The Fanaa controversy

24.05.06

The news item “Fanaa not to be screened in Gujarat” is disturbing. How would it not be when you consider that this is because of Aamir Khan’s position on the Narmada dam. In a democratic country we are all entitled to our opinions and its espousal. How can anyone be punished for it? It is all the more irritating because it is Bharathiya Yuva Morcha that is against Aamir Khan. Why does a Sangha connected organisation want to come out as a champion of a dam? Sangha’s political organisations should be concerned only about the politics of Sangha – working for Hindu nationalism. What has building or not building of a dam got to do with Hindu nationalism? Hindu nationalism is simply ensuring that India’s citizens are united and inspired by the ancient Indian vision of ‘ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti’, that is, that as a nation we have a philosophy of live and let live. Dams and such developmental works are to be left to the experts and the government has only to see to it that support or opposition to it must go by constitutional propriety and national infrastructure development interests. If the BJP government or BJP as a party is for any dam or any particular developmental activity, that's fine. But there is no need to whip frenzy on such things. For infrastructure has to be pursued in a pragmatic manner, not an emotional one. Remember, we are not to be emotional on things material. Emotion (of the refined variety, of course) has to be a matter of the spiritual realm - bakthi.

This incident proves yet again that Sangha has to take a stock-taking of its parivar organisations and ensure that they inculcate the Sangha spirit in full and display it in their chosen fields of action.