Hospitality vs. Principles: Where Respect is a Moral Challenge

Hospitality vs. Principles: Where Respect is a Moral Challenge

India has been a country where guests are treated with utmost respect. The motto of "Atithi Devo Bhava" — the guest is god — is not just a slogan, but an ingrained cultural reflex. But sometimes this reflex comes into conflict with our conscience. Where respect is being shown to one whose actions or mindset are against the values that we hold most near and dear to our hearts, the border between courtesy and complicity starts getting tenuous.

Recently, this tension came to the fore in a dramatic fashion when renowned author and lyricist Javed Akhtar was upset about the greetings given to a representative of the Taliban. His response, referring to it like "deeply shameful," wasn't merely a political overture or a religious establishment — it was a commentary on an underlying moral crisis: Where should our hospitality extend?

The Power of Symbolism

All public gestures have value. When the guest is a representative of an ideology used to suppressing women and intolerant of opposition, The greeting is more than ceremonial protocol. It's a symbol — one which can in effect shows approval or even support.

Javed Akhtar's indignation is rooted in this symbolism. His criticism makes us question what our gestures just to the rest of the world, and especially to those who have been victimized by such regimes. A handshake, a smile, a garland are not innocuous acts. They send clues about whose side we are on and what we believe in.

When Culture Clashes with Conscience

India's hospitality culture is admirable, but it cannot happen in isolation. Respect based on values only is the true way. Welcoming a guest should not justy neglect of moral limits. There is a difference between diplomatic engagement, which is imperative in the real world, and public glorification based on obscuration of others' sufferings.

Akhtar's comment, at its core, is not political but a matter of conscience. It's about not making anemic the conscience of those who undermine minimum freedoms for women, stifle education, and rule by intimidation. His words remind us that empathy and hospitality have to have a moral compass.

The Role of Artists and Thinkers

Artists like Akhtar have always served like society's moral compass. They hold up mirrors we may like to avoid sometimes. When a poet or a songwriter speaks, it's not opinion — it's a reckoning with culture. By labeling the reception shameful, Akhtar was not taking a shot at all community or tradition. He was fighting for a universal principle: the dignity and education of all people.

Principled Hospitality

There is a balance to be struck between respect and responsibility. One can be courteous without being deferential, diplomatic without being reverent. Ethical grit is not about not sitting down with people, but not forgetting what it is that the sitting down represents. A handshake is not necessarily a bow.

India's strength lies in its ability to marry compassion with passion. Our hospitality is our pride — but at the Services of our principles, never. Javed Akhtar's words are painful because they further show us that silence can be a form of support.

Ultimately, the question isn't really about who we invite. It's about what values we stand for when we do.