My voice sounds like a whimper amidst shouts of “NaMo! NaMo!” I fall back on my seat, tired from pacing in eagerness for the declaration of results. Now, what was I expecting? The exit polls showed a gaping margin of win for BJP. And from the start of counting, it was toppling all the stalwarts of the losing party.
To conceal who is your candidate (party) of choice is a thing of the past now. We citizens of the largest democracy of the world were so desperate for a dramatic change that we not only announced proudly who deserved to win, but also tried to influence those who didn't agree with us. Yes, the lotus appealed to where the hand failed. It promised to rectify all wrongs. I trust it will. That is the need of the hour, to regain the respect we rightly deserve.
Even before the lotus showed leading in the counting charts, the mere anticipation had the sensex shoot up, the neighbouring countries reconsider their stand and the chances of another recession look bleak. This looked like the heralding of an economic and political stability. I definitely want a government that can lift India out of the quagmire. But I also pray for a government that wouldn’t allow the atrocities that my people were a victim to, agonize them again.
The hand had looted us at gun-point. All statistics blare out the disparity what our country enjoyed a decade back and what it has been reduced to now. If I have even an iota of patriotism, I wouldn’t want to be shamelessly robbed anymore. But I’m fearful of my safety now.
I don’t want to be another target just because I have a cross around my neck, or a white cap on my head or because I wear a turban. Nobody chooses bigotry deliberately. We are not Hitler. But at times, the passion to advance our beliefs so overpowers us that everything different from us seems not worthwhile to exist. I’m terrified of becoming a victim to this phase of communal wave.
Mentioning each of those incidents, which send a shiver down my spine, would be futile because they have been discounted as ‘just another accident’ or one of ‘those riots’. But when we delve a bit more, we see just how those in power abetted such incidents.
It’s hard to influence people as such. Everyone has their own structure of priority. I thought for a moment if my worries were irrelevant? I spoke to people who shared the same fears. And I understood, not everyone can be biased. And I saw why everyone was opinionated alike. There must be a recollection of dread which is deep ingrained.
My people have been a minority and will remain as such. I don’t demand for quotas or reservations or even any special privileges. I only ask to belong to this ‘secular’ nation, I proudly call my motherland.
“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high...into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake."
~ Rabindranath Tagore
Jai Hind!
I must say namrata that you have written this with a lot of emotion & this emotion is shared by a lot of my friends, mostly from kerala where christians constituted one third of my class strength. Though i wouldn't want to get into a ' agree to disagree ' mode, let me take you through the thought process of your friend from the majority community. The basic question is what constitutes secularism? Is it a bunch of politicians getting elected every five years? Or is the the responsibility of minority community to hold flag of secularism? To me, secularism is us. 80% population follows one religion & still the country's top agenda of discussion during is welfare of minorities, this is secularism. Till the time i dont hesitate in going to church & kneeling before christ, or bowing my head before a masjid or eating at a gurdwara, secularism will remain ingrained in us and no Mr. Modi can take that away. If it had been Mr. Rahul Gandhi in place of Mr. Modi, would it suffice? Its important to understand the chronology of riots. Even hindus get bullied & robbed in muslim dominated areas. These incidents are area specific or endemic. We are too young as a nation & it will take some time before all this religion talk becomes irrelevant. The only way possible is socio economic development at a faster pace but this can only happen if everyone takes collective responsibility. Minorities need not feel victimised all the time. They must act a part of it.
ReplyDeleteHi Katy! I've been warned not to engage in deep levels of discussion here, so I'll keep it short. :)
Delete'Secularism' I think is not tolerating discrimination against anybody, either by the bunch of politicians or the responsible citizens.
I agree, the 'welfare of minorities' is a point on the country's agenda of discussion. Which is similar to the huge budgets allocated for the uplifting of BPL population. There are heaps of acts and laws. But they are in the government houses. On the streets, its a different story!
It can be considered endemic where in riots people are killed indiscriminately without any bar. But when a particular sect of people are targeted, it isn't accident.
My point here was not to emphasize heavy words like "secularism" and all, or to attack a particular government. It's just a hope that it won't be a repeat of incidents that your friends suffered, which you seem to be aware of. I hope this time its different. :)
You are right Namrata this (riots) has happened alot of time in our Independent, secular India. But today what i feel is we all need to feel above all this we all need to dump the words like communalism and secularism because what i fell is that every time when we talk about secularism there is communalism in that.
ReplyDeleteWe need a country who give equal oppurtunity to all and i beleive our new government will not restrict any community or caste to grab that oppurtunity from them.
However this BJP or Modi phobia can be diminshed by time and what i have seen in these election that people from all caste and religion showed some faith on Mr. Modi otherwise this kind of mandate was impossible to get. So i think we all should wait and see what does he do before making any new perception about his government and should help him to make our country spiritually and economically stronger.
