For my first post for the Democracy Dialogues forum, I have decided to pick up on a topic that has recently created a lot of controversy and heated debate in the media:
that of the proposed ban on the Bhagvad Gita in Russia. Before I write any further, I would like to clarify that the intent of this post is merely to look at the way this entire affair was handled rather than justifying or fighting the ban. The proposed ban created major controversy all over the media, especially on the internet, where there seemed to be a major hate sentiment that went out against various communities who used this news to ‘justify’ their views.
For those who are not aware of the controversy, I shall quickly spell it out for you. A petition was filed in a Russian court last June asking for a ban on a certain translated version of the Bhagvad Gita. This version was a translation of the book plus a commentary by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) that is often called the Hare Krishna movement. The prosecutors argued that the book promote ‘social discord’ and hatred against non-believers. It is important to note that the petition asked for the book to be banned under the Federal List of Extremists Materials that bans over 1000 texts, including the likes of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. A first question may be asked as to why this entire incident made it to the news so late considering the petition was filed over 6 months ago. I believe no-one really has an answer to that. Anyway, eventually, the issue heated up and the Indian government took it up with Moscow (ironically, India’s external affairs minister SM ‘Krishna’ was the one to handle the incident) and the Russian court turned the petition down.
Going over the issue, I have a few things to say and a few questions to ask. Firstly, why is there such a hue and cry regarding the Indian government’s failure in handling the issue ‘on time’; it’s ironic that the issue, if been tackled with swiftly, would’ve ensured that the government received flog for being too ‘Hindu’ in its ways (there still seem to be quite a few people who seem to think this way). Continuing, there is the question of whether it is even an issue that the government of India should take up with the Russians; firstly, despite the seemingly obvious illogical nature of the petition, is it the business of the government to get involved in another country’s internal affairs, especially ones that do not deal with our country directly? I would totally support swift action in cases where the country’s sovereignty or integrity is at stake [for example, incorrect mapping of borders, China’s discriminatory visa practices against residents of Jammu and Kashmir etc.] In this case, it is evident that the government has picked up an issue that does not even deal with the original text itself, but rather a version interpreted by a leader of a cult society. It also seemed after further enquiry that the petition was filed due to differences between the Russian Orthodox Church and ISKCON, so must the government get involved?
Apart from the government’s seemingly un-wanted involvement, I also feel that there is a very urgent need for people to calm down and refrain from getting involved in absolutely ridiculous and (mostly) vulgar debates about these issues. While browsing through our national newspapers’ online forums, one can see countless hate comments, which by the way are also totally irrelevant to the topic in question, just for the mere sake of it. If one is angered or irritated by such news, voicing views such as “ban the Bible in India” or “file a petition to ban the Q’uran” clearly do not showcase any more rationality than what possibly seems to be lacking in the original problem here itself. Yes, the internet is a free-for-all forum, but a little more thought and responsible behaviour will only do us all good.
- Jugmohan Jani