‘Draupadi Taught Us How to Behave with Husbands’ Indians Must Learn this: Global Hindu Foundation to Government of India

http://www.sabrang.com/news/2014/ccxclupart3Nov15.htm

November 15, 2014

Part Three

‘Draupadi Taught Us How to Behave with Husbands’
Indians Must Learn this: Global Hindu Foundation to Government of India

Teesta Setalvad

The ancient ‘Hindu Past’, its ways of relating between men and women and the Scientific achievements of Ancient India are the values that should be taught in Central government schools today.

In a detailed letter written to the Minister for Human Resources Development (MHRD) Smruti Irani today, November 15, 2014, the Hyderabad based Global Hindu Foundation (GHF), has, taking a leaf out of Dinanath Batra’s nine books being taught as Supplemenatry materials to four hundred thousand students in Gujarat’s schools, urged the Modi government to take this model of teaching to the nation. This letter has been posted on the home page of savetemples.org, the website of the “Mission to Save Hinduism and Hindu Temples”. Touted as a ‘Project of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, (GHHF) USA’, the mission operates out of the ‘Save Temple Office’ opened in Hyderabad city in June 2012.

Apart from the exhortations to teach Nathuram Godse as a ‘National Hero who fought the British’, and unsubstantiated details about a ‘Hindu holocaust by Muslims, this letter states that the following subjects should be taught in Central government schools:

http://www.savetemples.org/2014/11/15/suggestions-to-revise-educational-curriculum-for-different-class-levels-in-schools-in-bharat/

“Mahabharata.
“...Mahabharata is one of the greatest epics and every single character teaches us the richness of our culture and traditions, morals and ethics that surpass the time. Numerous are the characters and numerous are the lessons one can learn from Mahabharata. Yudhishtira taught us how to follow dharma in face of numerous difficulties also the weakness of (gambling) that can bring down the kingdom; Bhishma taught us how to fulfill the wishes of his father and sacrificed his life as well as keeping his word for the rest of life and maintain celibacy; King Santanu taught us danger of yielding to sensate pleasure and the weakness toward other sex; Karna taught us the consequences of blind loyalty and passion for power as well as the generous nature of dana (gift); Dhritarashtra taught us how blind love for children can cause untold misery and destruction for the humanity, also how passion for children can smog the moral and impartial judgment; Draupadi taught us how even a small weakness resulted ....can... lead to war of destruction and also taught us how to behave with the husbands; and other characters such as Pandu, Veda Vyasa, Kunti, Dushyasana, Shikhandi, Satyavati and others were equally important in teaching us the morals and code of conduct.
“..... Finally the teaching of Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna to Arjuna about the responsibility of a Kshatriya and in general about Swadharma is unmatched humanity in recognizing the importance of Sthitipragna.

“....Puranic Stories and Morals
“     In Naimisharanya, the assembled sages worshipped the learned Romaharshana and said, "Please tell us the stories of the Puranas. Who created the universe, who is its preserver and who will destroy it? Please instruct us in all these mysteries." There are 18 main Puranas and18 upapuranas that describe the various aspects of cosmology and are considered the storehouse of stories that enriched with morals and traditions; manifestations of  (dasavataras) Vishnu incarnations, and the paths of karma, bhakti and Jnana yogas.  In fact they even described the origin of the universe, life cycles, trials, tribulations and richness of human life, respect for living and nonliving elements and scientific nature of the universe.  They talk about the worship services, numerous samskaras, formation of earth, and mathematical expressions of the universe. They give us the experiences of people through their stories, symbols and rituals. Every community has its own reality, but underneath all these realities there is an underlying theme governing the basic principles and morals that guide the human life.

“.... Panchatantra Stories
 Panchatantra is a collection stories that teach us how to behave in a particular situation; how to solve the problems one faces; whom to trust and not to trust; how to keep your word against all odds; how to use your intellect instead of arms; how to avoid distrust among friends; how one should not deny the shelter to a needy person; how one should work toward accumulation of wealth and how to protect it; and how one should share their wealth and to whom.
 

