What’s in a name? The prejudice of our times

Shakespeare’s Juliet wondered what’s in a name and decided that a rose would smell as sweet even if it was called by any other name. That was in the world of love where she was lost, but in the harsh world outside there is much in a name, and names can evoke many things and mark out identities. In the world of hate, they mean especially dangerous things. In the present climate in the country, a Muslim name can mean a terrorist, and there were two such cases of prejudiced name-calling in public places in the last few days. A professor at the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Udupi, told a Muslim student in his class that “he is like Kasab”, the Pakistani terrorist of 26/11 infamy. A Catholic priest who was leading a protest against the Kerala government said last week that there was a terrorist in the name of V Abdurahiman, a minister in the state government.

The professor said the jibe was just a joke, but the student did well to protest against such an insensitive remark and stood up to defend his dignity. The joke as an excuse was obviously an afterthought when the teacher found that his crassness and prejudice were being resisted and called out. Stereotyping a Muslim as a terrorist is no laughing matter, and the teacher’s spontaneous invocation of a terrorist’s name to address a Muslim shows how deeply the communal poison has infected the society, even in its secular spaces. The Christian priest’s discovery of a terrorist hiding in a Muslim name also arises from the same mindset. In both cases, apologies came later but the apology, even when it is accepted, only assuages the sense of personal hurt suffered by an individual. The insult to the community does not go away, and both the remarks were meant for the community, though they were directed at individuals.

The times are so vitiated that many people may not even find the remark bad and offensive. The MIT, Udupi, authorities had the good sense to take action against the professor, but the state Education Minister B C Nagesh thought it was not a big issue and the outrage was a part of vote-bank politics. It is the minister’s comment that is, irresponsibly and disgracefully, meant for a communal vote-bank. It is in a majoritarian society that a member of the minority community is branded as a rogue and terrorist in public, and it is dismissed as a small issue. It is a natural progression from the mindset that said protesters could be recognised by their dress. A name won’t spell the same when one is called a terrorist.