‘Blot to the family, criminal, mentally sick, unstable, anti-Hindu, anti-India’- These are the LABELS given by my OWN brother on 23rd January 24 when I objected to someone rejoicing over Ram temple in a family what’s app group.

And my ‘crime’ -I expressed my shame that members of an educated, inclusive family like ours were celebrating a structure that has come up at the scene of crime where no God can ever reside.

This is how religious extremism has destroyed families and family bonds when a younger brother can carry out such an act and feel rightful about it.

Since when does speaking out against a form of religious supremacy being openly displayed, makes me anti-Indian? Or even anti-Hindu if I object to a temple structure coming over a mosque destroyed in front of millions by a mob? Even till date, many Hindus do not go to a temple and or do idol worship and yet are as much part of Hinduism as any one who finds his God in a crafted structure.

Gone are the days when we can agree to disagree and have difference in opinions. Even if I am not ‘Hindu’ in his eyes anymore and my views differ from his and perhaps of the other family members (and I know of only a few others as yet who share the same view and am not aware of the thought process of others), yet we were STILL one FAMILY who can share different views and even have different religions (or be non-religious like me). It was shocking to see my brother get violent and vitriolic in a flash.

And what kind of a ‘RAM BHAKHT’ he is when in order to showcase his love for a temple of Ram, he breaks the very principles displayed by Ram and his brothers of peace and harmony be paramount, especially love and respect for the elder brother and goes out openly abusing and threatening his own brother?

For the last few years since I have been standing up to religious extremism- be it coming from the Khalistanis or the Hindutava brigade, I have faced tremendous hate, trolling, abuse and insults from many in the so-called liberated and secular Indo-Canadian community in person and on various what’s app groups and social media. Besides off course the regular trolling, abuse and threats from India.

I have lived with that and maintained my peace and yet coming from my younger brother whom I had loved and had spent my entire childhood and a large section of my youth was heart breaking.

Religion was always the opium of the masses but today that opium has turned poisonous and killed emotions and personal bonds between friends and families.

I know today I am defeated and perhaps so are people like me in the world who are seeing that a rise of religious extremism is ensuring that dissenting voice is crushed and silenced.

I am writing because perhaps some others may face similar pressure and situation at home where most finally go silent just to ensure that family ties continue. Or due to society pressures.

I also know that this will only worsen and that in my remaining lifetime, I may only see more of this coming from friends and family and perhaps get more isolated.

Yet surprisingly I am peace with myself and feel that what I am doing is right and that I will have to continue standing up to such people, face their bullying and trolling and continue advocating for a world where we do not need to prove the supremacy of one religion by denouncing and crushing others.

I have now seen the worst and yet I am still standing and will continue walking.

Let truth and peace return in times to come.