“....The Scientific achievements
   “....  It is time to create pride among our youth about our scientific achievements. It was the Yogic seers who invented many mathematical calculations such as Zero, Decimals, Phi, Geometry, Algebra, computer language and more. Arbyabhatta was the champion of Astronomy and Mathematics, Bhaskaracharya was the genius of Algebra, Acharya Kanad was the founder of Atomic Theory, Naragrjuna was the wizard of Chemical Science, Acharya Charaka was the father of Medicine, Acharya Sushruta was the champion of Plastic Surgery, Varahamihra was the eminent Astronomer and Astrology, Patanjali was the father of Yoga Sutras, Acharya Bharadwaja was the pioneer of Aviation Technology, Acharya Kapila was the father of cosmology, and many more.”

Ends

Recommended Reading by Communalism Combat:
India: History repeats itself | Romila Thapar
12 July 2014
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/romila-thapar-smriti-irani-old
-history-baiters-of-bjp/1/370799.html?

 India: Moral Presciptions from Mr Batra (of Hndutva book police) now part of Gujarat Schools Curriculum
25 July Indian Express
Man who got Wendy Doniger pulped is made ‘must reading’ in Gujarat schools

History Lessons
The appointment of a new chief at the Indian Council of Historical Research reignites old battles over who controls ideas of India
by ANJALI MODY | 1 August 2014
http://www.caravanmagazine.in/perspectives/history-lessons

RSS leaders meet Smriti Irani, seek revamp of India’s education system
IndiaToday.in New Delhi, October 30, 2014
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/rss-leaders-meet-smriti-irani-revamp-of-india-education-system/1/398247.html

India: Delhi University asked to purge Left slant in all history textbooks
Mail Today | New Delhi, October 22, 2014
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-university-left-slant-history-textbooks-du
sanskrit-department-vedic-age-and-aryan-culture-hrd/1/397030.html
India Under the Modi Regime: Delhi University’s Sanskrit dept project to prove Aryans were not foreigners
http://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/dus-sanskrit-dept
kickstarts-project-to-prove-aryans-were-not-foreigners/articleshow/43838590.cms
Test-Tubes In Hastinapur
Myth and epic are being introduced as fact into school curricula of states
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/TestTubes-In-Hastinapur/291554
Religion, culture and values
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/religion-culture-and-values/article6272956.ece?homepage=true

 

India - Gujarat: Hindu Right rewriting Indian textbooks
4 November 2014

Al Jazeera

Books by Hindu nationalists merging myth with reality proliferate in PM Modi’s home state of Gujarat.

04 Nov 2014 11:29
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/11/hindu-right-ideology-indian
textbooks-gujarat-20141147028501733.html      

Books:

Communalism and the Writing of Indian History
Contents:

Communalism and the Writing of Ancient Indian History
by Romila Thapar

Medieval Indian History and the Communal Approach
by Harbans Mukhia

Historians of Modern India and Communalism
by Bipan Chandra
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/
1279167/communalism-in-the-writing-indian-history.pdf

                                                                     

‘Eighty Million Hindus Massacred by Muslims between 1000 and 1525’ Teach Indians about the Hindu Holocaust -- Global Hindu Foundation to Government of India

November 15, 2014

Part Two

‘Eighty Million Hindus Massacred by Muslims between 1000 and 1525’  Teach Indians about the Hindu Holocaust

-- Global Hindu Foundation to Government of India
http://www.sabrang.com/news/2014/ccxclupart2Nov15.htm

Teesta Setalvad

Indians should be taught about the ‘Hindu Holocaust’ when 80 million Hindus were stabbed  by Muslims in barabaric slaughter according to the Global Hindu Foundation in a letter to the  government of India’s Minister for Human Resources Development (MHRD) Smruti Irani  today. Gory and unsubstantiated descriptions of Hindus who refused to convert and who were taken atop the mountains and killed with ‘blood flowing from the mountain to the streets below’ find mention in this letter from this Hyderabad based affiliate of the sangh  parivar.

