Thursday, January 31, 2013

Clueless

Been clueless about the events happening in our country. Somewhere in the east, Mr. Rushdie is banned from entering a city and down south a movie is being banned. 

Where is that country which boasted itself to be secular, tolerant and other blah blah blah? I feel betrayed that what they taught us in school about the great India is all false. Political aspirations and goals are marring the sensibility of people. Where is religious tolerance? A movie being banned for portraying Taliban as what they are? Which muslim Indian national is even closely related to the Taliban? 

What did Rushdie do to be banned from entering Kolkata? Who owns the city to ban him? Look at the fun! One side; you are banning a movie to protect the interest of a minority religious community whereas the other side, a person belonging to the same minority religious community is being banned. 

I can't help but laugh out loud, louder at the game being played. We prove, time and again that there is no wicked hypocrites than us. In all terms - social inequality, religious intolerance, gender discrimination, racial tolerance, economic transparency - the list goes on and on. Whom are we fooling by portraying a secular and tolerant India? 

Theories like even with so many problems, we go on everyday is a total bull crap - don't fool others and don't fool yourselves. Few years ago, people were mature to handle criticisms, they were truly secular and tolerant. Few months ago, I read a report in the Bangalore edition of TOI the light of Digambar saints. People are so ignorant of the sect and the practices that they harass them on the road! How pathetic can it get. 

And another article was about how the story of Punyakoti is being manipulated by the saffron brigade in school text books. Read the story in the link and you will get the moral of the story. But the moral is twisted in text books today to show the tiger vowed not to eat cows anymore. These are just a couple of examples as to what is happening everyday in our great country. 

We are not going back in time definitely; few years ago, people were more mature and tolerant. Our views, our practices are all going narrow each day. God bless India! 

17 comments:

  1. In my opinion,we as a nation,as a society,as communities,as individuals are a gem.We have mutual respect for each other.We stand by one another during any crises.
    But,to answer your queries.It is not you and me who are in the midst of the mess,it's not our doing.In fact,we are the victims,we are the sufferers .
    Reason...Dirty,filthy politics in the country.Our politics is derived from our still prevailing colonial mind set....Divide and rule as the Brits did .
    It's all about 20% of minority vote bank because they vote enmasse while Hindus...majority doesn't .
    It's politics and politicians which need to be changed

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    1. Chowla sir,

      Agreed. But at the end of the day, none of us have dissect the reason to understand where the root of the problem is. For common people like you and me, the implications are gory and hopeless.

      Delete
  2. Really clueless Insi ? This for me is the nasty political game in India.Ensuring the votebanks there.Heard one of those ministers from West Bengal blabbering over how it will be a danger and additional responsibility to protect Rushdie from the 100 protesters at airport ! Pity who ? Where as another political spokesperson from Delhi says it's important to uphold the majority protesters' rights than one Rushdie..What if they speak something sensible ? Why the govts are failing to uphold the basic constitutional right of this country ? Any one with a backbone left ? Sorry to say,they operate only on 'VOTE BANKS'..Disgusting.

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    Replies
    1. I don't know if we have a way out of this? How long will we be at the mercy of politicians?

      Delete
  3. Banning Kamal Hasan' s movie has nothing do with the Taliban/Muslim issue. It is just a pretext by Madame Jaya. This is quite evident. On the release day of Viswaroopam at Trivandrum, I saw a group of 'Popular Front' a Muslim radicals protesting before the theatre near my home; then came another couple of processions, one of the BJP and the other that of DYFI ( Marxist youth) both supporting the movie. The presence of the police helped avoid a clash.

    Such political games are not the preserve of Indians. It happens everywhere in the world, in more vicious expressions. Being Indians, we are affected by it, thats' all.

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    Replies
    1. Your ending words..we are affected. Yes! thats why it hurts

      Delete
  4. God cannot bless . He has thrown up his hand long time now.

    The outrageous part of it all is the queer contention of the courts. Look at the Madras High court dithering in their ruling on the movie ban.
    And Calcutta that boasts of the gem of Indian intelligentsia and land of wisdom and tolerance or what ever such, has made the city off limits for Rushdie.

    Are the faith of these men who fret over a book, a film or an opinion , so fragile and fickle to be offended and shatter at the slightest threat of a different perception or opinion? Pathetic! If so what is the faith they hold?

    B, the wisest thing is to do an M.F.Hussain , this country is ,as someone said full of fools and dangerous ones, for fools do not know they are fools.
    It certainly is politics even if Jayalalitha swears it is not.

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    Replies
    1. Exactly! Anil. Even if someone did an MF Hussain, who would care for such loss?

      Delete
  5. It is really sickening. It is basically pushing your tactics ahead because you know that political parties are pandering to you. That is the way this country has become. Any person who does not comprise a major vote bank is a soft target these days.

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  6. It is really sickening. It is basically pushing your tactics ahead because you know that political parties are pandering to you. That is the way this country has become. Any person who does not comprise a major vote bank is a soft target these days.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You know how education tames the thought process of a person and how. Unless and until we have well educated logical people ruling us, this is bound to happen.

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    Replies
    1. I wonder what would our forefathers who envisioned a new India feel now

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  8. Reading the comments and the the subject in your post , I decided I put in another few opinions too.

    The umbrage taken by all and sundry at the drop of a hat or fall of a leaf , here in India cannot be compared with the blatant obstruction from the officialdom in places like China, Myanmar, the Islamic bigoted republics in the middle east and any Orwellian State upon freedom of expression and speech. There the preserve of the privileged class ( the government) and the the philosophy that sustains such governments are at stake. Here in India we see amongst us even a private citizen frowning about something that is expressed contrary to his.

    And in India it is intolerance perse, towards free speech and opinion that is frowned by all.This is in sharp contrast to the argumentative tradition we boast of.


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    1. Anil,

      The rigid curb of freedom of expression and other likes in the places/cultures you stated is at least in the rule book. You know the elite class controls all, you know you can't cross the boundaries. But in a country like ours where we preach these theologies on one side and oppose and throw brickbats in silly matters is hypocrisy.

      If this is how we must be, why not be a total authoritarian state then? Don't fool the younger generation with the speech of secularism and freedom.

      Delete
  9. It is madness all around us!! A few months ago, a leader here in our city opposed the opening of a big wholesale store. And a few days later, his wife was seen (published in the newspaper) shopping there... such hypocrisy!

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I'd love to know what you thought :-) Please shoot!