Free us from fanatics

They want to make the world a holy place whether others want it or not.

No one would really quarrel with the intentions of Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss’s desire to make the country as tobacco-smoke free as possible. There is compelling logic behind his anti-smoking drive. Why should millions of non-smoking folk pay for the medical expenses in the public health system for those reckless people who indulged in the risky business of smoking.

And you cannot really call him a blinkered evangelist from a small party and a small place who found the big theme to make his mark in the big world. Most public authorities all over the world are keen to prohibit and restrict behaviour and habits which endanger the lives of those indulging in risky habits at the expense of the public exchequer.

Ramadoss is sure to turn his zeal against alcohol as well for the next five years. Do not rule out the possibility. The smaller parties have this advantage of jumping political fences, and you can find puritan Ramadoss heading the health ministry in the next government, and it does not have to be the UPA one.

What is frightening about Ramadoss is his sincerity. He has the features of a fanatic — he believes in his cause, he thinks that what he believes in is also good for everyone else. It will be said that it is unfair to call a man who wants to decriminalise homosexuality to be a puritanical zealot, and that he is a progressive and a liberal.
There is a lesson in this for the minister. He is right about striking off the illegal tag for homosexuals, which is perverse — however irrational that view may be in the eyes of the many. By the same token, though there is plenty of justified opposition to smoking, smokers should have the freedom to make their own choice. Of course, smokers cannot violate the inalienable rights of the non-smokers.

Ramadoss is not alone in his well-intended freakiness. There are those who are up in arms against sex workers, dance bars, Valentine’s Day celebrations, boys and girls sitting together in public parks. If Ramadoss thunders in the name of health, the others rant in the name of culture or religion.

We need to allow these puritans to rant and exhort to their hearts’ content, but they should not be allowed to have their way. If need be, there should be legislation that will restrict the jurisdiction of the puritans. They should not be allowed to do more than preach.

It is more than a battle of wits with the fanatics. It touches upon essential political rights of the people. Allow the puritans the right to encroach on the rights of people with regard to smoking, it is sure to spread to other areas of life as well. They might say that women should not walk in stilettos because it will cause spondylitis, that décolletage could lead to pneumonia, a la Ramadoss.

The culture puritans are sure to make common cause with the minister. It will witness the emergence of Toxic Puritans Inc. And without our knowing, we will be transported back to 17th century England, where for a few short years when Oliver Cromwell’s religious fanatics closed down playhouses, almost banned music and literature. They heralded a dark period, which fortunately lasted less than a decade, from about 1651 to 1658 when England became a republic. Thankfully sanity prevailed, and the humane vices came back with the restoration of the monarchy.

We have been so much engaged with religious fanatics — the evangelists among the Christians, the Wahabis among Sunni Muslims, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and others among Hindus. Of course, these religious mavericks create enough havoc and they are only too ready to herald the reign of nightmares. They are now being joined by rationalistic atheists from the Dravidian political spectrum headed by Ramadoss.

We know that rationalists are a drab lot, and this is something they share with the religious fanatics of all hues. We need a strategy now to push back these armies of dullness and darkness. There is need for more fun and revelry, dandiya raas, socials and booze parties in homes and clubs.

Thankfully, the poor and rich lie beyond the vicious grip of the virtue police. They remain unshackled and happy. It is the unfortunate middle class that is for ever targeted because most of these fanatics come from the same social background. This is the class which is for ever engaged in self-help and self-improvement schemes. This opens the door to those troublemakers — the self-proclaimed physicians of body, mind and soul.
The only deterrent is to indulge in the pleasures of life and proclaim freedom from all preachers. 

Dictatorial regimes start off with a holy war against supposedly decadent lifestyles. They appear to good and holy. Then they bare their fascist fangs. That is why, beware of puritans. They are dangerous.

Email: r_parsa@dnaindia.net