Let us play a game of guessing!
Are you ready?
Let’s begin.
Imagine for
a second that you have just joined as the chief recruitment officer in an organisation
in India. You have to fill up positions right from the lowest level to the
highest rank, post-haste. As a list of candidates is thrust in your hands, you
realise that you don’t know any of the candidates personally and that they
belong to the following communities: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist,
Jain, and Adivasi or tribal.
You look
only at the religion column on the first CV and think: Perhaps this candidate
would be a little foolish, flexible, liberal, hardworking, and brave. The next
CV, again only a glance at the religion column, and your thoughts are: This
candidate is likely to be conniving, rigid, partisan, pleasure seeking, and cruel.
Guess, what
are the religions of the two candidates?
My guess: If
you are a Hindu, your answer would be “The first candidate is a Sikh and the
second one is a Muslim”.
If your
guess was different, I stand to be corrected and shall be thankful for your
views on the matter.
Though Sant Kabir
died some 900 years ago, even now popular Hindi film songs are created on
inspirations from that great Indian poet and philosopher. We are aware of his
poetry, but are not sure whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. His religion is
irrelevant.
For that
matter, we don't bother much about the religious bent of the original
inhabitants of India, be they the Bhils, the Jarwas, the Santhals, the Bodos, the
Mundas, the Bhutias, or some other tribe. The Buddhists and the Jains also
mostly pass unnoticed. The gruesome murder of the Christian missionary Graham
Staines with his sons, Philip (aged 10) and Timothy (aged 6), by burning them
while they were asleep in their vehicle, has also become a twenty-five years
old incident now.
However, we
can’t say the same about the Muslims. They matter. They have been living in
India for about 1700 years and form about 14% of the population of the country
(census of India, 2011). Though the Sikhs constitute only about 2% of India’s
populace (census of India, 2011), they, too, matter significantly in modern
India. The Sikh religion was introduced initially about 900 years ago among the
residents of the Indian sub-continent.
The Adivasis
are the original inhabitants of the land, followed by the Jains and the
Buddhists, both of whom enjoyed prominence before the Christian Era. These
three do not ruffle the behaviour of a common Hindu in India as much as a Sikh
or a Muslim does.
Several
traits are common between the Sikhs and the Muslims:
1. Both are foodies. They love to eat
and cook elaborate and exotic meals. You can’t ignore the popularity of Amritsari
Machchhi, Chhole-Bhature, Kulcha, Lassi, Kebab, Samosa, Biryani and Sewai
served at a Sikh or a Muslim eatery.
2. Both
respect Indian culture and participate in the festivals of other religions. For
example, many effigies in the Dussehra festival across India are made by Muslim
artisans. The Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai and the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in New
Delhi are decorated with special lights on Diwali. Important Sikh festivals
coincide with Diwali, Dussehra and Holi.
3.
Both
are not shy of picking up the sword. Brigadier Mohammad Usman laid his life in
the 1948 Indo-Pak war and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. Havildar Abdul Hamid
Idrisi was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his valour in the 1965
Indo-Pak war. Similarly, Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan and Naib Subedar Bana
Singh were decorated with the Param Vir Chakra during the Sino-Indian war
(1962) and Operation Rajiv (1987) respectively. On the flip side, Muslims have
been engaged in many communal riots and street brawls. Two Sikh bodyguards,
Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, assassinated Indira Gandhi, India’s prime
minister, in 1984. Some Sikhs demanded the creation of a separate nation, Khalistan,
in India in the early Eighties.
4.
Both
don’t believe in idol worship. They follow the scriptures of the Holy Quran and
the Adi Granth and condemn badmouthing other religions.
5.
Both
indulge in charity and social service.
Muslims
have a distinct edge over the Sikhs in certain areas:
1. The number of Muslim exponents of
Hindustani classical music far exceeds that of the Sikh maestros.
2.
Muslim
artisanship; be it woodwork, brasswork, embroidery, weaving, or calligraphy; is
known for its refinement and quality.
3.
Muslim
poets, litterateurs, scribes, and journalists have greatly impacted the Indian
culture with their work.
4.
Unlike
the Sikhs, who must sport facial hair and a turban that easily distinguish them
from the common man, the Muslims are under no such obligation and can easily
merge with general public.
Though the
anti-Sikh riots of 1984 are a blot on India’s constitutional ethos and hate
crimes against Sikhs are not uncommon, why is it that a Sikh is generally more
acceptable than a Muslim to an average Hindu?
The following points immediately come to mind:
1. Welfare activities organised by Sikh
bodies or individuals are publicised and the general public is encouraged to
take their benefit. The needy get free boarding and lodging at Gurudwaras and
special relief camps are run by the Sikh after natural calamities.
2.
The
wealth and employment generation by the Sikhs doesn’t remain confined to people
of their religion.
3.
Sikhs
are never shy of showcasing their achievements. When they do something good,
they let the world know about it.
4. Sikhs have a magnificent ability to
ignore ridicule and move on.
While hurting a Sikh may also mean
indirectly hurting the Hindu interest, hurting a Muslim doesn’t pose such
qualms before misguided Hindus. The common people in present day India may
continue to be suspicious of the Muslims till they realise that doing so is not
in their favour. Their mindset will change only when the Muslim image is given
a makeover. Will that happen? When? All peace-loving Indians would like to
know.
संदेश
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