The second wave of the novel Coronavirus pandemic continues to rage through the country. While people are discussing healthcare and ways to help people, liberals online are busy debating whether they should help ‘Sanghis’ in these trying times of Covid-19.
One person on Twitter with the username @pinkpaisley3 asked, which no doubt appeared to her a very poignant question, “Will you help a sanghi if it was in your capacity to do so?” The responses to her tweet is quite telling and emblematic of the hatred that festers in the heart of so many.
One Farhan answered, “I wouldn’t. Pretty much everyone holds extreme hatred for Minorites. Let their Supreme leader save them”.
Another said that she would help Sanghis but only because she wants to see them in solitary confinement for their crimes. Solitary confinement is one of the worst forms of torture where a person is kept in forced isolation without any human contact.
One Arpan refused outright and said that he only helps those who believe in humanity. Ironically enough, Arpan does not appear to realize that he is engaging in the dehumanization of his fellow citizens, which always has devastating consequences.
One Anindita said that she would give them the contact details of Ram Janambhoomi Trust authorities instead. “They live to destroy India,” she said while referring to ‘Sanghis’.
Some admitted that they were genuinely wondering whether they should. It is quite a bizarre situation in such circles.
Vijay Subramanian acknowledges that his mother will be disappointed with the person he has become but insisted, “They bought it upon themselves..universe being a leveller!” We can only say that we sympathise with his mother.
In case there was any doubt that they were referring expressly to the Covid situation, one user clarified specifically that it was in the context of Covid-19.
Even in times of Covid-19 surge, the desire to rob Temple funds reigns supreme. The Government has not said at any point that financial conditions are a constraint at this point. And yet, they want Ram Mandir funds to be used up anyway.
Instead of usurping Ram Mandir funds, they could have organised a fundraiser or suggested a new fundraising initiative to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. And people would have donated if the requirements were such. But common sense measures are not in fashion today. All they want is to usurp the Ram Mandir funds.
Let us be very clear here. If intentions were pure, new fundraising measures would have been suggested or organised. The first thought is never “Let’s use the funds people donated for a Temple!” The suggestion came from a person on Monday out of the blue and those from the same end of the political spectrum are simply running with it. None of them stopped for a minute to ask if there are other avenues that could be explored.
Naturally, Hindus were not pleased with the demand and responded in kind. And their responses were reasonable. Why not use funds from Waqf Boards and Church properties instead, why does it have to be the Ram Mandir? For such responses, ‘Sanghis’, which is really a euphemism for Hindus, are being accused of spreading hate.
Such unreasonable, and unfair, demands to use the Ram Mandir funds are quite clearly designed to instigate and defame Hindus. The purpose is not to help combat the Coronavirus pandemic, the objective is to inflame passions even under such critical circumstances.
The objective is to find another convenient excuse to demonise the Hindu community and unleash a propaganda campaign against the Ram Mandir. If there was ever any doubt about the intention behind the demand, the conversations that are currently underway do not leave scope for any.
While liberals debate whether they should even help ‘Sanghis’, they wish to usurp the hard-earned money Hindus have donated towards the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Such hateful rhetoric really defies all conventions of civility.
As King Theoden says in the Lord of the Rings after the Orcs and Uruk-hai overrun Helm’s Deep, “What can men do against such reckless hate?” But even so, citizen-led efforts during this crisis demonstrates that there is still goodness in this world.
While liberals online continue to fester in their hate, people from all walks of life have come together to help their fellow citizens deal as much as they can with the misery that Covid-19 has unleashed. And a significant section of them are from Hindu organisations and ‘Sanghis’ who continue to work tirelessly to help people overcome this terrible tragedy.
