The religious and political context of Kalburgi's killing by Hindutvas

In Karnataka on Sunday, protestors mourning the murder of M M Kalburgi, scholar, former vice-chancellor and Kannada folkore researcher, raised a familiar cry: “Nyaka beku! (We want justice!)” This demand is highly optimistic....

Kalburgi’s murderers shot the 77-year-old in his home before escaping on a motorcycle. The murder followed the recent killings of two prominent rationalists, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. The facts strongly suggest that Mr Dabholkar and Kalburgi may have been directly targeted for their outspoken criticism of religion or orthodox communities.

If there is no outcry from civil society, and no attempt to challenge the way of the gun, we should expect more murders. As has been the case in neighbouring Bangladesh, more rationalists, scholars and writers are likely to die as these culture wars intensify.

The first blow aimed at Kalburgi had landed in 1989. Religious fundamentalists from the Lingayat community objected to his research on the life of the philosopher and saint-founder Basava, and to his writings on Basava’s wife and sister. In the face of death threats, Kalburgi was summoned to a mutt  in Hubli and forced to recant: “I committed intellectual suicide that day.”

But he had a lively mind, and he was steeped in the centuries-old Indian tradition of debate, doubt and questioning. Over the last few years, Kalburgi clashed with some Hindutva groups when he backed the late writer U R Ananthamurthy in a long-running controversy. Bajrang Dal activists burnt an effigy of Kalburgi in June last year. Bhuvith Shetty, co-convenor of the Bajrang Dal in Bantwal, tweeted on  August 30 that those who mock Hinduism would die “a dog’s death”, adding a threat against another professor and rationalist: “And dear K S Bhagawan, you are next.” Bantwal police have taken up a suo motu case, citing attempt to cause riots and criminal intimidation, against Mr Shetty, who deleted his account and has not yet been located.

These threats are significant not because they connect the Dal to Kalburgi’s murder — there is no direct link, and the police are investigating other theories, given the background of conflict within the Lingayat community — but because of the climate of impunity they create. If these threats are not addressed, and if the right of thinkers and rationalists to critique religion is not unambiguously upheld, silence is too easily interpreted as permission to persecute or directly harm those who doubt. This cuts across all religions and communities.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/nilanjana-s-roy-the-way-of-the-gun-115083101239_1.html

the author has written about some incidents of christian and muslim rationalists being intimidated too . please copy/paste that part too . otherwise the conclusion we may draw about your intention is to launch a tirade against hinduism only .

ashdoc wrote:the author has written about some incidents of christian and muslim rationalists being intimidated too . please copy/paste that part too . otherwise the conclusion we may draw about your intention is to launch a tirade against hinduism only .

Hinduism already has several groups / sects (e.g. Arya Samaj) which oppose idol worship, and no one is protesting against them or killing their leaders. To say that this guy got shot because he was opposed to idol worship is quite far-fetched. Considering there was  a property / land dispute in his family (according to the news), he could have been targeted as a result of that. Btw, the Bhagavad Gita (in Ch. 12) clearly states that Lord can be approached spiritually in the abstract (non-symbolic) form or symbolic way, there is no religious basis in Hinduism to shoot him for opposing the idol worship.

Seva Lamberdar wrote:

ashdoc wrote:the author has written about some incidents of christian and muslim rationalists being intimidated too . please copy/paste that part too . otherwise the conclusion we may draw about your intention is to launch a tirade against hinduism only .

Hinduism already has several groups / sects (e.g. Arya Samaj) which oppose idol worship, and no one is protesting against them or killing their leaders. To say that this guy got shot because he was opposed to idol worship is quite far-fetched. Considering there was  a property / land dispute in his family (according to the news), he could have been targeted as a result of that. Btw, the Bhagavad Gita (in Ch. 12) clearly states that Lord can be approached spiritually in the abstract (non-symbolic) form or symbolic way, there is no religious basis in Hinduism to shoot him for opposing the idol worship.

Denial is a river in Africa.

Hellsangel wrote:

Seva Lamberdar wrote:

ashdoc wrote:the author has written about some incidents of christian and muslim rationalists being intimidated too . please copy/paste that part too . otherwise the conclusion we may draw about your intention is to launch a tirade against hinduism only .

Hinduism already has several groups / sects (e.g. Arya Samaj) which oppose idol worship, and no one is protesting against them or killing their leaders. To say that this guy got shot because he was opposed to idol worship is quite far-fetched. Considering there was  a property / land dispute in his family (according to the news), he could have been targeted as a result of that. Btw, the Bhagavad Gita (in Ch. 12) clearly states that Lord can be approached spiritually in the abstract (non-symbolic) form or symbolic way, there is no religious basis in Hinduism to shoot him for opposing the idol worship.

Denial is a river in Africa.

Check out with the Arya Samaj about the number of its leaders / officials abused and attacked during the last year for preaching openly against idol worship.