The website of the GHF states that it is aimed towards “ Empowering Hindus- Towards a Hindu Worldview” and the controversial letter dated November 15, 2014 addressed to Smruti Irani, cabinet minister for Human Resources Development, and posted on the home page of  savetemples.org, the website of the “Mission to Save Hinduism and Hindu Temples”. Touted  as a ‘Project of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, (GHHF) USA’, the mission operates out of the ‘Save Temple Office’ opened in Hyderabad city in June 2012.

http://www.savetemples.org/2014/11/15/suggestions-to-revise-educational-curriculum-for-different-class-levels-in-schools-in-bharat/

The letter of the GHF, dated November 15, 2014 clearly emboldened by the regime in power in New Delhi, also states that students should be given a realistic picture of the brutal regimes  of the past (read Muslim and Christian) when ‘Murthies were broken and remnants of Hindu  statues used to build Mosques.” Students should also be taught in schools about how “how  many Temples were converted to Mosques, how many Christians are converting the Hindus  with deception and allurement, how minority appeasement is affecting the quality education and such similar issues should be addressed. Vast literature dealing with “Islamic onslaught”  and “Goa Inquisition” should also be included to know the history of denial of fundamental  rights to Hindus.”

The politicised project to completely colour and distort the teaching of the social sciences with a majoritarian and supremacist worldview, one moreover that stokes false hatreds  against Muslims and Chritisans is in tune with the Shiksha Bachao Andolan (SBA) project  run by Dinanath Batra.

Other subjects that the GHF feels should be taught to students through government run  schools”

“Great Saints of India

“.... School books should include the history, message and glory of great saints of India such as Adi Sankara, Madhvacharya, Ramanujacharya, Meerabai, Kabir, Tukaram, Eknath, Gnaneswar, Namdev, Bhagawan Nityananda, Satya Saibaba, Sri Pada Vallabha, Narasimha Swamy, Samarth Ramdas, Veda Vyasa, Valmiki, Sri Aurobindo, Muktananda, Gorakhnad, Sri Prabhupada, Chinmayananda, Ramana Maharishi Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda and host of others. They have kept alive the richness of our culture in spite of the attempts destroy the ancient civilization.

“.....The saints have played significant role in the preservation propagating the ideas and philosophies that were necessary to bring unity and much needed reforms to bring the appropriate changes in the society. Considering the Mughal domination of the India, the saints veered and helped bhaktas toward Bhakti marga, the path of devotion, instead encouraging them to conduct Temples pujas, especially North India.
 

“Hindu Temples - History and relevance

“ It is time to know the power, energy, and vibrations present in Hindu Temples. They are  the place of worship where devotees worship their chosen Gods at different times day in and  day out. Devotees go to the Hindu Temples to experience the infinite divine power through  their individual prayers as well as collective worship. Hindu Temples have been built over  more than twenty centuries providing opportunity to practice their social, religious and  cultural milieu. Each Temple is dedicated to one of the manifestation of infinite power of the  unfathomable divinity of the Almighty. Every Temple will have a sanctum sanctorum with a  presiding Deity who represents the power and energy of GOD. Hindus believe that God is  ever powerful, all pervasive, everywhere and everything is in God.

“.....The Hindu Temples have served as centers of learning and knowledge; foci for social gathering; institutes for art, dance and music; hubs for upholding the dharmic values; nucleus  for peace and nonviolence; lighthouses for philosophy and spirituality, cornerstones for  worship services; promoters of age old, time tested universal values; institutes for yoga and  meditation; holy places for conducting different festivals and rituals; and nexus for  expressing devotion through music, singing and chanting; and centers for social services.

