A totally nutcase-y email landed in my Inbox the other day. This is what it said :

This is an awareness drive to awake people to boycott movie ‘Jodhaa Akbar’.The movie Jodhaa Akbar is a vile, vicious, and covert attempt by a mischievous producer/director from Bollywood (Mumbai) to make quick bucks by denigrating and vilifying the Hindu (Rajput) people. Sonia’s (Antonia Maino) Congress government promtly banned ‘Da Vinci Code’ movie after Christians’ protest, but this Secular (?) government is so insensitive about Hindus protest about ‘Jodhaa-Akbar’ !

Visit – http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/3815.html to –

Know true story of Cruel Akbar and Jodhaabai
Know the people behind this conspiracy (The movie crew)
View glimpses of protests

Send this mail to your friends for creating awareness and protecting self-respect.

Shameful Hindus who throng to watch Jodhaa-Akbar, a film which glorifies Hindu hater Cruel Akbar, are worthy of getting killed by Terrorists!

Now, this comes to me via an accquaintance (shudder !) at a desi community organisation I’m involved in. Since I barely know this person, I’m assuming this is a blanket email being circulated to Hindus. Now, I do have an opinion on this matter, but assuming that I didn’t, this email wouldn’t sway me anyway. Why ? Just going by the tone of the email, it appears to be written by someone who’s :

1. Bigoted
2. Fundie
3. Violent
4. Intolerant
5. Incapable of rational thought

I would also associate the above properties with a goon. However, that may not be true, since it’s not open season for goons (yet) in Amrika-land. Would I believe anything such a person said ? I think not.

And what exactly does this mean :
Sonia’s (Antonia Maino) Congress government promtly banned ‘Da Vinci Code’ movie after Christians’ protest, but this Secular (?) government is so insensitive about Hindus protest about ‘Jodhaa-Akbar’ !

What is this ? The Grand Imbecility Marathon ? A bunch of imbeciles protest against The Da Vinci code – why are we not imbeciles too ? Don’t despair – I hearby grant you the Imbecility Knighthood. From now onwards, people sending out/forwarding emails like these can prefix their names with “Honorable Imbecile”.

I’ve been hearing of the protests against this film, but seriously, are people nuts ? This is a FILM, and however tongue-in-cheek I might be in my review, I’m not actually watching Bollywood for authentic history lessons! Nor I imagine are the masses. This is a love-story, tweaked to appeal cinematically. This is not the truth. There are factual errors as well as deliberate ommissions int it. And, no I don’t want Gowariker’s head/apology for those.

Although the above asinine email comes via the HJS, I believe the Karni Sena also wants blood. They claim they are outraged by the “insult” to Hindus. Hmm, if you’re the type of Hindu where anyone, anywhere can say stuff that will insult your religion, then your religion is weak indeed. If your belief in your religion is so gossamer thin that one film-maker can cause it to weaken, then you may not be the staunch Hindu you believe yourself to be.

Yes, we musn’t forget the past, but history in a large part is mere concoction and hear say. Mine against yours. To interpret it as you wish is your privilege. However to interpret it as you wish , and protest violently is illegal. Unlawful. However since this is India we speak of, the laws are not enforced and the goondas do what they want.

And practically speaking, aren’t there more relevant issues for Hindus the world over to be worried about, rather than get outraged at OMG, what we think the Mughals did to us, more than a hundred years ago ? Since the HJS and Karni Sena can’t think of any, let me provide you with a list :

• Sati (Roop Kanwar immolated herself in the land of the Karni Sena – where were they then ?)
• Child marriage
• Child labor
• Molestation and abuse, perpetrated by (gasp !) Hindu men . Round-up the eve-teasers of Delhi and count the number of Hindus in them.
• Dowry
• Bride burning (Rampant among Hindus where tradition enforces dowry-giving)
• Female foeticide (hear of the dissapearing girls ? Guess which state is killing it’s girls the fastest ? Haryana. Guess the religion of the majority in that state ? Hinduism. )
• Education for children (how many Hindu children remain ignorant and impoverished?)

The above list might seem simplistic, and I’m not saying that child marriage or child labor doesn’t happen in non-Hindus, or that non-Hindu men do not commit crimes. However it annoys me greatly to see a bunch of lunatics crawl out of the woodwork to be “outraged” at some totally inconsequential matter. And to use Hinduism as a crutch to strut their own bigoted agendas. This is not Hinduism.

Also I emphasize Hindu ills, not to denigrate Hinduism but to prove a point. And that point is that these so-called Hindus raise their voices at perceived insults, but do very little to actually better their communities, or to fight known social ills. How much could the Karni Sena do if it really wanted to stop child marriage in Rajasthan ? I’m assuming quite a bit. Does it ?

I am a Hindu too. But my Hinduism is not insulted by someone expressing an opinion, even if it is contrary to mine. If you wish to be an Idiot, please, feel free. Be an idiot within the confines of your own home. But to declare your idiocy to the world and hide it under the guise of Hinduism is another matter indeed.