In the times of Twitter, Krsna is an eve-teaser. What the avatar of Vishnu is believed to have done in his time and age would not have been the subject of scrutiny under the lens of gender crime. His interactions with people are deemed to have been strictly human-to-human, bereft of the sexual undertones of what we term eve-teasing today.
Also, Krsna perhaps would not have taken Prashant Bhushan’s tweet as much to heart as the Sudarshan Vahini or such elements appear to have done. He (Krsna) has undoubtedly gone through worse.
Prashant Bhushan, the lawyer famous for his anti establishment stance on many issues has clarified his position again on Twitter stating that his tweet on “Romeo squads and Krishna was inappropriately phrased” and “unintentionally hurt sentiments of many”.
He has also deleted the tweet that raised the storm of outrage. Obviously, the great lawyer could not withstand the deadly threats he must have received. Such is our present times. Krsna, the embodiment of love and frolic, has fallen into the hands of unscrupulous elements who would not hesitate to shed blood in his name.
But one issue that has resurfaced with the tweet is how religious sentiments and the lack of it are being misused equally to suit interests. A symbol of the divine has been misinterpreted here to polarize opinion.
Prashant carefully aimed a barb at a spot where it was bound to hurt and draw a reaction. And those ‘hurt’ ensured that they cashed in on the pain with characteristic display of ‘faith vigilantism’.
The danger here is that of deepening schism that would prevent either side from exploring and embracing the truth on the other side. The statement of Prashant is justified to the extent that it stands against the blind application of brute force that cramps space for interaction between males and females.
Healthy interactions and love cannot bloom when prohibition is wantonly enforced. It would be unwise for any party in power to remain oblivious to the winds of change sweeping across cultures and to insist on status quo based on restrictive ideologies. The essential nature of culture is refinement and adaptation in tune with time. Seeking to revive a way of life that belonged to a different time and social milieu is an anachronistic exercise that is unlikely to bear positive results for society.
At the same time, attacks on symbols of faith that epitomize its core values and have had huge influence on the way a culture has evolved are unhealthy signs. The Vedas and other religious scriptures have brought us to where our society is today and it must be admitted that the Hindoos tolerated very many shades in their beliefs.
Jagannath, the reigning deity in Orissa, has always stood for close familial ties; be it with his brother, sister or aunt. Krsna, on the other hand, has represented free flowing relationships with the opposite gender. He stood for love as much as he advocated practicality through the Gita.
Oriyas have embraced Jagannath culture in the same way as Krsna has probably crept into people’s psyche in the North. In this background, it may not be acceptable that Lord Jagannath, the Lord older than the Aryans of the north, is a Vishnu incarnation, similar to Krsna, as many northerners would like us to believe. There are very many shades of personality represented through the many colors of Gods in Hindooism.
It must be kept in mind that while faith is divine, religion is man-made. Human beings need faith to draw strength during times of stress. While many in India would vouch for the authenticity of Krsna or Rama, equal number of people in other parts of the world, possibly, would never ever have even heard the names of these deities.
Unlike Allah for the Moslems or Mother Mary and Jesus for Christians, Hindooism has historically been limited within the geographical boundaries of the Indian subcontinent. Yet, this religion has survived the longest period because it is not a religion.
Our millions of gods represent the lives of millions of people. Inability to comprehend the greatness of Hindooism is turning Indians into fundamental zealots. This may well draw the curtains and damage the fabric of the most beautiful concept called Hindooism.