The whole world is a bit shaken to see us unite standing straight because everyone knows when India will show unity it will really damn hard to rule over it.
Our Indian culture says...
"Our thoughts can be different...
But there should not be any differnces in our heart. "
Jai Hind!!!! Jai Bharat!!!!
I know Srijan, from the day Modi has been declared the PM candidate, the words "secularism" and "communalism" have been bombarding us, which can be quite tedious. The fear that I have expressed above, is because of my experience as a little girl, the last time this government was in power.
DeleteAnd I too hope with the rest of our country that India reaches new levels! :)
Found this article on Net today : "Why I support Narendra Modi"
ReplyDeletehttps://medium.com/news-and-politics/fc6aadb1e5fb
It's on 6th place on the top 100 articles on Medium for April.
Not surprised!
DeleteThat's why Modi is our new PM-designate!
Hii namrata
ReplyDeleteFirst of all many many congratulations for your new job.
I don't know you personally but I am a huge huge fan of your writing ...its so crisp and moving that content become secondary.
This particular article is also great , considering style of writing but I am dispointed that I can't say same about content.
Let me take a some extract of your article
You said you don't want to be targeted just because you have a cross around your neck a skull cap or a turban .....if I remember correctly turbens are removed by great secular party of India , I don't have any knowledge of cross been temperted about skull cap yes out of 2000 riots happen After independence there was a godhara also.
But after that there is peace , prosperity and development in the region but we don't want to credit the gov for same. Its OK.
But still I am unable to differentiate between secular riots and communal riots , same is the case with secular dangai and communal dangai.....
How can only 2002 can be categeorised as communal riot where as muzzafar nagar , asam, bhagalpur, Maharashtra , and almost all other parts of India is said as secular .
One reason which can be stated that 2002 was under modi and rest all are under secular gov.
Only one SIT has been conducted in riots , that was in Gujarat riot, rest all riots are locally investigated.
Supreme appointed SIT given clean chit to innocent and prosecuted guilty where as 1984's secular riots victims are wining elections and since they are secular their free roaming does not create fear...
Their can't be any secularism without majority will.
But still some one is fearful of an productive government and want to be humiliated on name of secularism than what can be done.
Indian majority is so aware that it will not let any one ruin minority right.
I am more afraid of there secular rights and secular dangaies because they ruin economically , mentally, emotionally and socially.
So let's congratulate new gov and not insult Indian democracy by such senseless doubt's.
Some one has said....secularism is most proatitided word in Indian political circle.
By great write up namarata keep writing.
Thanks a lot! :)
DeleteThere are a lot of questions which are still unanswered regarding the 2002 riots. Since the Supreme Court has given a 'clean chit', I'll choose to respect the judicial authority and keep mum on that.
As I said, I am not differentiating between "secular" or "communal" riots. But let me tell you, during the previous rule of the present party, Christians of Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, and many more states were terrified to carry a Bible in hand out of their homes, and were prohibited from meeting even at houses for fellowship. A repeat of this is what I am scared of.
In fact, I'm hoping to be proved wrong :)
Hii namrata
ReplyDeleteFirst of all many many congratulations for your new job.
I don't know you personally but I am a huge huge fan of your writing ...its so crisp and moving that content become secondary.
This particular article is also great , considering style of writing but I am dispointed that I can't say same about content.
Let me take a some extract of your article
You said you don't want to be targeted just because you have a cross around your neck a skull cap or a turban .....if I remember correctly turbens are removed by great secular party of India , I don't have any knowledge of cross been temperted about skull cap yes out of 2000 riots happen After independence there was a godhara also.
But after that there is peace , prosperity and development in the region but we don't want to credit the gov for same. Its OK.
But still I am unable to differentiate between secular riots and communal riots , same is the case with secular dangai and communal dangai.....
How can only 2002 can be categeorised as communal riot where as muzzafar nagar , asam, bhagalpur, Maharashtra , and almost all other parts of India is said as secular .
One reason which can be stated that 2002 was under modi and rest all are under secular gov.
Only one SIT has been conducted in riots , that was in Gujarat riot, rest all riots are locally investigated.
Supreme appointed SIT given clean chit to innocent and prosecuted guilty where as 1984's secular riots victims are wining elections and since they are secular their free roaming does not create fear...
Their can't be any secularism without majority will.
But still some one is fearful of an productive government and want to be humiliated on name of secularism than what can be done.
Indian majority is so aware that it will not let any one ruin minority right.
I am more afraid of there secular rights and secular dangaies because they ruin economically , mentally, emotionally and socially.
So let's congratulate new gov and not insult Indian democracy by such senseless doubt's.
Some one has said....secularism is most proatitided word in Indian political circle.
By great write up namarata keep writing.
Gutsy post rising in the backdrop of a strong and criticism-intolerant Modi Wave. Good job!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
CRD
Do drop by mine