The talkative Prime Minister sports two faces nowadays, one selling India abroad, 'Make in India' and the other bland avatar is donning a character like in our movies, 'Maun Modi.' He would have made a perfect anti-dote to Nana Patekar in Khamoshi. Yet, they pride themselves in sniggering at the liberal-cum-educated Indians as sickular.
The country is in tatters and we are hell bent in not only putting into jeopardy our hard earned freedom but destroy our social and secular fabric, where educated men and women have poured their everything into. Our freedom is being taken for granted. It is worrisome. It's a tragedy how many educated Indians are not challenging the threat to our social fabric and the trampling of civil liberties, respect for people of different faiths, read minorities and assault on the work of creative artists.
We live in a country where we revere the cow. It works for believers of a certain religion, the 'Gow-Mata' and for many of us belonging to this faith, like me, I refuse to make Gow-Mata an idol and icon of worship. I'll prefer to treat the cow with dignity and do my bit so that they don't eat plastic scattered on the streets, for instance. Then, who is listening?
The cow, a peaceful and beautiful animal whom we choose to revere as Maa (Mother) has now become a brand and the new superstar, the the face of India. The humble and loving animal is being hijacked to further political agenda and a propaganda tool to spurn hatred and kill in the name of religion. Why I am not surprised that proponents of Hindutva will force the cow to convert in this whole agenda of 'Ghar Waapsi.' Since it is the 'Gowmata' for some, it can legitimately become a Hindu. Why not? Ask the Bhakts about it. They will tell you how the poor cow was converted against its will and they are only rendering social service in bringing it back to its root. At the point, the Maun Modi Government and his ilk, Rashtra Sewak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad military brigade are going, we shouldn't be surprised to witness the cow be declared the national animal of India where every Hindu must have one and worship in their Puja Ghar (prayer room). It's Ghar Waapsi, you see.
The cow will come to the rescue of Hindu Girls seen with Muslim boys who will obviously be beaten to death, See! Those Muslim lads are using a ploy to trap Hindu girls and what about the latter being married to the cow. It's Swach Bharat Abhiyan. After all, our PM, Maun Modi's pet show of selling India abroad and doling largesse, dollars to fund projects and inviting investors to put their money in India. A curious case of double identity. How about selling some cows to phoren land?!
We are living in dangerous times in the face of religious chauvinism and terrorism, preaching with force and violence on single religious identity. It is a perfect recipe for disaster when we are stomping on the rights of minorities, forcing them to adopt a lateral religious identity of 'Bhakt'. It will result in a loss of identity and such assault in a secular society like our means playing with fire. Just imagine the chaos that will create with backlash and people resorting to violence to protect themselves. It's like giving serum to extremists to further their agenda, be it Hindutva or Taliban. At best, the Indian Government and its acolytes is pushing the agenda of 'Hindu Talibanism.'
It's not without reason that writers are returning the Sahitya Akademi Awards to protest against the violence perpetrated against minorities. The Dadri killing is a grim reminder of what can unfold if intellectuals don't come together to protest against this violence of killing and hatred. In any secular democracy, each and every community must have the fundamental right to evolve through their religious identity and compressing everyone under Hindutva or making ridiculous statements that Muslims will not allowed in Garba means politics of alienation. We are sitting on fire that will burn the country. It's not the India that I recognize, a country we feel proud of for its secular fabric and freedom of expression.
The wound of the Babri Masjid hasn't healed yet nor Godhra killing where innocent people were ruthlessly killed and innocent women cum children raped. It's not unfortunate but black days in the history of India. We are treading dangerously. Where has our tolerance gone? A revised one nation theory. It's not our vision of Plural India, our forefathers fought for. It's jingoist politics, extreme and terrorism by Hindu outfits. This brand of hate politics where intellectuals opposing the Hindutva brand of jingoism are being targeted and termed 'Sickular' doesn't augur well for the nation. We are banning everything, from cow slaughter to turning down the performance of singer Ghulam Ali and protesting against the book launch of Kasuri's book. The famous black ink!!!
Prime Minister Modi's silence is stuff conspiracy is made of and it's hurting not only the BJP Government but India's image. A false impression of what India is not about. Voices of intellectuals and educated must be heard. They need to protest and they owe it to the next generation. We cannot afford to be a country filled with hatred, prejudice and religious intolerance with this vision of India as a nation of Hindus, where Muslims and Christians are not only living in constant fear but prevented to practice their religious beliefs. No country can afford to do that. It's not about Digital India or Smart Phones and no Swach Bharat can happen unless we respect and let difficult religions blooming together. In diversity we take pride. Let's say no this brand of religious extremism and state politics of silence.
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| Image credit: Google India |
The cow will come to the rescue of Hindu Girls seen with Muslim boys who will obviously be beaten to death, See! Those Muslim lads are using a ploy to trap Hindu girls and what about the latter being married to the cow. It's Swach Bharat Abhiyan. After all, our PM, Maun Modi's pet show of selling India abroad and doling largesse, dollars to fund projects and inviting investors to put their money in India. A curious case of double identity. How about selling some cows to phoren land?!
We are living in dangerous times in the face of religious chauvinism and terrorism, preaching with force and violence on single religious identity. It is a perfect recipe for disaster when we are stomping on the rights of minorities, forcing them to adopt a lateral religious identity of 'Bhakt'. It will result in a loss of identity and such assault in a secular society like our means playing with fire. Just imagine the chaos that will create with backlash and people resorting to violence to protect themselves. It's like giving serum to extremists to further their agenda, be it Hindutva or Taliban. At best, the Indian Government and its acolytes is pushing the agenda of 'Hindu Talibanism.'
It's not without reason that writers are returning the Sahitya Akademi Awards to protest against the violence perpetrated against minorities. The Dadri killing is a grim reminder of what can unfold if intellectuals don't come together to protest against this violence of killing and hatred. In any secular democracy, each and every community must have the fundamental right to evolve through their religious identity and compressing everyone under Hindutva or making ridiculous statements that Muslims will not allowed in Garba means politics of alienation. We are sitting on fire that will burn the country. It's not the India that I recognize, a country we feel proud of for its secular fabric and freedom of expression.
The wound of the Babri Masjid hasn't healed yet nor Godhra killing where innocent people were ruthlessly killed and innocent women cum children raped. It's not unfortunate but black days in the history of India. We are treading dangerously. Where has our tolerance gone? A revised one nation theory. It's not our vision of Plural India, our forefathers fought for. It's jingoist politics, extreme and terrorism by Hindu outfits. This brand of hate politics where intellectuals opposing the Hindutva brand of jingoism are being targeted and termed 'Sickular' doesn't augur well for the nation. We are banning everything, from cow slaughter to turning down the performance of singer Ghulam Ali and protesting against the book launch of Kasuri's book. The famous black ink!!!
Prime Minister Modi's silence is stuff conspiracy is made of and it's hurting not only the BJP Government but India's image. A false impression of what India is not about. Voices of intellectuals and educated must be heard. They need to protest and they owe it to the next generation. We cannot afford to be a country filled with hatred, prejudice and religious intolerance with this vision of India as a nation of Hindus, where Muslims and Christians are not only living in constant fear but prevented to practice their religious beliefs. No country can afford to do that. It's not about Digital India or Smart Phones and no Swach Bharat can happen unless we respect and let difficult religions blooming together. In diversity we take pride. Let's say no this brand of religious extremism and state politics of silence.
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