“Allhamdulillah now the Muslims wear religion on their sleeves” exclaimed the convent education cousin of mine a mother to two growing up kids, I am reminded of her after reading an article by the BJPs Ideologue Swapan Dasgupta “ Ayodhya Is religious now not political” Sunday times of India 26th September 2010.
I brushed aside the statement of my cousin for deducing a highly simplistic and convenient explanation of a complex phenomenon. I told her similar is the case with Hindus, Christians how do you explain that, she had no answers.
I could definitely not brush aside the views of Swapan Dasgupta who happens to be a much better thinker with a supposedly better access to all information in the world to build his view on.
I expected that answers might be there by the time I finish the article but there were none, he has completely ignored the fact that more muslim womens are adopting Hijab ,there is more attendance in churches, synagogue ,the same way its happening in Temples. People are in the process of rediscovering of their faith,their culture,their traditions.
Chatth Pooja a relatively unknown phenomenon in Mumbai now is a humungous affair in Mumbai with Lacs of migrant north Indians flocking to beaches much to the chagrin of Local Politicians of MNS,SS and even a section of Congress who see it as an invasion.
Rootless migrants are the best example of this phenomenon who assert their identity as a group ,after all there is safety in numbers. They seek safety ,safety from attacks from groups which are offended by their very presence ,they are attacked because they are projected as a threat to local population as they are supposedly usurping job opportunities like plying auto/taxis, vegetable/fruit/milk vending etc,99% of lower end jobs.
Political parties like SS and now MNS will have existential crisis if they stop their kind of politics which gives a siege mentality to local population.
BJP owes it rise and fall to the changes in peoples state of mind, for a short period they were successful in giving this siege mentality to voters in India, especially the extremely selfish “Middle class” and were in power for a period( Though as a coalition”. But BJP didn’t take lesson from History which confirms that this “middle Class” has always had a highly selfish approach to all issues. Middle class wants a ruler/government which will ensure that their taps are running with water, their boys get employment, roads are clean etc etc now this middle class has found a new Messiah in PM “Manmohan Singh” a middle class poster boy, I am not surprised when PM thanks the west for English Language, modern management etc as I have seen my relatives (all retired government employees, middle class you see) who swear that it was better during “Raj”.
How can you explain Julia Roberts turning to mystic Hinduism, Mike Tyson, and Michael Jackson turning to Islam for answers?
The reasons responsible for this phenomenon are far greater in number than one “Ayodhya” with a generation born post mosque demolition having no connection to this single event. It’s better to turn to social scientists for answers rather than depending on a politician journalist whose thinking cap has become too tight to block the blood flow, all because of constraints posed by his party’s ideology.
I find it childish to take comfort in a phenomenon which can not be explained so simplistically.
Till we get any valid argument ….
It is just a Phase ………… and this too shall pass.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, May 7, 2009
"Come out of your iIlusions"
Come out of your illusions
Twenty years ago a scowling teacher shouted, “come out of your illusions,what I see here are prospects for clerical grade”, “Come out of your illusion” she shouted once again.
The same voice reverberates in my my ears till today, We proved her wrong but how right she was and is in a different context today.
Since ancient history we have prided ourselves as non-violent ,peace loving religious society having a strong culture.
Most of the “peace loving” Indians will be outraged if I tell them that they live in an illusive world
Non Violent ,peace loving are we? , lets ponder over some truths,
Truth No 1) 2000 girl child killed before they are born not in a year, a month or a week but every single day .( We can definitely console ourselves when we compare ourselves with Pakistan/Afghanistan but aren’t we gunning to be the future super power )
Truth No2) A 2007 report claimed that at least 8093 women died that year because of dowry deaths, and at least a dozen die each day in 'kitchen fires' thought to be unintentional. ( the only parallel are honour killings in Pakistan/Afghanistan )
Truth No 3) The statistics of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) show that there were 1,357 custodial deaths across India in the year 2005 alone.
Fact is “India has the highest number of cases of police torture and custodial deaths among the world’s democracies and the weakest legislation against torture”.
Truth No 4) 1.85 lac Crimes recorded against women in year 2007 alone ( It does not include dowry deaths) but includes 20000 cases of rape , domestic violence etc.
Truth No 5) 3 lac Crimes against SC and more than 5000 against ST .( 5000 year old process still on and no chances of any redemption for next 100 years)
Truth No 6) More than 20000 crimes against children recorded in year 2007 alone.
The list is endless and our national woes as well.
My interactions with a lot of Oriya people have been one of the best human experiences and I cherish the time spent in Orissa especially in the tribal district of mayurbhanj where Graham staines was burnt alive along with his childrens,I could not make out how anyone from such a simple ,religious and god fearing community will be responsible for such a hideous murder.But when you scratch the surface you will find the same simple and peaceloving people having admiration for Dara Singh, the perperator of the ghastly murders.
Kandhmal violence proved beyond doubts that all my experiences in Orissa were illusions only.Neighbours ,friends who shared their lives for yesteryears went on a killing and raping spree . The simple god fearing people can turn into xenophobic monsters in moments ;moments of dark truth you may call it.
Time has come that we realise that we are not a peace loving non violent society where justice prevails ,we have blood on our hands ,each one of us who are conveniently obfuscating the truth,yes the truth is that we and especially a huge majority in the so called vibrant state in India have imposed a selfwilled amnesia over the killing of 2000 people ,who might have been there neighbours before it was decided that they are worth extermination like cockroaches.
We sleep over Delhi-1984,Bombay 1992-93, Gujarat 2002, Kandhmal,Bhaglapur ,Merath,Kanpur, the list is endless ,the rate of conviction is less than 2% in almost each instance of religious rioting.( Data pertains only to cases registered).
