This is what it gets when you are intoxicated with hatred

The reports yesterday said that railway security officer Chetan Singh shot dead his senior officer ASI Tikaram Meena on a moving train near Palghar station in Maharashtra. Afterwards, he went over to the next coach where he killed three Muslim passengers as well. A footage showed the constable shouting aloud to the blood-soaked bodies: ‘If you want to live in India, vote only for Modi and Yogi'. He is suspected to be a psychopath. If it were true at all, prima facie it was his hatred and animosity towards a particular community that has worsened into a mental disorder. Racial riots are now raging in Haryana’s Muslim-dominated district Nuh, spreading further afield to the neigbhouring Gurugram. In Nuh, two home guards were killed, many vehicles were set on fire alongside other vandalism continued for the second day. Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra passing through Nand village ended up in riots. Rumours surrounding the attendance to the yatra of a Bajrang Dal leader, Monu Manesar who is an accused in the lynching of cattle traders Junaid and Nasir in the Rajasthan, ignited the riots, reports said. A footage posted by Bajrang Dal activists in Ballabhgarh on social media sparked the conflict. Organized processions during Hindu festivals often give way to communal attacks. Adding fuel to the fire, a hate campaign on social would alongside be started.Radical Hindutvaists constantly employ the strategy of inciting riots by poisoning the minds of majority community with sheer untruth and falsehoods.

Despite toxic campaigns are happening on social media in Kerala, the enlightened Keralites hitherto are cautious of not shedding their blood. However, one cannot overlook hyper-campaigning taking place for political and racial gains here. Most recently, the Yuva Morcha and other Sangh Parivar have taken to streets protesting against a speech by Assembly Speaker A.M. Shamseer. The situation has gotten charged after the general secretary of the Nair Service Society, Sukumaran Nair, taking up the issue, demanded resignation of the Speaker. Shamseer has been accused of insulting Hindu Gods and beliefs, hurting religious sentiments. Participating in the Vidyajyoti program for students in Kunnatnadu, Shamseer pointed out some examples while speaking about how 'myths are being promoted instead of science in the textbooks'. His comments are now portrayed as blasphemy of Hindu faith. Rather than teaching the scientific truth of airplanes were invented by Wright brothers, he said, it is claimed that the world's first airplane was a mythical Pushpaka vimanam. Shamseer further pointed out Lord Ganesha with a human body and an elephant face is claimed to be an example for the existence of plastic surgery in mythical times. It is alright to disagree with all these statements alongside criticizing him, while arguing that all these examples are proven scientific truths. It is a matter of faith and freedom. Somebody’s opinion, based one’s belief in modern science, which exhorts against teaching unproven myths and legends as science cannot be interpreted as questioning the freedom of religion and hurting religious sentiments. It goes against democratic decorum and common sense. Nor is it logical to demand resignation on this account.

The question is whether all these hullaballoo would have risen if the Speaker’s name was not linked with a particular community. Eminent intellectuals, scientists and educationists have already raised their voices against dumbing down of students by instilling myths and legends in science books. No one has ever criticised them for hurting religious sentiments. Those who are fantasizing to garner votes through empty campaigns are belittling enlightened Kerala. What more problems do one need for roasting the government than soaring prices, corruption, nepotism, unbridled spread of intoxicants?