K.N. Panikkar, an eminent historian, in an article published in The Outlook, highlights through an incident in Newman College, a minority Christian institution in Thodupuzha in Kerala, the increasing religious fundamentalism in educational institutions. Th article highlights, how in an act of retribution, the palm of a lecturer was chopped off, allegedly by members of a fundamentalist group on the charge that the paper framed by him offended the religious sentiments of the Muslim students. Panikkar is particularly critical of the college authorities who endorsed this gory act of a fundamentalist group taking law into their own hand by suspending the ‘delinquent' teacher and consequently dismissing him from service after an enquiry, despite having not found any previous record of communal bias the lecturer. The entire episode shows how the college authorities played to the gallery for fundamentalist forces instead of acting responsibly and thus ultimately, harmed the cause of secularism, religious toleration and free speech.
The writer rues the shrinking of academic space and freedom of speech and expression, increase in violent incidents, indifferent and selfish attitude of management and lack of response from the public, which have combined to contribute to the steady rise of religious fundamentalism in academic institutions. He concludes, "Religious fundamentalists are on the rise among Muslims and Hindus. Permitting them to influence the practices of education has long-term implications. The most dangerous possibility is the state of social and political consciousness such compromises would produce. Compromising with religious fundamentalism, as the authorities of Newman College have done, is likely to lead the country to Talibanism."
It is a dangerous sign for future that the values of toleration and moderation, which form the basis of the 'idea of India' championed by the Constitution of India are being sorely tested and challenged by such loathsome incidents with increasing frequency. In addition to the self- interest of management private educational institutions post-liberalisation which had opened the door for rich economic returns, and hence makes them casually ignore trampling of individual rights for monetary benefits and stability rather than stand up to powerful extremist opposition, the state inaction should also share the blame for t the increase in religious intolerance. The state has repeatedly failed to live up to its duty for maintaining law and order and the watchdog for protection of fundamental rights. It has withdrawn from the public activity and left over a large space for frantic communal activity, which in fact rightfully belongs to the state acting in the name of its citizens. As a consequence, the vulnerable space has been usurped by the right wing groups, which play the communal card for legitimizing their existence. This results in their wider social acceptability in the long run, severely damaging the secular fabric of the society.
An earlier post had discussed the rise of communal frenzy in old Hyderabad for similar reasons of state inaction.
