and, try to deny citizenship to the Muslim and Christian minorities, who have lived in India for centuries, stood for the defense, freedom, and development of this nation, and do everything possible to remove them from mainstream life alongside creating riots across the country. Hatred, anger and provocation are their constant course of action. Studies by various human rights groups have revealed that the number of hate speeches against religious minorities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was 67 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 58 by Home Minister Amit Shah, 86 by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and 36 by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Billions of rupees collected from corporates are being given to the media to carry out hate propaganda. The latest controversy is over the refusal by a duty doctor to conduct the delivery of a Muslim woman admitted to a women's hospital Jaunpur district of UP. Videos of Yogi Adityanath speaking to rapturous ovation at public meetings detailing his development achievements including bulldozing mosques one by one, banning public prayers, and restricting prayer calls, are circulating on social media. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is touting his achievement as evicting thousands of Muslims living in Assam's hilly areas, razing their homes and turning them out to streets. The deliberate instillation of intolerance and hatred in the minds of the majority led in the latest example to jailing of 40 Indian expatriates, helplessly, in Qatar for expressing joy over the Israeli attack on Doha on social media. Getting a kick from hatred could take one to extremes. Only by restoring the India of Mahatma Gandhi, full of humanity, compassion, and tolerance, can this chariot of hatred and animosity be stopped. That, however, relies on the on the emergence of a strong opposition to restore the Constitution based on justice and equality.