“...Gomata

“..... Cow is revered, respected and honored and is regarded as a holy mother. Cows milk is  light and easily digestible for a child. Its products such as milk, ghee, urine, cow dung and  curd, and are considered sacred and has many medicinal values that improve the health of the  humans and purifies the climate. Cow is considered as Kamadhenu (wish fulfilling Deity). 

Lord Krishna worshipped cows, used to play flute that attracted the cows and used assemble around him.

“...... All the scriptures such as Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, Manusmriti, and others extoll the virtues of the cow. All the Gods reside in her and killing her is considered  the most heinous crime. It is often said “jivantu avadghnyah ta me vishasya dushanih”  meaning that let cows live without slaughter for their whole life-they remove poison and toxins. Many sages, many Hindu Temples and numerous Ashrams maintained Goshalas (cow shelters) for centuries recognizing the numerous benefits that accrue from the cows.

‘Godse is a National Hero who must be Taught about in Schools’ -- Global Hindu Foundation to Indian Government

PART ONE
‘Godse is a National Hero who must be Taught about in Schools’ -- Global Hindu Foundation to Government of India
http://www.sabrang.com/news/2014/ccxclupart1Nov15.htm

November 15, 2014

Part One

‘Godse is a National Hero who must be Taught about in Schools’ -- Global Hindu Foundation to Government of India

Teesta Setalvad

Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi is a “national hero” who “fought for independence from the British” and whose reputation has been tarnished by previous governments and who should figure prominently among the new list of national heroes to be taught in all government schools.

So urges a controversial letter dated November 15, 2014 addressed to Smruti Irani, cabinet minister for Human Resources Development, and posted on the home page of savetemples.org, the website of the “Mission to Save Hinduism and Hindu Temples”. Touted as a ‘Project of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, (GHHF) USA’, the mission operates out of the ‘Save Temple Office’ opened in Hyderabad city in June 2012.  

The letter urges that the Modi government should encourage teaching about national heroes “who  sacrificed their life in order to guarantee freedom for the future generations.” According to the letter Godse is one such.            

“.... It is time to teach about their heroism, their love for Bharath, their struggles with British rulers, their imprisonment, their hangings and/or suffering. Their martyrdom is unparalleled and unmatched. They cheerfully sacrificed their life for the sake of the people of Bharat to enjoy their unbridled freedom with dignity and pride." Others, who figure in this letter along with Godse who deserve to be taught about are Balagangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Subhash Chandra Bose, Veer Savarkar, Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru, Sukhdev, Chandrasekhar Azhad, Vasudev Balwant Phadke and the Chapekar brothers.”  Needless to say, Gandhi does not figure in the list; nor does Jawaharlal Nehru, or even Sardar Patel. 

It appears that the Save Temple project is funded entirely through saffron dollars raised in the US. The appeal for donations towards the end of the letter informs potential donors that the GHHF is exempt from the US federal income tax rules. It is not clear whether the Save Temple Project is registered under FCRA. 

The letter also stated that most of the books written by Marxists, Muslims and Western historians “are so slanted, abusive, hateful, repulsive and intolerable to the true history of India, so derogatory to the national freedom fighters, so demonizing to Sanatana dharma, so negligent of the contributions of great emperors to establish Hindutva, and so boastful of the Muslim aggressors as contributors to the Indian culture”.  The letter extols the virtues of Subramanian Swamy for “calling for the burning of the writings by Nehruvian historians.”

The letter adds that, “We feel that it is time to fire all these left wing historians who have stabbed the Mother India for many decades and employ those scholars who appreciate the richness of the Sanatana Dharma into National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT),  Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) , National Censor Board and other agencies. It is time to reclaim what is lost, revamp the whole school curriculum, and rewrite the history debunking these leftwing Nehruvian historians.”

