Our secular cowards

Hindu labour has done marvels to raise Malaysia’s economy. And to think
that in the end this is what it gets by way of thanks should make our
secularists think. And our Muslim co-citizens as well. Or is cowardice
the other face of secularism?

When the disputed structure (Babri Masjid), a
decrepit building, built revengefully over a destroyed temple by an
ungracious Islamic general during the reign of Babar was brought down
by an angry gathering who felt deeply hurt, there was hell to pay.
Forgotten was the fact that a Muslim ruler had deliberately built a
mosque in a Hindu holy city, Ayodhya, to show who was in power.
Forgotten was the fact that the masjid was built on the site of a
temple, which had been destroyed. Forgotten, too, was the fact that the
masjid had long been out of service. Every abuse was hurled at the RSS
who were called by every foul name under the sun. Intellectuals went so
far as to say that the Ayodhya referred to in ancient works was located
somewhere in Nepal or Afghanistan, that there was no evidence that Rama
was born at the site of the temple (evidently the then Magistrate did
not issue a certificate of birth to Rama’s parents) and that the
original temple itself was built over a Jain temple—and forget what the
Department of Archaeology had discovered. Angry Hindus swallowed the
insults hurled at them.




Now comes some strange news that no newspaper has published,
no doubt out of a great sense of liberalism. And it is shocking. What
it says is that, according to a conservative estimate, some 10,000
‘temples’ in Malaysia have been demolished since 1985. For all one
knows, the temples’ may have been small structures, road side shrines,
but obviously many were large and created no problems.




The information published by Organiser (March 12-18) surely is
open to verification and our secularists are free to check it. Malaysia
calls itself secular, though the national religion is Islam and
Malaysia makes no bones about its faith; one has only to listen to the
local Television channels to appreciate that. Hindus form about 15 per
cent of the Malaysian population (almost the same as the percentage of
Muslim population in India). Almost all the temples built in Malaysia
are older than the Republic (i.e. at least 60 years) and were built by
the labourers and Indian businessmen who immigrated to that peninsula
during the British rule.




The Indians did not go to Malaysia as conquerors; nor did they
destroy any masjid. If they built temples for themselves it was under
British aegis and with due permission. Now the Islamicists in Malaysia
seem determined to demolish those very temples. The Kuil Shri Maha
Mariamman Temple built in Selangor De around 1899 and is over 107 years
old was termed illegal and destroyed in 2006. The Shri Ayyanar
Sathiswary Temple (over 65 year old) at Jalan Davies was demolished on
February 22, 2006 and the idols buried at the site. The Malaimels Shri
Solva Kaliamman Temple Pantai at Kuala Lumpur (over 100 years old) was
demolished on April 17, 2006. The Vaalmunswarar Rajaamman Kovil (over
60 years old) at Lady Temple Hospital, Kuala Lumpur was demolished on
May 3, 2006. The Shri Kaliamman Temple in Midlands Estate, Sekayen 7,
Shah Alam (more than 100 years old ) was demolished by the Shah Alam
City Hall on May 9, 2006. The Shri Balakrishnan Muniswarer Temple in
Setapak (more than 50 years old) was partly demolished and threatened
with further demolition notice by the Kuala Lumpur City Authorities.
The Ganggai Muthu Karumarianman Temple in PMR Datu Buntung Estate
Kulum, Kedah was torched on May 15, 2006 by unknown criminals. The Shri
Balakrishnan Muniswarer Temple in Setapak was completely demolished and
deities broken up on June 8, 2006. The Shri Kaliaamman Temple in
Midlands Estate, Seksyen 7, Shah Alam was completely demolished for the
second time on June 12, 2006 and three main Hindu deities were hammered
and smashed to pieces with a sledge hammer by the Shah Alam City
Council Enforcement officers. None of these atrocities have been
reported by the media. The only one to do so is Organiser; it will be
thrashed by our secularists and liberals but they are free, as was
earlier stated, to check out the facts mentioned.




Reporting the demolition of temples the weekly wrote: “For the
Hindus in Malaysia, life has become a hell. The local administration in
Malaysia with the covert support of the federal government are
systematically demolishing Hindu temples. In the last 20 months, so
intolerable has the situation become that the Hindu organisation in
Malaysia have appealed to the UN and other international agencies for
the first time seeking intervention.”




There has not been so much as a whisper from our secularists
or from the government of India. Malaysia is a Muslim country, isn’t
it? So it has the right to demolish Hindu temples, doesn’t it ? And if
those demolished structures are not ‘temples’ but merely street side
shrines, what is wrong with demolishing them? There will be these and
similar other excuses given by our secular Government and out
secularists. There has again not been so much as a kind supportive word
from any Muslim organisation and the excuse will be: “We do not know
anything about these activities. Besides, how can we trust the RSS?”
What, in the circumstances the Government of India must do is to make
an inquiry into the allegations and publish the findings. What is the
government afraid of? Even if it is not true that so many temples have
been razed to the ground and those destroyed are limited, the facts
must be brought out.




After all, the Hindu volunteers demolished only one masjid,
the Babri Masjid which was (a) built on a destroyed temple (b) was not
in use at the time it was demolished and (c) could easily have been
handed over to Hindus who were willing and ready to build a masjid
further away at their cost. Secular and Muslim fundamentalists would
not give an inch. It only enraged Hindus—and with what result everyone
knows only too well.




If an inquiry conducted proves that the allegations made
against Malaysia are correct then it is for our secularists and
liberals to give an explanation. True, two wrongs do not make one
right, but India has not embarked on a masjid demolishing spree such as
Malaysia has allegedly indulge in. If an inquiry shows that the
information is wrong, an apology would be due. According to a report,
an NGO ‘Hindu Rights Action Force’ has taken the initiative in raising
the matter of temple destruction in Malaysia before all is lost.
Malaysia is a comparatively small country. It has a mixed population.
Hindu labour has done marvels to raise Malaysia’s economy. And to think
that in the end this is what it gets by way of thanks should make our
secularists think. And our Muslim co-citizens as well. Or is cowardice
the other face of secularism?




It is easy to blast local Hindus and call them by names. One
must also have the courage to stand up for Hindus when they are being
stamped upon in another country.