If anyone tells me today that we were brave and intellectual in the past, I’ll agree with them whole-heartedly. But I’ll also ask them as to what happened to our present race. Show me one brave and intellectual Hindu, Muslim or Christian. From Bha-ratis we have become Bhee-ratis – total cowards. Bharati is one who has the orb of knowledge and courage surrounding him. Bheerati is the one who is Bheeru –coward. Now before you decide to chide me for such a statement, please do read…
What does any ordinary Hindu do when he sees something unjust happening within the community?
- He walks away from the scene.
- He rationalizes it within himself and says it is Kalyug.
- He justifies his non-participation in stopping it by saying to himself, “It is the duty of someone else.”
- He blames his earlier generation, previous politicians, judiciary, media & everyone else.
- If there is a violent agitation, he’ll try to keep away. If there’s a candle march, he’ll try to participate.
- If the injustice is towards his religion, he’ll try first to be secular. Then he’ll try to remind his brainwashed brain about his regressive, patriarchal culture and give excuses. Even after all this, if he feels he should do something, he’ll look for a petition to sign – that too, only if it doesn’t display his name, email id or other information.
- The maximum an average Hindu will do is fight online via Social Media … here too, he may want to mask his identity & not show is face or name.
What does any ordinary Muslim do when he sees something unjust is happening within the community?
- He shuts up about it on every social platform, because he has to see if anyone is raising their voice first and then see what happens to that person.
- He tries to tell the world that this injustice is happening because of years of discrimination against his community/religion.
- He checks whether it is injustice as per his holy book & the teachings in his community place of worship.
- If he still feels that something wrong is happening, he prefers to be invisible or leave the place till the situation is sorted out. (eg. if a group forces one to recite prayers in office during Ramzan and one doesn’t want to do so, one leaves on office work exactly during those hours)
- If pressurized to take a stand, he says it is the internal matter of the community, refuses to hear or speak anymore.
- On Social Media, he prefers to keep quiet if he is against the tide, but speaks voraciously if he wants to apportion blame.
What does any ordinary Christian do when he sees something unjust happening within the community?
- First and foremost, he waits for the Padre of his Church to speak on it.
- Then he waits and waits for the Bishop / Archbishop / Pope to speak on it.
- Then he waits to see how much the Media defends his community.
- Then he keeps quiet.
- If anyone from his own community supports the victims, he neither supports the victim nor the supporter.
- He will talk in whispers in the Church & say how something wrong is going on and the whole system has to be cleaned, but he will not talk out loudly or openly.
In such a situation, we really expect Bharat to become the power it was? A country becomes successful only if the people are brave and knowledgeable.
Still I think we have some scope to regain our glory. It is believed by Hindus that when Maha Vishnu, the Protector of the Universe sleeps, it is Devi – the Mother Goddess, who protects. Looking at the women in all the above three religions coming out of their houses to protest wrongdoing, whether it was the Nuns, or the Triple Talaaq or the Sabarimala issue, I still have hope for Bharat. Long live Naari Shakti!
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