This letter comes at a time when the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s brand of history writing is attempting a complete capture of India’s institutes of higher learning and research, and also at a time when the RSS backed Shiksha Bachao Andolan is planning a national level conference at Ujjain of 200 ‘academics and experts’ to ‘review’ the emphasis and focus of the previous Radhakrishnan, Mudaliar and Kothari Commission reports. Supremacist and exclusivist brands of ‘history writing’ are making their political advantage felt with their unquestionable hold on the Modi government.

In this letter sent to Smruti Irani today, the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation has also, chosen specifically to advise the Modi government to misinform Indian children about the three sites of perpetrated conflict that have had specific import for the politics of communal mobilisation in India since the mid- 1980s, that is Faizabad-Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura.  The issue of the site where the Babri Masjid, a 400 year old Mosque stood is at present before the Supreme Court of India after the Mosque was illegally demolished on December 6, 1992. The other two sites, at Mathura and Kashi, have been at the heart of the BJP-RSS-VHP-Bajrang Dal mobilisation that aims to ‘re-claim’ or ‘destroy’ the Mosques that stand cheek by jowl to temples at these sites. Presently they are governed by the Places of Worship Act, 1991 have also mentioned in a Supreme Court directive, generally protecting their status. An infamous slogan of far right in India since 1992 when the 400 year old Mosque was demolished has been,' Abhi to bas yah jhanki hai, Kashi Mathura baki hai' (This gives but a glimpse, Kashi/Banaras and Mathura still remain [as the objective]).

This letter quite clearly exhorts the Modi government that, school text books, “should also teach children as to how Krishna Janma Sthala was destroyed, how Ayodhya was converted to Babri Masjid, how Kashi Vishwanath Temple was destroyed and built Mosque in front of the Temple, and how more than 2000 Temples were converted to Mosques.”

http://www.savetemples.org/2014/11/15/suggestions-to-revise-educational-curriculum-for-different-class-levels-in-schools-in-bharat/

Other suggestions coming from the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation include the compulsory teaching of the Bhagwad Geeta  in schools where the letter says a “....a mere chanting of few verses is enough to awaken the consciousness of the individual and maintain the balance between the body, mind and soul. In fact, it improves the brain capacity to absorb the knowledge; teach the individual the responsibility of their dharma; emphasize the importance of bhakti, Jnana, karma and raja yoga; equip the individual fearless and give the needed strength to face the problems at hand; encourages one to think and uphold the dharma to protect human existence; and so on. No age is bar to learn and chant Bhagavad Gita. As young as three year olds chant the divine song.  Its message is unmatched, unparalleled and unrivalled.”

The Ramayana should also be taught since “ Rama’s name is on the lips of every Hindu.  He taught us to be a perfect son, a perfect brother, perfect husband, a perfect enemy, and a perfect king. He taught us how to live according to dharma in the face of un-surmountable hurdles.

Unashamed in its motive to convert history teaching – from a vibrant discipline with specific disciplinary tools for interpretation, analysis, verification and authentication that include contemporaneous sources, an understanding of archaeology, and secondary sources, a thorough reading of ancient and medieval languages ---to a politico-religious project, the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation says it would like to see “Rama portrayed as a living national hero and Indian history as Sanatani (upper caste) Hindu.... Lord Rama, who is known for his compassion, gentleness, kindness, righteousness, non-hatred, and integrity, has served as role model for all of us to follow for millennia. His respect for father and obedience to his command was unparalleled that all humanity should emulate. Guru-Sishya relationship was emboldened in Ramayana for all of us follow, cherish and nurture, especially in the modern society....”

“...            Sita, Lakshmana, Bharatha, Dasaratha, Jataayu, Vali, Vibhishana, and Lord Hanuman have shaped the mind, body and soul of Bharath for many millennia. Every character teaches us how to live a dharmic life and how to establish Ramarajya where justice is rendered without consideration for the name and fame. Ramayana taught us the richness of valor, dharma, loyalty, mutual respect, bhakti, spirituality, wisdom and Jnana to be followed in daily life to uplift the spirit of human life. The message of Ramayana spread all over Asia and even today its popularity is unabated in countries like Cambodia, Java, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Sumatra, Thailand, Mauritius, Bali and other countries.”

