24th January 2026 - Communal Hatred at its Peak
The vandalism of Baba Bulleh Shah’s shrine (मज़ार) in Mussoorie is deeply disturbing. It forces us to question what drives these lunatic fringe to attack the legacy of someone who dedicated his life to love, unity, and harmony between Hindus and Muslims.
Yes. Bulleh Shah.
His poetry survived centuries, but basic understanding didn't.
Man said “I am beyond labels”
Bullah ki jaana main kaun
Na main arabi na lahori
Na main hindi shehar nagauri
Na hindu na turak peshawri
2026 humans said “Cool, let’s break things in the name of labels.”
All this drama happened in the same week, we celebrate our Republic Day, when the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950.
The only document which gives freedom to practice our own religion in India.
Surprised ?
Let me explain.
Let me explain.
Practising religion during the British period wasn’t treated as a guaranteed right, it functioned more like a permission. Religious practices were allowed only as long as they didn’t make the rulers uneasy or threaten their control.
Article 25 of Indian Constitution said:
Your religion is your personal choice, not the state/nation’s identity.
You can follow any religion.
You can switch religions.
You can also say “No thanks” and be an atheist.
It also means you can criticize religion under freedom of speech, but how you do it matters significantly under Indian law and social context.
Criticism without hurting religious sentiments
Without attacking people
Without damaging property
Without violating others rights
Freedom ≠ hooliganism.
The Indian Constitution creates a careful balance between freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Article 19(1)(a) guarantees every citizen the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. This includes the right to question, debate, and critique religious practices and social customs.
This constitutional balance made it possible for India to legally abolish social practices such as Sati, child marriage, Tripple Talaq, Forced religious conversion and untouchability.
Religion Got Freedom, But Not VIP Status.
Just as India has no official language or official sport.
India has no official religion
Which means:
Religions can exist.
Religions can flourish.
Religions can guide individuals.
But religion cannot sit on the Constitution’s head like a crown.
Whenever someone screams,
“MY RELIGION IS ABOVE THE CONSTITUTION!”
They’re basically saying:
“I enjoy rights, but I reject the document that gave me those rights.”
The word “Secular” Was Added in Preamble
Not because India suddenly discovered secularism in 1976. But because apparently, we needed a reminder label.
The Irony
The same Constitution that protects your right to pray.
also protects someone else’s right not to pray.
The same freedom being used to shout
“Religion is in danger!”
was given by a system that clearly said.
No religion will rule this country.
The freedom you are defending in the name of religion.
Religion didn’t give it to you.
God didn’t notarize it.
Saints didn’t draft it.
The Indian Constitution did.
And vandalizing shrines of people who preached unity on the birthday of that Constitution.
This shows we understood neither Indian Constitution nor Baba Bulleh Shah, and instead choose to live in toxicity.
Powerful reminder that constitutional values, not religious rage, protect unity, freedom, dignity, and India’s fabric.
ReplyDeleteExactly my point, if we let rage define our actions, we weaken the very freedoms., Thank you for reading
Deleteहा लेख वाचताना दुखत असेल, तर दोष शब्दांचा नाही तर तुमच्या सोयीस्कर अज्ञानाचा आहे, कारण धर्माच्या नावाखाली दगड उचलणाऱ्यांना संविधान आरसा दाखवतं आणि हा लेख तो आरसा स्वच्छ करून समोर धरतो. बुल्ले शाह तोडले गेले नाहीत; प्रत्यक्षात त्यांना न समजणाऱ्यांची अक्कलच इथे उघडी पडते. श्रद्धा जपण्याच्या नावाखाली माणुसकी पायदळी तुडवणाऱ्यांसाठी हा मजकूर कोणताही गोंधळ न करता दिलेली वैचारिक चपराक आहे. “माझा धर्म सर्वोच्च” असं ठामपणे म्हणणाऱ्यांना, “संविधान आधी” अशी आठवण करून देणारा हा संयमी पण धारदार टोला आहे. यात कुणाचा अपमान नाही, पण सत्य इतकं नग्न आहे की ते लपवणं अशक्य होतं. हा लेख द्वेष निर्माण करत नाही; तो आधीच साचलेल्या द्वेषाची निर्भीडपणे पोलखोल करतो, आणि म्हणूनच ज्यांना तो अस्वस्थ करेल, त्यांनी लेखाला दोष देण्याऐवजी स्वतःच्या विचारांकडे प्रामाणिकपणे पाहिलं तर अधिक योग्य ठरेल. शेवटी एवढेच बोलेन..
ReplyDelete"समय से भी महंगी भावनाएं होती हैं मगर साहब
इसलिए जो समझ सके उसी पे खर्च करो"
👌👌👌
ReplyDeleteThank you Anish :)
DeleteYou are absolutely correct Rahul but the thing is just as previous Rulers,for eg: Firuz Shah Tughlaq and Sikandar Lodi and Mughal Ruler Aurangazeb, had destroyed many Hindu temples if we give the reason of article and constitution to them then they won't listen to logic. They are blinded by something else. Even though we should rise above them instead we are sinking deeper.
ReplyDeleteYou raise an important historical point. Yes, rulers in the past committed acts of destruction in the name of power and religion. But the core idea of the article is that we are no longer living under medieval rule, we live under a Constitution. If we justify present-day intolerance by pointing to past injustices, we only repeat the same cycle instead of breaking it.
DeleteWith due respect to the effort you’ve put into writing this article, let me pose a simple question: do you truly believe that what happened was driven by differences in religious practices or faith?
ReplyDeleteHere’s a perspective to consider. People who genuinely follow a religion—and even those who follow none—rarely have the time, intent, or motivation to vandalize a shrine, temple, or any place of worship. Incidents like these are far more political than religious in nature.
In reality, about 95% of people limit their disagreements to debates and arguments. They do not engage in physical destruction. The small fraction that does carry out such acts is often driven by external incentives—either small financial gains offered by political groups (rooted in poverty and hunger) or the promise of identity, influence, or status within those groups (rooted in power and money).
These individuals are frequently used as tools by those in authority to create unrest. After all, without unrest, there is little justification for control. For a government to play the hero, there must be a villain. Unfortunately, the real villains—poverty, unemployment, pollution, corruption—are neither dramatic nor entertaining to confront.
Most people, exhausted by demanding daily lives, seek distraction and an outlet for frustration. A headline such as “Government Builds 100 Schools in XYZ Village” lacks drama. It offers no spectacle.
But a headline like “Sufi Poet Baba Bulleh Shah’s Shrine Vandalized” captures attention. It delivers emotion, conflict, and engagement—while behind the scenes, far larger political games involving vast sums of money and corruption continue unnoticed.
So my friend, your perspective is still on the surface, far from the actual reasons…
Nice perspective, thank you for taking effort to write and spend time in reading. We all understand there’s a political angle at play, and how systematically the four pillars of democracy have been weakened.
ReplyDeleteKind of like how you weakened the suspense by dropping spoilers for Part 2 of the blog.
Anyways…
The blogs is about the "धर्म का धतूरा - Indians living in Toxicity" - focusing on the citizens of India and their intelectual when it comes to religion. You need to have patience my friend.
Politican का काम है देश को religion & caste politics se unrest करना - तुम सतर्क क्यों नहीं रहते ????
I firmly believe.. we all... Irrespective of our individual religious beliefs and practices... very well know.. the game plan and it's execution.. deeply disguised to create unrest amongst us.
ReplyDeleteKudos Rahul
It's very sad that such things happens frequently, people have lost the patience and tolerance. Basic respect and dignity is also not maintained.
ReplyDeleteSo true, thank you for reading
Delete