Where are we headed? Recent events in India always brings this one question to mind. If we look at the state of terror we are spreading amongst ourselves, then with what audacity do we blame another country for disrupting our 'peace'less world?
Raj Thackeray's men attacked candidates of the Indian Railway Exam in Maharashtra. They also carried out another campaign which warranted all non-Maharashtrians to leave Maharashtra.
At the time when I was talking to Santhosh about it he said, "If Raj Thackeray wants only Maharashtrians in Maharashtra he should call other Maharashtrians from all over India back to Maharashtra." Of course, he made the statement based on Raj Thackeray's logic which is a blatant anomaly in itself.
This would mean all of us to our own 'state'. So much for being a secular, democratic and republic country. Our own politicians are defying the 'Preamble' of our nation.
Not only in Maharashtra, look down south and how we fight over water. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been going at it for years. Any decision taken over Cauvery water will give rise to tension in either of the states and finally break into violence. Does not seem very different from two countries fighting over Kashmir.
We have surpassed ourselves and moved on to bigger things, from fighting over religion, which still continues, to fighting over our origins, our language and our rightful place. People talk about racism faced in other countries, but look how we are treated in our own. I was called a Madrasi, with a lot of contempt, by a Marwadi guy in Bombay, what nerve!
Recently, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) desecrated a ceremony, in a school, honouring the heroes of the Mumbai Terrorist Attack. The reason being, Bhojpuri songs were being sung.
So is The Republic of India a farce?
I'm married to a Keralite, who has grown up in Mangalore and calls himself a Mangalorean. Does that mean at some point in the future he will be denied residency in Karnataka because his 'ethnicity' is Malayalee and his mother tongue is Malayalam, though he speaks Kannada and Tulu flawlessly?
What if a Raj Tackeray springs in every state and executes an operation 'Clean up our state; Free us from cooties of other alien states'?
Will India still be a republic? Or perhaps we could go back to the days when we had princely states. The goons will rule us, for lack of princes, and then the world will talk of the decline of a great nation once called India.
Question is not just about Gunda Raj. The government and the people are equally responsible.
ReplyDeleteDivide and rule is almost the style of Indian Democracy. Division by caste, division by religion and division by language - the list is endless.
The aim of all these divisive politicians is to have a defined vote bank. Why there is sudden rise in these type of politicians - whether it is Ramdoss of PMK, Mulayam Singh of SP or Arjun Singh of congress or Advani of BJP. How did they become popular?. Just by using these cheap division policies.
I would not be surprised if this Ram Seva guy who become known only after this Mangalore incident - becomes crucial member in forming a coalition government in the near future.
Why do people vote for these people who preach divisive policies? Why do people & media give attention to these people. When attention stops - these people WILL STOP.
The only way to deal with these people is to outright reject/ignore them.
What we need is a responsible media & a few responsible infleuncial citizens who can look beyond emotions.
At least, we can start being that responsible citizens.