Add to it some more dark truths about Singur,Nandigram,Lalgarh ,Religious violence,cast violence,Violent crimes against women and children,Naxal Violence ( Read Salwa Judum) These are the truth we will never be ready to acknowledge.
Our National leaders can convenietly search the web ,chance upon unconfirmed data on black money and try to make it a national issue or correct term is Election issue.
We know very well that anybody can fool us but how long we plan to fool ourselves ,the time has come that we have to admit that we too are not ideal society ,We have more instances of violence in our society which cannot be hidden behind the images of Shakyamuni .
A 1000 year back Al beruni wrote “Indians think that there is no country like theirs,no king like theirs,no people like them,no religion like theirs ,no god like theirs” .
A 1000 years we still have to move on to to facts ,the fact that we are as normal and as abnormal as any other country in the world.
Problem can only be solved or tried to be solved when we are ready to admit that there is one.
We are going through a phase where identity crisis is leading people seeking solace in extremist ideologies .
Loving your country is proved by your hatred for others,jingoism is getting termed as nationalism ,loving your religion means hating the others,loving your langauge means shunning others,parochial politician are being represented as sons of soils.
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore said “If Nationalism comes in conflict with Humanism ,I am ready to renounce nationalism”
Time to go back to the future and revisit the thoughts of Gurudev ,the most modern thinker India has ever produced.
Twenty years ago a scowling teacher shouted, “come out of your illusions,what I see here are prospects for clerical grade”, “Come out of your illusion” she shouted once again.
The same voice reverberates in my my ears till today, We proved her wrong but how right she was and is in a different context today.
Since ancient history we have prided ourselves as non-violent ,peace loving religious society having a strong culture.
Most of the “peace loving” Indians will be outraged if I tell them that they live in an illusive world
Non Violent ,peace loving are we? , lets ponder over some truths,
Truth No 1) 2000 girl child killed before they are born not in a year, a month or a week but every single day .( We can definitely console ourselves when we compare ourselves with Pakistan/Afghanistan but aren’t we gunning to be the future super power )
Truth No2) A 2007 report claimed that at least 8093 women died that year because of dowry deaths, and at least a dozen die each day in 'kitchen fires' thought to be unintentional. ( the only parallel are honour killings in Pakistan/Afghanistan )
Truth No 3) The statistics of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) show that there were 1,357 custodial deaths across India in the year 2005 alone.
Fact is “India has the highest number of cases of police torture and custodial deaths among the world’s democracies and the weakest legislation against torture”.
Truth No 4) 1.85 lac Crimes recorded against women in year 2007 alone ( It does not include dowry deaths) but includes 20000 cases of rape , domestic violence etc.
Truth No 5) 3 lac Crimes against SC and more than 5000 against ST .( 5000 year old process still on and no chances of any redemption for next 100 years)
Truth No 6) More than 20000 crimes against children recorded in year 2007 alone.
The list is endless and our national woes as well.
My interactions with a lot of Oriya people have been one of the best human experiences and I cherish the time spent in Orissa especially in the tribal district of mayurbhanj where Graham staines was burnt alive along with his childrens,I could not make out how anyone from such a simple ,religious and god fearing community will be responsible for such a hideous murder.But when you scratch the surface you will find the same simple and peaceloving people having admiration for Dara Singh, the perperator of the ghastly murders.
Kandhmal violence proved beyond doubts that all my experiences in Orissa were illusions only.Neighbours ,friends who shared their lives for yesteryears went on a killing and raping spree . The simple god fearing people can turn into xenophobic monsters in moments ;moments of dark truth you may call it.
Time has come that we realise that we are not a peace loving non violent society where justice prevails ,we have blood on our hands ,each one of us who are conveniently obfuscating the truth,yes the truth is that we and especially a huge majority in the so called vibrant state in India have imposed a selfwilled amnesia over the killing of 2000 people ,who might have been there neighbours before it was decided that they are worth extermination like cockroaches.
We sleep over Delhi-1984,Bombay 1992-93, Gujarat 2002, Kandhmal,Bhaglapur ,Merath,Kanpur, the list is endless ,the rate of conviction is less than 2% in almost each instance of religious rioting.( Data pertains only to cases registered).
Add to it some more dark truths about Singur,Nandigram,Lalgarh ,Religious violence,cast violence,Violent crimes against women and children,Naxal Violence ( Read Salwa Judum) These are the truth we will never be ready to acknowledge.
Our National leaders can convenietly search the web ,chance upon unconfirmed data on black money and try to make it a national issue or correct term is Election issue.
We know very well that anybody can fool us but how long we plan to fool ourselves ,the time has come that we have to admit that we too are not ideal society ,We have more instances of violence in our society which cannot be hidden behind the images of Shakyamuni .
A 1000 year back Al beruni wrote “Indians think that there is no country like theirs,no king like theirs,no people like them,no religion like theirs ,no god like theirs” .
A 1000 years we still have to move on to to facts ,the fact that we are as normal and as abnormal as any other country in the world.
Problem can only be solved or tried to be solved when we are ready to admit that there is one.
We are going through a phase where identity crisis is leading people seeking solace in extremist ideologies .
Loving your country is proved by your hatred for others,jingoism is getting termed as nationalism ,loving your religion means hating the others,loving your langauge means shunning others,parochial politician are being represented as sons of soils.
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore said “If Nationalism comes in conflict with Humanism ,I am ready to renounce nationalism”
Time to go back to the future and revisit the thoughts of Gurudev ,the most modern thinker India has ever produced.
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