There’s no pride in prejudice
Shaadaab S. Bakht
Shaadaab S. Bakht, who worked for famous Indian dailies The Telegraph, The Pioneer, The Sentinel and wrote political commentaries for Tehelka.com, is Gulf Today’s Executive Editor.
- Last updated: September 24, 2026 | 14:35
We are all enormously worried as democratic sanity is being torn apart with impunity by the exploitative power of the politics of prejudice.
A lot of people have been targeting a lot of people. The shameful attacks have taken the shape of rustic verbiage, discriminatory action and bloody clashes.
It is really unfortunate that faith — the Creator’s ultimate fiat to keep humanity united — is being relentlessly fuelled to sharpen fissures in society for better control.
But I discovered to my delight that they who love and really mean peace never give up. No matter how rocky the soil is they ensure that their flag of harmony is firmly fixed and fashioned to withstand a million storms.
Yes, I am once again drawing the attention of the prejudiced lot to the peace-loving villagers of Madhi, Nalanda, Bihar.
The Hindus here manage a mosque and conduct its regular prayers because the village is now virtually empty of Muslim residents who have all migrated to other parts of the country. “We (Hindus) don’t know the ‘azaan’, but a pen drive (with a recording of the azaan) is played every day to perform the ritual,” said Hans Kumar, a resident.
Madhi once had a sizeable Muslim population, but people gradually went away for better opportunities.
“There was no one to take care of the mosque, so the Hindus had to come forward,” said one Gautam. “The mosque is cleaned and prayers are offered every morning and evening. Whenever there is a problem, people come here for redressal,” said Janki Pandit, the village priest.
Villagers say that sometimes Durga Puja and Muharram are observed simultaneously. The expenses are shared among the villagers.
The officer, under whose authority this village falls, says that it is a great example of communal harmony.
Let’s replicate Madhi everywhere. Let’s make the age-old belief, “live and let live,” the anthem of our lives and go on to win absolute freedom and not parole from communal incarceration.