FACT Message-Follow Dara Sukoh not Aurangazeb

The controversy over the FACT artistic and historical Exhibition on Aurangazeb ‘as he was’,according to original Moghul records, was totally unnecessary. The exhibition held in Lalit Kala Academy,Chennai, depicted Dara Sukoh, the pious and peaceful elder brother of the cruel Moghul Emperor Aurangazeb, who sought the company of sages and who translated the Upanishads, Mahabharata and Ramayana to persian language. He was so popular with the masses that Aurangazeb had him arrested and paraded in the streets of

Delhi

. He then ordered the beheading of his pious brother, who was Shah Jehan’s choice to be his heir.

In sharp contrast was Aurangazeb, who jailed his father Shah Jehan, kept him in solitary confinement and ultimately poisoned him to death. He did not allow the two bereaved widows and daughter of Shah Jehan to see the dead body. He ordered unceremonious burial of the body by his servants in the dead of night. He was a fanatic, who ordered demolition of temples and imposed the Jizya tax on only Hindus. He ordered conversions of Hindus to Islam. These are the facts about him given in the Moghul records.

Mr.Francois Gautier, has presented the facts in the form of beautifully calligraphed edicts of Aurangazeb and rare moghul paintings, with write-ups. The former prince of Arcot has said that it is ‘bunkum’, but Mr.Gautier has documented the evidences. Mr.Mohd Ali has questioned the necessity of organising the show. According to Mr.Gautier, Trustee of FACT- Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, the message is that, in these troubled times, muslims should draw inspiration from the peaceful and spiritually-oriented Dara Sukoh, rather than the cruel Aurangazeb, so as to send out the message of peace to the world.

Unfortunately, the hot-headed muslim outfits created such a ruckus that even the senior policeman and his assistant, who had come there lost their heads and mishandled the situation. Atleast one photo was broken and four or five of them were taken away by the policemen. The unpalatable developments of that evening on 6th March, could have been averted had the police been level-headed. Ultimately, they succumbed to ‘minority appeasement’. If muslims consider

India

as their motherland, why should they object to the depiction of atrocities on innocent citizens by a moghul invader? Their loyalty to a cruel king is misplaced. Our police department also needs reformation.

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