Author: V Sundaram
Publication: News Today
Date:
URL: http://www.newstodaynet.com/2006sud/06may/1705ss1.htm
The Supreme Court while granting bail to Kanchi
Sankaracharya indicted the then Tamilnadu Government for having foisted a
case on Kanchi Sankaracharya in gross violation of the established tenets
and spirit of criminal law. When Kanchi Sankaracharya was arrested in November
2004 on Deepavali Day, the UPA Government in New Delhi maintained an attitude
of 'strategic', 'suave' and 'secular' silence. When anything relates to Hindu
Religion or Hindus, the UPA Government either overtly or covertly makes it
very clear that it is no part of the allotted duty or constitutional responsibility
of the Government of India to interfere in such religious matters. But the
same UPA Government is always in a state of combat readiness to rush to the
rescue, relief and succour of terrorists of Jihadic Islam or Angels of Service
of Compassionate Christianity as and when required. I am not therefore surprised
that the Chief Minister of Goa has convened an immediate cabinet meeting to
consider the objections raised against the premiere of the controversial film
called 'The Da Vinci Code' in Goa and all other parts of India on May 19,
2006. The Goa Government has passed a resolution to ban the movie and has
also asked the Centre to impose a nationwide ban on the film. Goa Chief Minister
Pratapsinh Rane said on Tuesday that he would write to the Censor Board 'either
to censor or stop the release' of the controversial film in the State.
The plot of the fictional novel The Da Vinci
Code concerns the discovery of historical evidence, concealed by the church,
that Christ and Mary Magdalene were married and began a bloodline that continued
through the centuries. It depicts Christianity as the biggest cover-up in
history.
The Da Vinci Code has run into its fair share
of controversies with the Vatican calling for a ban on the film. With barely
two days left before the movie hits cinema halls across the globe, the Indian
chapter has run into some turbulence.
The Information and Broadcasting (I&B)
Ministry in our country has said that clearance will not be given to the movie
till it is screened before the Catholic Churches' Association of India (CCAI).
Trouble had started brewing when over 200 Catholic organizations had submitted
a petition against the screening of the film to I&B Minister, Priyaranjan
Dasmunsi. A Ministry official has said that Dasmunsi will see the movie on
Wednesday but will seek the opinion of CCAI before taking a decision on whether
the movie can be released in India.
Speaking against the controversial film, Father
Donald D' Souza of the Catholics Bishops Council said, 'In a country where
people are still learning about Christianity, such films can be quite harmful.
We don't want people to imbibe a wrong view of this religion in India.' When
American President Bush is fighting against the terrorists of Islam in the
Middle East, the Christians in India should not make the political mistake
of responding warmly to the offer of so called help from Muslim clerics in
organizing demonstrations against the release of the controversial film on
May 19, 2006 in Mumbai. It is a known fact that a large number of Christians
have been killed in Pakistan as part of an exercise of ethnic cleansing of
Christians after 1947. Against this background, Christians should think twice
and act with great circumspection before accepting any help from compassionate
Mullahs and Moulvis of terrorist Islam.
While Priyaranjan Dasmunsi is greatly concerned
about the release or non-release of the controversial film 'The Da Vinci Code',
the interesting point to be noted is that no other major country, including
those where Catholics are in a majority, have so far moved to stop the release
of the film. One of my friends was in France last week and he saw that Paris
was full of large and colourful posters relating to the release of the film
'The Da Vinci Code' on May 19, 2006. During his tour of Europe, he noticed
that the position was no different in Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Holland
and many other European Countries. The French Government have not imposed
any ban on the premiere of the film at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19,
2006. The ever-muddling Ministers of UPA Government should not brashly dismiss
the response of Government of France in regard to 'The Da Vinci Code' controversy
as an offshoot of paganism or heathenism! France is a known Catholic country
and is a secular state where all religious faiths and denominations are represented.
The religious composition of the population in France is as follows:
* Catholics: 47,000,000, 81.4% of the population
* Moslems: 4,000,000, 6.89% of the population
* Protestants: 950,000, 1.64% of the population
* Jews: 600,000, 1% of the population
* Buddhists: 400,000, 0.68% of the population
* Orthodox: 200,000, 0.34% of the population
* Others: 4,700,000, 8.12% of the population
Against this background, I would like to ask
the Government of India as to what is the earthshaking 'SECULAR' motive that
moves them into the field of combative action in regard to the question of
a ban or otherwise on the release of the controversial film 'The Da Vinci
Code' on May 19, 2006?
While many countries of Africa are in the
grip of AIDS, India is in the vicious grip of the AIDS of what I call 'secularism'.
What is the true meaning of 'secularism' in governance and Government? Secularism
means the neutrality of the State, local Government and all public services
in matters relating to one or more religions or to one or more creeds. In
France, the secularity of the State was established in 1905 by the law of
separation of Church and State. Secularists in countries like France and U.S.A.,
regardless of their religious preferences, believe that religious considerations
should be excluded from civic affairs and public education. This meaning of
the term 'secularism' is very much different from the meaning of the same
word in the field of philosophy. Secularism in the field of philosophy means
the belief that life can be best lived by applying ethics, and the universe
best understood, by processes of reasoning, without reference to a god or
gods or other supernatural concepts. The UPA Government and the Congress party
are 'secular' in neither of these senses.
When Rome was burning Nero was fiddling. When
Jammu and Kashmir is being cleansed ethnically by forcefully throwing out
and brutally murdering all the peace-loving Hindus in a systematic manner
by the compassionate Mujahedins of Islam, the UPA Government with its known
contempt for and hatred of all things Hindu, is only fiddling with non-issues
like release or non-release of commercial controversial films like 'The Da
Vinci Code'. They are giving a clear message to the effect that all the Hindus
of India in majority are non-citizens in respect of matters concerning their
life and death.
The Roman Catholics of France can in no way
be dismissed as superstitious pagans by the Christians of India. In its romantic
passion for Christian vote bank politics, the UPA Government should not try
to outwit or outsmart the 'secular' French Government in the matter of release
or otherwise of the controversial film. The Government of France seems to
be confident that the Roman Catholic citizens in their country will not vote
against them just on the basis of this one decision relating to the release
of a controversial film. Roman Catholic Christians in France are known for
their maturity and political understanding.
A Commentator called Dick Rolfe of the Dove
Foundation, which encourages production of family-friendly films, has cautioned
that if Christians protest too loudly, they can end up making the mistake
of calling attention to a movie that otherwise may not do very well at the
box office.
Another Commentator has observed: 'All in
all, the Christian response to The Da Vinci Code has ranged from ignorance
and apathy to a passionate defense of the faith carried out in debunking books,
blogs, TV specials, Bible studies, and water cooler discussions... and on
the sides of minivans. Instead of boycotting the book and the movie, let's
be ready with answers.'
A senior Vatican official has called for only
a boycott of The Da Vinci Code, while the Council of Churches in Jordan and
Roman Catholic activists in India want their governments to ban the film altogether.
But something very different is taking place in USA. What's notable in the
U.S.A. is that boycotts are taking a back seat to anti- 'Da Vinci' books and
teaching sessions about the true meaning and glory of the Gospels. Union I&B
Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi cannot try to outdo the Pope in Vatican who
has only said 'boycott the Movie and stop short of demanding a ban on the
film'.
(The writer is a retired IAS officer)
e-mail the writer at vsundaram@newstodaynet.com
