Relevance: GS Paper IV (Ethics – Tolerance & Compassion) | Essay (Indian Culture & Social Justice)

Source: Indian Express

Context: A Shrine Attacked, A Legacy Remembered

In January 2026, a century-old shrine in Mussoorie dedicated to the great Punjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah was vandalized by mobs claiming it was “fake.” This act of intolerance ironically spotlights the very man who spent his life tearing down the walls of hatred.

Bulleh Shah (1680–1757) wasn’t just a poet; he was a moral rebel who challenged the religious and social elites of his time with a simple weapon: Love.

The Philosophy of Dissent (Ethics in Action)

Bulleh Shah’s life offers a masterclass in Ethical Courage:

• Killing the Ego (Fana): He believed the biggest enemy is not the “other” but the “I” (Anah) within us. For a public servant, this teaches Humility—the ability to serve without arrogance.
  • Famous Verse: “Bulla ki jaana main kaun” (Bulla, I know not who I am). He shed all labels—caste, religion, nation—to become a universal human.
• Radical Equality: Born a high-caste Sayyid, he shocked society by choosing Shah Inayat, a humble vegetable grower of the low Arain caste, as his Guru. He proved that spiritual worth comes from character, not birth.
• Truth to Power: He fearlessly critiqued the hypocrisy of Mullahs and Pandits. He argued that religious rituals are useless if the heart is full of hate, famously saying, “The temple and the mosque are filled with robbers; lovers dwell apart.”

The Mussoorie Incident: A Mirror to Our Times

The vandalism of his shrine highlights a modern crisis of Intolerance.

• The Irony: Bulleh Shah lived during the bloody Sikh-Mughal wars yet remained a voice of peace for both sides. Today, in “peacetime,” we are attacking symbols of that very harmony.
• Heritage as Healer: Shrines like these are not just graves; they are “Social Bridges” where Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs have prayed together for centuries. Destroying them breaks our social glue.

UPSC Value Box

Why this matters for Society:

• Social Capital: Syncretic figures like Bulleh Shah are the antidote to radicalization. Their poetry teaches Acceptance (valuing the other) rather than just Tolerance (putting up with the other).
• Heritage Protection: The state has a duty to protect these “living spaces” of composite culture under the Places of Worship Act, regardless of “authenticity” debates.

Ethical Insight:

Bulleh Shah teaches Intellectual Integrity—the courage to question one’s own community and customs when they become oppressive.

Summary

Bulleh Shah was a beacon of humanism who argued that the Creator dwells in the heart, not in stone structures. The attack on his shrine is an attack on the idea of a syncretic India. His life teaches us that true spirituality disrupts hierarchy and embraces the marginalized.

One Line Wrap: You can break a shrine, but you cannot bury a song that lives in the hearts of millions.

Q. “The teachings of Sufi mystics like Bulleh Shah serve as an ethical compass in times of communal polarization.” Discuss with reference to his views on caste and religious hypocrisy. (10 Marks, 150 Words)