: By arresting Kalicharan for ‘insulting Gandhi’, we encourage the uncritical veneration of our icons #IndiaNEWS The so-called godman Kalicharan was arrested in Chhattisgarh in connection with remarks

By arresting Kalicharan for ‘insulting Gandhi’, we encourage the uncritical veneration of our icons #IndiaNEWS
The so-called godman Kalicharan was arrested in Chhattisgarh in connection with remarks “insulting??? Mahtama Gandhi. This goes to the heart of a culture of uncritical reverence for “national heroes??? that has had dire consequences for the politics of the republic. By arresting Kalicharan for insulting the “father of the nation???, we continue to nurture a broader context of passivity that allows for the rise of authoritarian figures who claim to speak in the name of Indian traditions and culture. Kalicharan is reported to have said that Gandhi’s politics would facilitate India’s “takeover??? by Islam and that his killer, Nathuram Godse, was praiseworthy for providing an alternative worldview.There is a difference between giving speeches that explicitly call for the genocide of certain communities and those that criticise individuals – no matter how flimsy or reprehensible the arguments – who have been granted the stature of being unquestionable. The former could lead to very real, actual harm, but the latter leads to a situation where individuals can be granted the status of gods and hence the capacity to inflict real harm. If we do not allow a culture of criticism against Gandhi, we simultaneously encourage a situation where we too easily accept the words of “Great Men???...Read more

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