One
unfortunate result of this brilliant communication application called Whatsapp
is that overzealous and people of a more religious mindset keep sending
novenas, rosaries, prayers, deep cries for help from the depths of their hearts
and sometimes messages that are deeply intolerant towards other religions.
Sometimes, the last type of messages almost makes one believe they’re part of
“ISIS Public Relations Group”. And this is not to single out any one religion;
these types of messages come from across the board and are sometimes wrong on
so many levels that sometimes an argument automatically erupts even though deep
inside one knows that it’s like talking to a wall.
Image Courtesy: Google Images. |
Apart from
the harmless prayers and the propagation of religion, the things that really
are disturbing are messages that call for a radical shift to stop the perceived
persecution of a particular religious group whose traditions (read: holidays)
are being eliminated by the government in conjunction with fringe elements who
wish to convert the nation into one religion.
There is a
strong call to action in these messages that is almost frightening to someone
who understands the kind of repercussions that can accompany these messages
once they are kept bombarding to the general public. It creates the kind of
schism that can lead to a deep seated hatred in the long run and as someone who
lives in a city that’s already seen brutal religious violence in the past, it
is horrifying to read these messages and makes one wonder at how things have
gone so bad.
Messages informing
of attacks on places of worship and forceful conversions take a turn towards
absolute outrage that has been unseen in India before. Allegations on
television debate shows are one thing and the active radicalization of those
who wish to live in peace is another. It only goes to reinforce the fact that
religions are always going to be violent, however peaceful they might appear on
the outside. This is not a comment on entire groups but radical elements that
fester inside and are reactive to even minor infractions by others.
These are
no better than the terrorists who age open war upon society. In fact, they are
even more dangerous because they wage their guerrilla warfare through
communication techniques and so subtly that the recipient might not even
realize the shift in their mindsets until it is too late and sometimes not even
then. In the media, this is known as the ‘magic bullet’ or the ‘hypodermic
needle’ theory where the masses are fed an idea without their realization or
recollection of the same.
It is
important to see through such messages for what they really are before
forwarding it to other people so as not to ‘break the chain’ of “prayer” as
mentioned therein. This will not only stop the spread of hatred coming from
diseased minds but also ensure the peaceful coexistence that India claims to be
so proud of.
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