An Azaan for Ramayana

 

And the follower of the frontier Gandhi, Mr Khan, landed himself in a big trouble. Radicalization was peeking from every nook corner in the world. The openness and friendliness of cultures was shutting its door to allow designed narratives to suit the power games. Taking negative inspiration from the numero uno Islamic radicalization, even peaceful and accommodative societies were using the tools of narrow-mindedness and rigidity to enjoy more power and pelf. India is no different now.

Mr Khan, the national convenor of the Khudai Khidmatgars, the Pashtun non-violent movement having its roots in the struggle against the British government, was denied bail and was languishing in jail for the last one month. The trial did not appear to take off any time soon, as the courts held only urgent matters due to Corona lockdown. His case was minor one, so all he could do was to wait for the normal hearings to start at the courts. Still worse he tested positive for Covid-19.

The illustrious milestones of the past are redundant now, except getting a single mark in objective question paper in some competitive exam for clerical level governmental jobs. The India for which the Frontier Gandhi had fought now stands almost unrecognizable, leaving even the memories of such movements historically obsolete. It’s sad but very true. This is what we know as change. However, things are changing too rapidly. The organization Mr Khan had revived ten years back now practically appeared an orphan with the patron behind the bars.

Despite all the hate and anger around, it’s only the smiles on faces like him that hold the ray of hope for our joint survival. He literally worshipped the Frontier Gandhi. Reviving the organization in Delhi, he plunged headlong into the noble cornerstones of helping the needy and nurturing communal harmony.

Azaans never stopped him from becoming a wonderful singer of Tulsi Ramayan. Let me put a little question here. How many of the so called staunch defenders of Hindutva can recite even a few verses from the holy scripture? Mr Khan’s recitation of the great Hindu epic was enchanting. Hindus of all hues got devotionally charmed by his pious rendering of the great epic’s verses. He rarely missed a chance to identify with the religious traditions of his Hindu friends.

‘Festivals, celebrations, goodness, hymns, gods belong to all,’ he maintained.

A group of his Hindu friends was going for Brijbhoomi pilgrimage, the karmabhoomi of Lord Krishna. With his interfaith group, he performed Brij Parikrima, the 84 kaus pilgrimage. All along the days of walking on naked feet, his religious sloganeering in praise of Lord Krishna and Ma Radha was as good and effective as any of his Hindu friends. On the last day, they reached the Nand Baba Mandir at Vrindavan and were ceremoniously received by the priest.

Carrying the inertia of devotional fervour, Mr Khan expressed his willingness to offer namaaz at the temple. The priest looked convinced and even agreed that since it was a sacred place he could perform namaaz there. He and one of his Muslim friends performed namaaz at the temple premises. In his enthusiasm for communal harmony, he made a short video clip and shared it on the Facebook. His friendliness and respect for all religions appeared to be the hallmark of the video.

There were many who applauded this interfaith endeavour. But then, we have so many small-time, career-aspirant politicians who find it the easiest to use communalism to climb the rungs of the political ladder. It’s a very lucrative short-cut to get noticed by the wielders of power. The majoritarian communal rhetoric guarantees a safe passage to the corridors of power these days. No wonder, the organizer of a local Hindu organization found it an insult on the face of sanatana dharma. He lodged an FIR against Mr Khan.

‘He is trying to convert temples into mosques! It’s the start of temple jihad by performing namaaz at our temples!’ they yelled.

The majority of people across all faiths won’t have any issue with such friendly gestures. But when did the majority have a say in running its affairs? The few who find such things objectionable have the means to turn the unobjectionable into chronically objectionable. Well, that’s the skill that really pays well for the power aspirants through the art and craft of politics. 

An FIR was emphatically lodged at the local police station. A tiny storm in the tea cup brewed as they even held a protest march across the narrow streets at the pilgrimage town. The police went into action. The offender was arrested. As they took him to the police station, he kept chanting the melodious hymns of Tusi Ramayan. The policemen looked sheepishly. Hardly anyone of those who got him arrested over the infringement on the Hindu territory knew even a single hymn.

Well, that’s the irony of the times. But can you stop a nightingale from singing its songs? Mr Khan was then heard regaling his fellow prisoners with his Hindu devotional songs.

‘He is a Muslim by mistake, must have been a Hindu in many, many previous births!’ the jail superintendent mused.

Till he got the bail, Mr. Khan regaled his prison audience with his melodic rendition of Hindu prayers, hymns and songs. Most of the prisoners respected him and addressed him very cordially as ‘Khan Sahib’. The so called hard core, officially declared criminals may be open to the idea of secularism in spirit, but the hard hammered opposition to it in letter by the practicing politicians is what runs the show.

Not even for a day did Mr Khan get to rue over his arrest because the prisoners felt they needed this nice dose of devotion in their lives.

Mr Khan thanked Lord Krishna and the almighty Allah for taking him to a place where his devotional singing was needed the most. Times surely change and he got bail after two months. When he was released on bail many steely eyes had moisture. The stony gaze of criminality was thawing on the warm hearth of his open-hearted faith.

In these two months, he had furthered the cause of goodness and religious harmony far more than he would have done outside.