Someone, Something, Somewhere. Review on India, General

"Someone did something to our God somewhere," said an angry teenager when journalists asked him why he had hurled heavy stones at the glass panels of the brand new mall in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

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When I was in school, I would recite the pledge every morning with no exception. I imagine that the crowd of 900 school children speaking in unison and in a high, bold voice in the calm air of the early morning made a very influential scene. The sleepy hangover of the night would be pulled off every morning when all of us would say, in one breath- "All Indians are my brothers and sisters. I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage."

I spoke the truth when I asserted thatI am proud of its rich and varied heritage. I am proud because almost all major religions of the world have settled and prospered in my country. Some Churches in India are older than Churches in Europe, where the religion's highest seat is situated. Mosques in India are sacred places of worship for all Muslims over the world. India has the largest Parsi population. Gautam Buddha was enlightened here, in my land. The Vedas were heard and documented on the banks of Indian rivers. So many languages are spoken in my country, so many different ways of worshipping the same God! There is so much to see, so much to learn and so much to admire. With every mile a new set of contexts; with every district a new story of heroic victories and gallant warriers; every inch of my land has been walked upon by inspired freedom fighters, social reformers, religious saints and immortal poets and writers. Yes, I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.

Today, I doubt whether I spoke the truth when I asserted that all Indians are my brothers and sisters. Long ago, the league of reformers comprising of Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Mahatma Phule and Vireshlingam Pantulu dreamt of a land where everyone was equal. Being born to parents of some occupation does not make you something by default. There is a human being in each one of us. They dreamt of a country where every child is born with a blank notebook on which the world writes only his name. They dreamt of a country where each man and woman dies by placing a full stop to the story they wrote in that notebook solely by themselves. They dreamt of a country where every man was at par. The dream was carried forward for generations to come and in some way or the other it seemed that the momentum was increasing. India claimed to be committed to eradicating social disparities. We proclaim our committment to a country free of caste-based discrimination every day, in every session of the legislature.

But alas, our commitment of creating a country free of casteism shows in perpetual increments in reservations. India is a democracy where everyone wants to be a minority. When we fought for our freedom, we had a common goal, a common cause and a common chase. Today I fear we have lost all ambition; we have no cause and we have no direction. We are once again a country of people in desperation trying to snatch the largest share of the single loaf of bread that we have. How can a country committed to social equality still justify reservations? Revenge is not reform. Shifting the load from the left hand to the right hand does not make it any lighter. It seems that we wish to go nowhere. We want to remain where we are. If that is what we have chosen, then we must stop all complaints.

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The desecration of Dr. Ambedkar's statue was a blaspheme to not just the communities who he represented but also to the great Indian dream of a stable, balanced, mature and united India. It was an act of disrespect to the values on the basis of which our nation was formed. A strong and firm reaction to it was called for. But a violent retaliation was not.

If I burn down a couple of buses, smash the windows of new malls, set ablaze railway trains, break roads, disrupt civic life and endanger private property, then I cannot imagine how I have reclaimed the self-respect and dignity that was harmed by the desecration of my hero's statue. Which self-respecting man will take to the streets and reduced to dust the same infrastructure, the paucity of which is otherwise my regular complaint? Some months ago, I walked down the corridors of the Municipal Corporation demanding better roads and better public transport. Today, I block highways with sewage pipes and burn buses and trains.

Revenge is not reconciliation, leave aside redemption. As Martin Luther King put it, "Violence adds darkness to a night already devoid of stars."

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That single line still haunts me today, frightening me with how lost, blind and directionless these angry mobs are. That line-- "Someone did something to our God somewhere."

So go ahead, young man. Seek revenge against this unkown "someone" for his unknown "something"... I will sit inside my home hoping that you actually do get "somewhere" in the end... Peace be unto you!