Since BJP and allies came to power with a thumping majority at the Central Federal government, there were many types of voices. Some welcomed the right wing Hindu party for its aggressive and liberal policy towards economy, an economy which was shedding its weight thanks to a previous puppet government. Some people were afraid of the anticipated challenges facing religious and cultural freedom. Some people were confused at the results itself. What really matters is that India voted for a decisive change after 10 years of mismanagement and poor execution.
India, in the year 2014 was in the crossfires of cultural and religious amalgamation. While, age old values and beliefs were being questioned, new western thoughts and practices were being accepted without asking any questions. This meant diminishing old superficial thoughts and more personal independence. Eventually it also started reducing the importance of some institutions which were thought of as the pillars of the Indian system.
Roughly 18 months after the new government started impacting our finances, corruption, foreign policy and personal independence, many notable artists and authors started returning the Sahitya Academy awards. The reason they cited was growing intolerance in the country. The news has been making headlines for some personality or the other, but I didn’t bother. The good thing in them returning the awards was I started knowing these people whom I never knew existed.
Incidentally, today on 7th Nov 2015, I had to go for some medical tests sponsored fully by my life insurance company. The place was about 3 kms from my place, though I didn’t know it existed. I entered the tech park with a copy of the email sent by the company. I wondered what made them set a pathology lab inside a tech park!! The moment I was entering the building, a person wearing a big white kurta and light pink-white turban entered the building. He looked almost Indian but dressed like an Arab. The guy went past me when I was enquiring at the reception. The place was huge contrary to how it appeared outside. After I completed the formalities and entered the waiting area, I could see many men in similar dress and women in black burquas sitting there. They were talking in a language which appeared Persian. I have never seen so many Arabs in India at a single place, that too here in a locality dominated by Dravidian Hindus. While I was in my thoughts, I was called for fasting blood sugar test. All I cared about was if the injection would hurt me. I sat in a nice chair and looked at the walls. Most of the instruction was in a language which appeared Urdu. I was surprised and wanted to ask the pathologist what is written there. Finally, I didn’t.
Once, the blood was taken, I was asked to get urine sample from the restroom straight across the corridor. As I walked passed the hallway, I could see all women workers in sindoor and mangal sutra, while some men had chandan tilak. The room names were written in English but some handwritten instructions were written in the same unknown language in 3-4 lines. As far as I know, instructions are meant to be written in the local language (Kannada), English and then in other languages including Hindi. And this is bound by the age old commerce laws which are not strictly enforced.
After keeping the urine sample in the restroom, my hunger started overpowering my curiosity. I went back to the reception lady in salwar kameez and wearing chandan tilak and sindoor. She courteously pointed me to go to the cafeteria and get breakfast. I looked up and found nothing on the wall as it is usual for establishments with Hindu ownership to put a small puja area near reception. I went upstairs to help me with a nice serving a delicious poha and incredibly tasty tea to which I added extra spoon full of sugar. I was happy to sip my tea and look down at the patients waiting for their turn through the glass wall. I cannot help but notice that majority of them were Arabs or Muslims.
Where is Intolerance? Here, in front of me, I could see an army of Hindu workers, lab technicians and doctors attending a majority of Muslim patients, hired by probably an atheist or secular owner(s). I wouldn’t be surprised if some employees are from different communities too. I didn’t see anyone complaining or raising slogans against use of Urdu like language on the walls, while there was no Hindi anywhere. Tolerance is not just being inclusive to people of different religions or cultural backgrounds. It is also to acknowledge that something is done to heckle the barriers which divide humanity. You won’t get any newspaper article for my or similar experiences. Now, anyone can ask for beef in the cafeteria questioning my theory. I would say, leave the goddamn meat for one day and it will not reduce your protein or your personal choice! If the Arabs can sacrifice it for a day, why can’t so called liberals, Muslims and Christians, all Indian?
Talking more about tolerance, I don’t mind my Jain or Buddhist friends eating only veg items alongside me, a fish and meat eating Hindu. I don’t mind Muslim colleagues going to prayers while we slog in that time. I don’t mind when my dad says they don’t believe in god. I don’t mind visiting a Gurudwara and eat the lungar. Why are people like me not in the news? Talk about intolerance and we are already indifferent. Or is it just plain business, being mean at the helm of affairs to retort only what sells, and what sells big – freedom. Anything which attacks our freedom is seen as an instrument to repel the influence of western civilization by the all-powerful state.
I don’t deny that there are no religious issues all over the country. Even the majority Hindus are facing it. But all of them happen in pockets, as in many other countries. All such intolerance must be gone in a modern world but incidents like these should be left to the administration. Why not accept the logical facts rather than satisfy our emotional ego based on some news here and there? The answer is that we have not upgraded our thought process. At the onset of cultural invasion, we just accepted things which were packed to look good. Let us accept it; we believe only the side of story being served well. The deep understanding of what really benefits western world have still eluded our inconsequential thinking. We still believe that what looks good is actually good. What we haven’t invented is that we need to do a lot of hard work and digging to get the best. Unmindful rejection of some thoughts and acceptance of somethings else reduce our power to get the best of both worlds.
Let us come back to returning of the prestigious awards. What kind of scientific investigation and logical interpretation of the available data was done to conclude that we are going back in time? It need not be mentioned that the ways of Science and to some extent logical reasoning eluded Indians till British amended our education system. Have all the distinguished artists and authors done a fair homework before returning the awards? When will these pseudo liberals and neo-fascists leave their comfortable homes and help the real victims, irrespective of their religion or thought process? Too much has been talked about intolerance these days while I could see the opposite around me. Being emotional and mean can project you to the headlines and are too easy these days. Are we the real Indians who were virtuous once upon a time? Are we the same Hindus whose Manu smriti holds the king and leaders responsible for fair judgement?
I don’t need the so called distinguished literatures who protest by insulting a prestigious institution. We need more of people who work for the better future. We need more minds who will give a fair trial to Intolerance in India. Because, when I see this word, I feel the liberals around me are Intolerant to the Tolerant me.
Change it! Return the money compounded annually to Sahitya Academy too.
“Those who plead their cause in the absence of an opponent can invent to their heart’s content, can pontificate without taking into account the opposite point of view and keep the best arguments for themselves, for aggressors are always quick to attack those who have no means of defence.”
― Christine de Pizan, Der Sendbrief vom Liebesgott / The Letter of the God of Love
I will end the volcano like eruption in my mind with the prayer which is still sung from time immemorial in most of the Indian schools:
“Asato ma satgamaya. Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya. Mrityorma amrutam gamaya. Om, shanti, shanti, shanti.”
–Brihadaranyaka Upanishads
From lies, lead me to the truth.
From darkness, lead me to the light.
From death, lead me to immortality.
Om, peace, peace, let there be peace.
thebasublog 