“I don’t believe it!”
The gentleman folded his newspaper, which showed that his Ram Mandir trust had been systematically looted, smiled confidently and waved his hand dismissively.
“Impossible,” he said. “People are just spreading rumours.”
I have noticed something fascinating about us. We do not judge news by the evidence. We judge it by whether it agrees with what we already want to believe.
If it concerns those we dislike, we nod wisely and say, “I knew it all along.”
If it concerns those we admire, we suddenly become detectives, demanding proof beyond all doubt.
That is not discernment.
That is selective blindness.
There is an old warning, often attributed to a German pastor Martin Niemöller. ‘First they came for one group, and nobody spoke. Then they came for another, and still nobody spoke. Finally they came for me, and there was nobody left to speak for me.’
Its lesson is timeless. A free society survives only when ordinary citizens refuse to look away from wrongdoing, no matter who is accused.
Notice I said accused. I didn’t say ‘convicted’, I said, ‘accused’!
Every accused person deserves a fair investigation. Every allegation deserves due process. But every citizen also has a duty not to dismiss serious allegations simply because they involve people, institutions or leaders they admire.
Democracy is not strengthened by blind faith. Oh yes, you can see what is happening here because of a blind faith in religion mouthing leaders, blinding it’s followers.
Democracy is strengthened by honest questions.
When we begin believing that some people should never be investigated because they stand behind a noble cause, wear the right colours or speak the right slogans, we have quietly replaced justice with blindfolds.
History shows that corruption rarely begins with people expecting to be caught.
No! It flourishes because too many decent people convince themselves that asking questions would somehow amount to betrayal.
It does not.
Demanding accountability is one of the highest forms of patriotism.
The moment we stop asking questions, those in power, whoever they are, begin believing that nobody is watching.
And when citizens stop watching, power slowly stops fearing the law.
A temple, a church, a mosque, a government office or a charity does not become automatically pure because of the name on its entrance.
Integrity is proved by transparent conduct, not by sacred symbols.
So let us keep our eyes open.
Believe evidence.
Question respectfully.
Wait for facts.
Insist on accountability.
Because the day we decide that some people are above scrutiny is the day we quietly surrender a little more of our own freedom.
And freedom, dear reader, is almost never stolen in one dramatic moment.
It disappears while good people keep saying, “I don’t believe it…!”
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Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.
It is one of the most tragic things to have happened – the Ram Mandir thefts. Really heart breaking for millions of believers. But then we should not forget that humans are easily tempted and such things are likely to happen.
Denial on the other hand is a different cup of tea altogether. And it is a weakness found universally. I have muslim friends who vehemently deny that thousands of crores of Wakf lands have been usurped by muslims entrusted with its care. And Christian friends who vehemently deny that Church lands were surrepticiously sold off by crooked priests even after the courts have convicted them.
Greed is the common factor among all humans and YES you are right it is WE , the common people who have to be vigilant to expose any such perfidy we come across.
Every single religion has their looters. Nothing so surprising. Just because a few of the Ram temple attendees have misappropriated funds it does not paint the entire community as bad.