Secularism in a time of strife

NASIK: Driver Niyaz bhai has an oddrelationship with the Kumbh mela. This is the time his Cool Cab shuttlesfrantically between Mumbai and Nasik.Apart from his own interest inthe spectacle, he bears testimony to the fact that the occasion transcends thestrictly religious and binds communities in its cosmicleitmotif.“I ferry at least 20-30 Muslims to the Kumbh. I knowseveral others in my community who attend it. I don’t think we can look atthe event in a narrow way,’’ he says.Inside Nasik, theliberal, secular strain seems to cohabit with some prickly conservatism.Muslims, led by state Samajwadi Party general secretary Mushir Sayyed, haveorganised a blood donation camp at Panchavati on August 8 for the benefit of themillions of pilgrims converging here. “It is our great fortune that Kumbhgives Nasik its historic image. We are planning to help anyone with roaddirections, drinking water, etcetera. The blood camp is to promote nationalintegration,’’ says Mr Sayyed.On the other hand, the SPrecently sacked Nashik corporator Salim Abbas for offering to join, as agoodwill gesture, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia’s proposedtrishul distribution ceremony here in the wake of the Kumbh.� We cannotlet him be famous and magnanimous at the cost of creating bad blood in thecommunity, ‘’ says Sayyed.Also, some of the Hindu santsdo not look kindly at Muslim efforts to participate or volunteer in melaactivities. Although the tremors of the communal carnage in adjacent Malegaon(barely 100 km away) still stalk Nasik, the city has more reason to hold itschin up.A local 50-something Muslim artisan, for instance, hasetched the Gita on copper plates. Some Muslims have also offered to be on thevoluntary committees organising the show. “People from all communitiescome here uninvited to witness the great human spectacle. There has been noadverse reaction to the event from any community,’’ says MaheshZagade, Nasik collector.And while gun-toting guards and intelligencepersonnel combed the place on a tip-off that ISI fidayeen squads have sneakedin, local homegrown traditions of secular amity could yet overcome the threat offundamentalism.National integration makes its presence felt at KumbhAmong the thousands congregating for the Kumbh mela in Nashik is this sadhu whodrove down from Ayodhya in his converted Tata Estate. The mobile home, which isparked at Sadhugram in Tapovan, houses a bunk, a TV and his books.