There is a concerted effort to change the basic secular character of the Indian Constitution: Justice PB Sawant, former SC Judge

10.11.2014

There is a concerted effort to change the basic secular character of the Indian Constitution: Justice PB Sawant, former SC Judge

Justice Sawant in conversation with Teesta Setalvad for Communalism Combat and Hille Le tv.

Justice Sawant was on the supreme court bench that upheld secularism as one of the pillars of the Indian Constitution as also Chairperson Press Council of India

In conversation with Teesta Setalvad, Justice Sawant shared thoughts about secularism,  ethical behaviour,  Indian democracy and the integrity necessary to be a judge.

He spoke to Teesta about secularism being part of the basic structure of the  Constitution of India and how it was simply brought into the Preamble through a Constitutional Amendment to emphaise this fact. As the very nature of the secular state in India, based on its Constitution comes under threat and attack, Justice Sawant said that there would be a "strong contestation" if there were any attempts at changing "even a word in the Indian Constitution as far as secularism is concerned." The attempts at the conversion of India into a theocratic state where Hindus enjoy superior rights was afoot but would be resisted and challenged, he declared.

Justice Sawant also pointed out that religious texts of every Faith display guidelines to ethical behaviour that can inspire societies and lawmakers. and that those in high office should never forget that they represent the Constitution of a secular state based on diversity and equal rights for all. 

While talking about his book The Grammar of Democracy,  Justice Sawant highlighted that "as long as we do not ensure (every person's right to contest an election), we cannot say that we have a truly representative democracy."

Watch Justice Sawant in conversation with Teesta Setalvad on...

Websites
www.hillele.org


www.sabrang.com
http://youtu.be/N3x84lJAypg
http://youtu.be/sAXlypUJHJA
http://youtu.be/LYSgGmB-kks

Reference

The Grammar of Democracy, by Justice Sawant

Crimes Against Humanity, The Concerned Citizens Tribunal (CCT) Gujarat 2002
http://www.sabrang.com/tribunal/

आरएसएस का भारतीय परम्पराओं का दर्शन कटु और संकीर्ण है: महेश भट्ट कम्युनलिज़्म कॉम्बेट और हिल्लेले टीवी

प्रेस विज्ञप्ति

3.11.2014

आरएसएस का भारतीय परम्पराओं का दर्शन कटु और संकीर्ण है: महेश भट्ट

कम्युनलिज़्म कॉम्बेट और हिल्लेले टीवी

 युवा भारतीय फिल्मकारों के लिए प्रख्यात फिल्मकार महेश भट्ट का संदेश है कि अपने दृष्टिकोण को आरएसएस द्वारा प्रसारित भारतीयता और हिंदुत्व के कड़वे और घृणासिंचित संस्करण से प्रभावित बिना होने दिए, इस रचनात्मक माध्यम का इस्तेमाल असहमति जताने में करें, जो कि देशप्रेम का मूल तत्व है। महेश भट्ट ने यह बातें तीस्ता सीतलवाड़ के के साथ कम्युनलिज़्म कॉम्बेट और हिल्ले ले टीवी के लिए दिए गए एक साक्षात्कार में कही।

तीस्ता सीतलवाड़ के साथ इस सप्ताह कम्युनलिज़्म कॉम्बेट के विशेष साक्षात्कार में देखें क्या कहते हैं मशहूर और बहुआयामी फिल्म निर्माता-निर्देशक महेश भट्ट, सिर्फ www.sabrang.com और www.youtube.com पर HILLELE TV पर।

