Christmas is celebrated across the world with the very hope of a merry and joyous life ahead and this year was equally important for people with fewer restrictions at least in India. Indians have been celebrating Christmas for many decades now and it has no longer been a Christian celebration but has become a part and parcel of our life irrespective of any religious orientation.

The younger generation, in particular, is attracted towards it as Christmas is more of a celebration, fun, and merriment than a religious ritual which makes it simpler. You do not have to go to church to celebrate Christmas, it’s as simple as that. This year Kolkata’s carnival at Park Street is a setting example. With the younger generation, the elders are equally getting attracted to the fanfare and for most of the Indians, it is all right without any reservations.

With any new changes, there are always a group of people who will resist and take it as their moral responsibility to restrict people to pollute traditions. When in the case of religious insecurities, it takes a more forceful resistance. Religious fanatism is not new and is seen across all religious environments to some degree.

In India, the new extreme is the so-called ‘Bhakts’ who are termed as people inclined to a particular political orientation and are used to further the political narrative suitable for the political messaging. These are the people (Bhakts) who are used to spreading a kind of message that defies rational interpretation. They can be brainwashed easily because they do not have evolved brains.

Now, these new breed of people are so much ill feed with a particular type of message that defies logic and thus they are ready to do illogical things. To narrate one incident of South Assam in the town of Silchar, the Christmas day witnessed ruckus in one church compound where a crowd had assembled to enjoy the fanfare when some boys came and started heckling people and tried to shut down the Church till the police had to intervene.

These incidents look stray in nature initially but what misses the naked eye is the systematic change in the thought process of these people who take it upon them to decide what is right and what is wrong without going into the changing social preferences. The human race cannot be dictated to a static thought process but should be allowed to think for itself.

The most important aspect one has to understand is that the law of the land is above any ideology and the Constitution of India is supreme and binding to citizens. That you cannot take law at your own hand, that would be a crime. Most ‘Bhakts’ miss this point and thus become prey to a false narrative which could be unconstitutional or unlawful.

The social trend if it continues like this will lead to a law and order challenge which we are already witnessing and if unchecked would create unrest in society. Let these half-literate ‘bhakts’ not rule the nation’s mindset but a mature political discourse be followed…