Al Janadriyah festival: India and Saudi Arabia must address the elephant in the room

By Johann Ratnaiya

Al Janadriyah is a stunning show of Saudi Arabia’s culture and heritage. This festive celebration of the Arabic identity has been around since 1985. The National Guard organises this annual extravaganza that lasts for 18 days. From poetry and art to pottery and craft, this festival boasts a diverse range on display. People from all over the world visit Saudi Arabia during this time of the year. “This cultural fair is a realisation of our nation’s identity … to feature our values and heritage with a mission to make it known to one and all,” declares Abdul Mohsen al-Tuwaijri, the assistant deputy commander. A grand camel race is first on the list of events. This is reminiscent of Al Janadriyah’s humble debut as a camel race.

Amidst the narrations of Saudi Arabia’s glorious past and fascinating folklore is the nation’s resolve to foster intellectual discussion. One of Saudi Arabia’s leading journalists, Abdulrahman al-Rashed says, “Most of the Al-Janadriyah festivals have been distinguished for being an arena for ideological and political discussions held in an atmosphere of openness”. The host isn’t afraid to cloak herself in controversy. In the event’s recent past, scrutiny of doctrine has caused quite a stir. Attempts to reconcile opposing hermeneutical schools have failed. The country is always vigilant with dissenters who wish to change the status quo. Nonetheless, people are still hopeful.

Guest of honour

India is the privileged guest of honour for the year 2018. Since 2008, nine distinguished countries have graced this occasion with their presence. In this prestigious festival, India, as the guest of honour, will be given 2000 square meters to display its hallmark culture, medical, technological, and military progress. Symbols of India’s thriving diversity will enthral the Saudi audience. The people will witness distinct regional dance performances, costumes, traditional food and artefacts, among other visual pleasures. To show economic strength, big companies like L&T, Tata Motors, Lulu Group, TCIL, Al Abeer Medical Group, ITL Group, Jet Airway, Aster Med city, KRBL Rice, Toshi Electronic etc. are putting up their stalls in the Indian Pavilion. People who stroll through the pavilion get acquainted with India’s culture and heritage. However, the Saudi’s government primary objective is to establish friendly relations with the guests of honour. India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj will inaugurate the festival and eventually proceed to hold bilateral talks with the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir on a wide range of subjects of mutual interest. This is a positive sign for India-Saudi relations, as it will ensure the welfare of the Indian community in Saudi Arabia.

The elephant in the room

The whispering of sweet nothings will have prevailed over the insolent candour of the truth. Neither of the countries is going to address the elephant in the room. Human rights violations stain the otherwise pristine fabric of the two nations. This ominous elephant in the room will have gone unaddressed—the discussion on secular freedom and women’s rights that both the parties are unwilling to have. Secular freedom is a fleeting vestige in these nations where women are treated like disposable objects.

Secular freedom

Saudi Arabia’s theocratic monarchy has little tolerance to opposing interpretations of its religious texts. According to the Religious Freedom Report 2014, “The government sentenced to death at least one prominent Shia cleric and arrested several individuals who publicly criticised discrimination against Shia citizens. The government have detained individuals on charges of violating Sharia, committing blasphemy, sowing discord in society, and insulting Islam”. The appalling misdeeds of the ruling clergymen fall on deaf ears. The legal system only protects the conformists. Contrarians are typecast as apostates. Non-Muslim foreigners are vulnerable to harassment, detention, or deportation. Religious freedom only extends enough to accommodate the compulsory observance of Islamic traditions and customs. Any and all active attempts to proselytize Muslims are punishable under Sharia Law. However, prolonged implicit obedience will conceive rebellion. The fidelity of this tyrannical vision will be compromised. People will revolt until all of the nation’s blood is spent in preserving the establishment.

India is fighting many of the same demons. Radical Hinduism is the purveyor of vast injustices here. Communal tension is on the rise. People are being polarised along religious and racial lines. This feverish cry for religious philosophy to dictate all affairs of the state is in direct contravention of our aim to be a secular state free of religious prejudice. A sleight of hand allows the use of loyalty to the Hindu nation of India as means to its end in communal allegiance to one religious identity. A Pew Research Center analysis of 198 countries ranked India as fourth-worst in the world for religious intolerance. In this country of 1.3 billion, the kind of austerity surrounding religion trailed only Syria, Nigeria and Iraq—all places where inter-religious violence is common.

Women’s rights

Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia are flouted on a whim. A woman wearing a miniskirt and a crop top was arrested by the police back in July 2017. It almost feels like Saudi Arabia is still dragging its feet through the central Arabian sands of the 18^th century. Progress is snail-paced. Women in Riyadh were finally given permission to attend football matches only last year.  Women are forced to celebrate small victories as compensation for their important demands being shelved. It’s a pity that women make up only 13% of the labour force in the country. Women’s rights lobbyists are now fighting a battle against male guardianship. The social media hashtag #IAmMyOwnGaurdian is now doing the rounds. Manal al-Sharif, a computer scientist-turned-activist and author, leads this group of inspiring women to champion causes. “When I see something wrong, I speak up. It should be the norm, not the exception”, she told NPR.

India is fighting a different kind of war. One part is wholly untouched by progressivism, while other parts enjoy varying degrees of gender-neutral freedom. We’re mitigating a rape epidemic on the one hand, while simultaneously speaking truth to power about consent on the other. The patriarchy, in India, is trying to reinvent itself under new auspices.  Censorship is the executive wing of this movement. Women are asked to be silent about sexual abuse. The rape survivor is cast away from society. Rape victims are blamed for inviting their misfortune upon themselves. These injustices need to be addressed in the sit-down. Both nations must bear culpability for human rights violations.  For far too long, bilateral talks have begun and ended with preserving only commercial interests. It’s about time we ushered in a new wave of progress on all fronts.

Featured Image Source: Flickr