Kolkata, Jan 12 (.) Former diplomat and author Pavan K. Varma has issued a stark warning with regard to the state of tolerance in India, stressing that while the nation’s foundations have long celebrated diversity, they remain delicate.
In a compelling lecture monikered ‘Are we a Tolerant Society? Heritage, History Reconciliation’ at the 17th APeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, Varma reminded audiences that the country’s centuries-old ethos of acceptance is easily threatened.
Drawing on texts like the Rigveda and the Upanishad and citing the Bhakti movement, Varma illustrated how Indian civilisation has historically embraced questioning, dialogue and respect for different views.
Varma argued that Indian civilisation has been built on remarkably resilient foundations of tolerance, reaching back almost 7,000 to 8,000 years. The Rigveda, and particularly the Nasadiya Sukta, exemplifies this ethos: it eschews prescriptive commands, opting instead for inquiry and intellectual humility. This spirit of curiosity and openness has shaped a culture that values diversity and respectful debate.
This ethos reaches greater depth in the Upanishads, whose visionary ideas celebrate unity without denying difference. Saying such as “Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti” (truth is one but known by many names) and “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (the world is one family), reflect a world that welcomes diversity. At a time when societies were divided and distrustful of outsiders, such ideas were bold and far ahead of their time.
However, Varma cautioned that historical ideals have often been undermined by intolerance, pointing to episodes ranging from caste discrimination and gender bias to violent upheavals during the Partition of 1947 and subsequent communal clashes.
While acknowledging India’s rich intellectual heritage, Varma warned against romanticising history. He argued that despite the presence of tolerant philosophical ideals, Indian society witnessed the consolidation of caste hierarchies and gender inequality after the first millennium. These practices, reinforced by texts such as the Manusmriti, exposed a widening gap between philosophical thought and social reality.
“We are far from being insulated from the dip into intolerance. In spite of such remarkable foundations, the dip into intolerance can be as fragile as porcelain. We have to guard against it. We have seen it happen in recent history, and that was the partition, but despite the partition, and after it, we built a constitution.”
Varma said the Constitution clearly promised a tolerant society, guaranteeing freedom of speech, personal liberty, the right to protest, legal protection and equal religious freedom. However, history since Independence reveals a mixed record, periods of constitutional loyalty punctuated by serious breaches.
The anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and the violence in Gujarat, he underscored, forced Indians to confront disturbing questions. “We were provoked into brutal violence. So quickly? Are our beliefs so easily broken?”
Varma cautioned that modern politics has distorted the meaning of tolerance, turning it into an instrument of electoral advantage. Electoral strategies, he said, often depend on deliberate polarisation either through minority appeasement or aggressive majoritarianism.
“We have had an entire movement to excavate temples, to locate, excavate mosques, to locate temples. There is a judgment of the Supreme Court that it should have stopped with the Ayodhya Temple. But today, my own feeling is that even those who may believe in the right or centre, validation of the Hindu faith is no longer under their control because of the forces they have unleashed,” he said.
Varma concluded the session by using a vivid metaphor to illustrate his point: “This fire is not yours or mine. Do not fan the flames. If my house turns to ashes, who will look after yours?” . . .