Sabrang Link
http://www.sabrang.com/cc/ccinterviews/MaheshBhatt.htm

English Interview

http://youtu.be/RA9mhc836kM

 Hindi Interview

http://youtu.be/7DfW2eMgR-8

 “भारतीय परम्परा की दृष्टि इतनी उदार रही है कि 2500 साल पहले हिंदुओं के सबसे महत्वपूर्ण धार्मिक नगर वाराणसी में बुद्ध हिंदू धर्म के मूल आधार में जाति व्यवस्था पर प्रश्नचिह्न लगा रहे थे, जबकि राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ भारतीय समाज के उसी कटु और संकीर्ण विचार को आत्मसात करता है, जिसको मानना भारत की विभिन्नता और बहुलता को नकारना है, जो इस देश की मौलिकता और शक्ति है।“ ये कहना है महेश भट्ट का, इस अहम साक्षात्कार में, जिसमें वे 1992-93 के उस अंधकाल को भी टटोलते हैं, जब मुंबई उनके जीवन के एक निजी हिस्से को झुलसाती हुई जल गई, जिसका गुस्सा 1998 में उनकी अहम फिल्म ज़ख्म में झलका।  

मूल्यों के स्थान पर लाभ को चुन कर एक धुर दक्षिणपंथी सरकार, जिस की विचारधारा हमारे संविधान को स्थापित करने वाले हमारे पूर्वजों के ही खिलाफ है, को सत्ता में लाने वाली युवा पीढ़ी से महेश भट्ट पूछते हैं, क्या लोकतंत्र के बगैर कोई भी विकास हो सकता है? क्या स्वतंत्रता के बिना उन्नति संभव है? वे राष्ट्र जो असहिष्णु, अखंडतावादी और बहुमतवादी हो जाते हैं, वे जड़ता के जोखिम की ओर बढ़ते हैं, जहां संस्कृति मृतप्राय हो जाती है और भय विशाल हो जाता है। वे कहते हैं कि यह भारत को मध्यपूर्व की ओर ले जाने की कोशिश है, जहां सारी महात्वाकांक्षाएं विशालकाय ढांचे, फ्लाईओवर और पुल बनाने की ओर बढ़ती हैं, जबकि मनुष्यों को निजी तौर पर मनुष्य के विरुद्ध खड़ा किया जा रहा है।   

ज़ख़्म फिल्म में महेश भट्ट का किरदार कर रहे अजय देवगन कहते हैं, “मां और मुल्क बदले नहीं जा सकते” जब वो अपनी मां शीरीन मोहम्मद अली को दफ़नाने का दृढ़ निश्चय कर चुके होते हैं। जबकि बाहर भीड़ खड़ी “शुद्धिकरण और राष्ट्र की सफाई” (हमेशा की तरह) के नारे लगा रही होती है और अजय अपनी मां को शिया कब्रिस्तान ले जाने का रास्ता ढूंढ रहे होते हैं (मुंबई, 1992-92 का परिदृश्य)। महेश भट्ट के बचपन का किरदार निभा रहा बाल कलाकार आंसुओं के साथ, अपनी मां बनी पूजा भट्ट से कहता है, “डैडी आप से इसलिए शादी नहीं कर सके न, क्योंकि आप मुसलमान हैं? क्या हिंदू मुसलमान से शादी नहीं कर सकता?” शीरीन बनी पूजा, जवाब देती हैं, “हो सकती है बेटा, पर आपकी दादी जैसे कुछ लोगों को यह मंज़ूर नहीं है। तेरे डैडी ने तेरी दादी को समझाने की बहुत कोशिश की लेकिन हमारा प्यार उनकी नफ़रत के सामने कम पड़ गया।” जब भी खून खराबे और नैतिक गुंडागर्दी के लव जेहाद जैसे नए हथकंडे सामने आते हैं, 16 साल पुराने ये संवाद फिर से ज़िंदा हो जाते हैं।   

