The reprehensible shoe-attack on Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai in the Supreme Court itself by a self-proclaimed Sanatani, advocate Rakesh Kishore, is much more than a personal affront. It is the hallmark of simmering hatred that raises its ugly head from the Sanatani stables at regular intervals. It is a manifestation of deep-rooted prejudice that some avowed Sanatanis harbour against individuals such as Justice Gavai that pose an ideological threat to their religion. This is only a continuation of an age-old battle that dates back to ancient ages. Whenever rationalism stood up against blind belief, it has only been met with violence. Whatever Sanatana dharma claims itself to be, in practice, it represents an ideology that is rooted in dogma and prides itself for being unapologetic even in the light of blatant trampling of people perceived to be both in its fold and outside its fold. The origins of such a rigid dharma can be traced back to Manusmriti that divided people based on birth and created artificial hierarchical distinctions in the name of caste (or varna). Naturally, the beneficiaries of this system uphold it while the victims oppose it against all odds. History stands as a testimony to this violent struggle that has been immortalised in Ambedkar’s words: “The history of India is nothing but a mortal struggle between Buddhism and Brahmanism”. The whole project of envisaging a modern nation state and framing a constitution to safeguard it is built around the idea of reversing eons of injustice carried out in the name of Sanatana dharma. The fact that even such tall ideals have failed us in the past 75 years is evident on a daily basis with caste atrocities continuing to fester and flourish. The violent attack on Chief Justice Gavai should be seen in this historical context. Historic events that buttress this battleEven though opposition to what has come to be propagated as Sanatana dharma has been present since the time of Lokayata or Charvaka philosophy, Buddha is often seen as the torch-bearer of rationalism that is diametrically opposite of Sanatana dharma. Buddha gave a concrete form to it and henceforth Buddhists earned the ire of Sanatanis. Asoka, the Mauryan emperor, during his reign (268-232 BC), fully embraced the rationalism of Buddha and was responsible for its propagation far and wide across India and outside of India to distant lands to the south and the east. Sanatanis could not counter Asoka in his lifetime but made sure that they buried his legacy forever as they gained power in later centuries. So much was the weight of this sepulture in history that, up until the 19th century, people of India completely forgot about an emperor called Asoka and the Buddhist philosophy that he empowered almost vanished from the land. Only a chance discovery of Asoka’s pillars and artefacts from all corners of the sub-continent by British colonial officers working in India led to the eventual recognition of the forgotten Pali language edicts by James Prinsep in the 1800s. Also read: When Rationalism Goes For a Toss in a Stampede of SuperstitionPushyamitra Sunga, a staunch Sanatani, is remembered in history for overseeing a massive persecution of Buddhists in 2nd century BC. He vandalised the famous Sanchi stupa and destroyed the kukutarama monastery in Pataliputra. He came to power after assassinating Brihadrata Maurya, the last Mauryan emperor. It is understood that Pushyamitra heralded the termination of royal patronage of Buddhism and cemented the hold of Sanatana dharma.The fig (Bodhi) tree that is considered sacred by Buddhists, located in Bodh Gaya, modern day Bihar, was vandalised by a Sanatani King Sashanka in the 6th century AD. Historical accounts also report that King Sashanka replaced the idol of Buddha with Siva in the adjoining temple.This pattern of violent attacks on thought leaders that espoused views opposing Sanatana dharma dot our history all the way up to present day. The 14th century mystic Kabir (born in Varanasi) who is now revered, had to face persecution and criticism in his lifetime from both Sanatanis and conservative Muslims for his opposition to dogma. The 17th century Telugu philosopher, Vemana from Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh was vilified during his lifetime for his criticism of idolatry, blind worship and caste hegemony. His views were opposed by Sanatanis of the day. His poems laced with stinging rebuke of societal evils that were relegated to oblivion by the prevailing powers were eventually collected and published by a British civil servant C P Brown in 1824. Stalwarts like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitri Phule faced social ostracisation from Sanatanis for the crime of educating girls and disadvantaged children belonging to oppressed castes. The vile physical abuse that Savitri Phule had to endure at the hands of violent Sanatanis is etched in the collective memory of bahujans.Violence in recent timesWithin the last 25 years, there have been a spate of assassinations on thinkers who dedicated their lives for the cause of societal change along the principles of rationalism, fighting conservatism. Dr Narendra Dabholkar, a tireless warrior who fought against superstition was shot dead on August 20, 2013 in Pune by armed assailants linked to Sanatan Sanstha. The same group was also implicated in the 2015 (Kolhapur, Maharashtra) cold blooded murder of 81-year old Govind Pansare, renowned Marathi writer whose crime was to popularise the fact that Chatrapathi Sivaji was secular and rather a victim of Sanatana dharma as opposed to his popular portrayal to the contrary by Sangh outfits. Sahitya Academy award winning Kannada writer M.M. Kalburgi was gunned down in his own home in Dharwad, Karnataka at the age of 76 by miscreants linked to rightwing extremist outfits in 2015. He was an outspoken critic of elements of Sanatana dharma as well. Gauri Lankesh, a fearless journalist that minced no words in her criticism of rightwing atrocities, was also killed in a blatant attack in 2017 in Bangalore.Also read: Why Throwing a Shoe at the Chief Justice of India in the Name of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ Lays Bare India’s Deepest Fault Line TodayAll these historical incidents show us a pattern of violence, that attempts to crush those standing up for rationalism, that continues unabated to this day. The attack on CJI Gavai must be seen through this lens to understand the gravity of the shoe hurl. At the same time, it is noteworthy that voices that speak up against Sanatani transgressions cannot be muzzled even after thousands of years. Our constitution is supposed to be a bulwark against the injustices inherent in Sanatana dharma and hence the attack on the supreme constitutional authority, the CJI, is alarming. Nevertheless, the elan and composure with which Justice Gavai handled the indignity is truly a lesson for all of us particularly to the ones engaged in countering excesses claiming to defend Sanatan dharma. He did not even suspend the ongoing hearings and carried on with the duties as usual in a truly Buddha style. Therein lies the middle-fold path that one should strive to implement.G. Naveen is a physician who writes on politics and social justice.