|
SYMPOSIUM
Inter-Religious Dialogues
By
M.L. Sondhi
Parlance, March 1990
I would first like to suggest some measures for resolving
the problem. The appointment of Mr. Mufti as the Home
Minister has been a matter of great speculation. But the
fact remains that to solve a conflict a third party is
needed. A concerned party cannot resolve the conflict. If
this fact holds true then why was Buta Singh used to resolve
conflicts in Punjab where he was a concerned party? And the
same question holds true for Mr. Mufti too? Therefore the
first step towards a solution would be to remove Mr. Mufti
as soon as possible. Secondly, if Mr. V.P. Singh means
business then resorting to war with Pakistan will not ease
the problem in any way.
I have just come back from Czechoslovakia
and Eastern Europe. There the Soviet ideology has been
completely rejected by the people. This has lead to a
considerable decrease in Soviet Union’s importance as a
super-power. And because of this lowering of importance the
Russians are not going to issue any public statement in
favour of the Indian Government. Therefore what Mr. V.P.
Singh can do is to set up a group of eminent luminaries to
evaluate the present situation and find an appropriate
solution for it.
Human Rights
Finally, my prescription would be to set up a South Asian
Human Rights Forum which will provide a common platform for
both the Governments to evaluate and solve problems with a
mutual consent.
Dual Legacies
Neither can we undermine the importance of the legacy of
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, of which Farookh Abdullah is a
representative. Nor can we undermine the importance of the
legacy left behind by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who was
suspected to be liquidated by the intelligence services.
The interaction of both these legacies is important for
bringing about peace and harmony in the state.
But the truth remains that the problem does
not arise from Pakistan or from the Muslims of Kashmir. The
problem rears its ugly head from time to time because of
corruption at the grassroots level.
Inter-Religious Dialogue
I think to restore sanity today, the Indian
Government has to bring together the Hindu ethos and the
Muslim ethos. But not by the false word called
“secularism”. The Indian government has to start a
dialogue, something like what Vaclav Havel is doing in
Prague. This sort of inter-religious dialogue might even
solve the explosive Ram Janmabhoomi – Babri Masjid issue.
For suppressing a problem by force and pressure is like
putting a lid on a volcano. And its eruption will be
equally violent. Therefore we have to enter an area of
discussions and dialogues for solving the issue. |