एनडीए की दमनकारी सरकार ने महेश भट्ट को फिल्म में मुंबई की सड़कों पर भगवा बाज़ूबंद पहने दृश्यों को डिजिटलीकरण के द्वारा बदलने और पुलिस की अलग अलग रैंक में फैली साम्प्रदायिकता से जुड़े दृश्य हल्के करने को मजबूर किया गया। हर फिल्मकार के लिए राजनीति, निजी मसला है, ये समझाते हुए महेश भट्ट कहते हैं, “वे दृश्य मेरे लिए बाबरी मस्जिद पर चढ़ी विद्रूप भीड़ का चित्रांकन थे। मेरी मां, ने असहिष्णु नागर ब्राह्मण जाति की वजह से तकलीफ़ झेली, जिससे कि मेरे पिता थे।” महेश भट्ट कहते हैं कि मुंबई की सड़कों पर कई साल बाद जो घट रहा था, वह मेरे जीवन में वर्षों पहले घटे घटनाक्रम का बड़े स्तर का संस्करण था।    

भारत के पहले प्रधानमंत्री नेहरू के कारण ही देश में विभाजन का दंश झेला जा सका और अल्पसंख्यक सुरक्षित महसूस कर सके, जिनकी संवेदनशीलता को महात्मा गांधी ने आकार दिया था, जिनको कनॉट प्लेस में एक मुस्लिम की दुकान को आग लगाने के लिए जाती, हत्यारी भीड़ का पीछा करते देखा जा सकता था। दिल्ली की वर्तमान सत्ता द्वारा नेहरू के अपमान के पीछे राजनैतिक प्रतिद्वंदियों को नीचा दिखाने के लिए इतिहास बदलने की भद्दी कोशिश है। हालिया साम्प्रदायिक शक्तियों के मज़बूत होने का बड़ा कारण धर्मनिरपेक्ष दलों का कट्टरपंथी और रूढ़िवादी ताकतों का सामना करने में असफल रहना है।   

Bhatt also speaks about his successful efforts to breach the Indo-Pak divide through joint productions even though hate mongerers have dubbed him an ‘ISI agent’ for these productions. How do you deal with the hatred? You have to take it on your chin and always remember that it is a price you have to pay for being you! Even the Mahatma was the targeting of bitter hatred, says Bhatt.

भट्ट कहते हैं कि भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्था के नव उदारीकरण के दौर उदय से पहले का बॉलीवुड और हिंदी सिनेमा, भारतीय राष्ट्र के निर्माण के मूल्यों से गुंथा हुआ था, जहां बहुलता का संरक्षण और विविधता का उत्सव था। वे विस्तार देते हुए कहते हैं कि नव उदारवाद की किसी भी कीमत पर लाभ कमाने की मानसिकता ने इस मूलभूत चिंता का समाप्त करने की कोशिश की, हालांकि वह पूरी तरह सफल नहीं रहा। युसुफ़ ख़ान यानी कि दिलीप कुमार ने अपने किरदारों में इसी तरह के मूल्यों को अभिनय में बांधा, हालांकि उनको भी दक्षिणपंथी ताक़तों के हमलों से जूझना पड़ा। उनके कई प्रशंसनीय और सराहे गए किरदार वो थे, जिन में वो एक हिंदू का किरदार करते हुए, भजन गाते हुए, इस विस्तृत देश को पेश करते हैं। इसके बावजूद भी गंगा जमुना के अंतिम दृश्य में उनके द्वारा मरणासन्न स्थिति में कहे गए हे राम के संवाद को लेकर पैदा किया गया विवाद, उनके झुकने के बाद ही थमा। भट्ट ने भारत-पाकिस्तान के बीच की खाई को पाटने के लिए साझा निर्माण के अपने सफल प्रयासों के बारे में भी बात की, जिसकी वजह से नफ़रत के सौदागरों ने उनको आईएसआई का एजेंट कह डाला। भट्ट पूछते हैं, आप घृणा से कैसे निपटेंगे? आपको इसके नुकसान झेलने होंगे और याद रखना होगा कि ये वो कीमत है, जो आप ‘आप’ होने के लिए चुकाते हैं। महात्मा गांधी तक इन लोगों के निशाने पर थे।