The All India Hindu Mahasabha’s depiction of Mahatma Gandhi as an evil Asura calls for condemnation
We are a thankless nation! The depths that fanaticism is diving into seems fathomless, making thanklessness an indomitable trait. And that is exactly why a certain group of people decided to depict the Father of the Nation in the form of an Asura while celebrating Durga Puja!
The insanity stems from within a group of people who call themselves functionaries of the All India Hindu Mahasabha. This happened in Kolkata, where Durga Puja is in full swing. The All India Hindu Mahasabha depicted Mahatma Gandhi as Mahishasura, who Goddess Durga slays in one of the mythical battles to restore good by defeating evil.
For the All India Hindu Mahasabha, Mahatma is the embodiment of “evil”. The depiction of Gandhi as Mahishasura has triggered controversy. But the Hindu Mahasabha functionaries don’t seem to be perturbed. After a police complaint was filed, and subsequent intervention from the Ministry of Home Affairs, they were forced to remove the Asura depiction of the Mahatma at the puja pandal.
Insulting Mahatma Gandhi
Do they regret what they did? That’s a question one tends to ask. The answer is No. Chandrachur Goswami, the working President of West Bengal state unit of All India Hindu Mahasabha, has been quoted by an India Today report, saying, “We see Gandhi as true Asura. He is the real Asura. That’s why we made the murti like this.” That, sadly, is the state of affairs of this nation that was handheld to the realm of independence by the Mahatma!
The sabha has also lambasted the Home Affairs Ministry saying that they were forced by the Ministry to remove the Gandhi depiction. Charging that the Union government is promoting Mahatma Gandhi, they said that they are looking to shun Gandhi and promote Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and other freedom fighters in front. However, the fanatic mind set of the Hindu Maha Sabha needs to be questioned, for the single fact that Gandhi has been depicted as an Asura.
An act that calls for penalty
With the development going viral, political outfits have come out in condemnation of the act. Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), and Congress party have condemned the act. What’s encouraging is the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party has also lashed out at the All India Hindu Mahasabha for showing Mahatma Gandhi as an Asura. Condemnation has also come from the Bengal Provincial Hindu Mahasabha, who said the act was aimed to come in the limelight, and what they have done is a sad thing.
Though the flawed depiction has been withdrawn, it still raises questions on how India could ever be so thankless. It comes as a relief that the BJP has flayed the act. However, as a responsible political organisation and ruling party, it needs to go two steps further to breathe sanity into fanatic outfits that raise their heads on the strength and confidence the saffron brigade provides them with.
Insulting the father of the nation is no joke. And the people who do that need to be taken to task.
