India, the land that consists of the ancient, spiritual riches need to be re-defined today by each of its citizen. Definition given by each of the Indians is supposed to be unique. Yet, there must be some underlying spirit, a core of set values in it. Respect for humanity is supposed to be the very first one. It is a unique one with no further divisions added to it. Everyone needs to feel with others both joys and pains. If I respect all human beings without looking the Gender, class, religion and region it must be the very first value. An expression ‘I will not push and stamp those around me to get into a train or bus’ is just a practical one of this value. Humanity in the other need to be respected; not only of the rich, powerful, and mighty but everyone, whoever be it, even a beggar. A beggar can be sent away with hands full of cash but overflowing from our arrogance. But such an individual, a representative of all who are less powerful than the ‘I’ must be respected in as much as I like to be respected in any group.
Respecting others is only the beginning
point. It is not the only thing that we must do but the first one. Respecting
our own selves is equally important. It is a simple and easy expression for
those who respect others. Such people will also find it easy to see the
goodness in him and yet try to overcome the bad qualities. It is not an obsession;
it spontaneously arises from the respect that I give to others. I lose nothing
and I gain a whole lot.
In our discussion about others, it is
easy to get lost without specifying who we are and what we are trying to do.
Here, we Indians must learn to understand to regard ourselves as Indians not as
one belonging to a particular religion, region, caste or gender. Unfortunately,
those systems that we have developed over past decades to bring out
economically, socially poor have turned out to be the worst, in terms of
raising various identities to individuals, and creating confusion. And as
Indians today we try to bring all these identities to a consensus to help
ourselves from forming another era of ‘casteism’ under the disguise of
‘classeism[1]’.
In the past, our lives were coloured so much with who should do what and who
should not do what: and such a system helped to bind our minds, our creativity,
innovation and thirst for knowledge. I am not denying that there were many
outstanding gifts from the past, but those gifts were the gifts of a few
privileged individuals. Probably, many of such gifts we lost because only a few
were supposed to think and others were forced to listen. So what India must do
is that bring out a single identity for Indians that helps them to be what they
are, that helps them to explore their own limits in any field of knowledge.
The world has become closer today than
ever before. We feel closer to each other from any corner of the world,
sometimes we feel even threatened by the nearness we experience from others and
such an agony have forced most people a renewed thirst for identity. This
forces each one to find new arenas of identity, thus projecting various
identity of region, caste, sub-caste, clans, sub regions, religion and varied combination of all these with an
extended division underlying all these with gender. Most interestingly, people
of today are no longer interested in large identities, but particular
identities and complex combinations. Thus today, sub caste, and clans, small
regions, within a wider group take precedence. Acknowledging those identities
are good. Yet, we need to build one single identity by way of a set of values
rather than destruction of identity of others. The single identity should not be
an offspring of a religion, region, language or gender. A prosperous and rich
country is our dream and it will remain as a dream if our priorities are our
particular identities rather than as an Indian.
It is easily said, to create a new
identity. In this case ‘no longer said than done’, is not a practical solution.
It’s a long and hard journey. Human as we are, we tend to be greedy for
ourselves, over concerned with our personal needs and poking our head wherever
we could find few bucks. Under such circumstances many initiatives taken in the
country as part of its struggle to set things right in our country is washed
away with a little support from the majority of the country. However, we must
acknowledge that recent struggles by various individuals from the civil society
was supported and reached a step further. But I see it as a failure or to put
modestly only as lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness rather than
a huge leap made by Indian society for the simple reason that majority of
supporters of these groups were supporting the leader because of his class or
caste or religion, or region. Why are we so much obsessed with these identities
than the core issues? Why is that an initiative started in any corner of India
is not supported by the rest of India? Did all parts of India really shake in
spite of various issues in the past decades after Independence by any non political
organisation with other than motivation to power? Acquiring power is one way of
changing things, but is that the only way? There are so many unanswered
questions for you.
Why does Indian citizen much obsessed
with the inborn and acquired status of their leaders? Why is that an initiative
started in any corner of India is not supported by the rest? Why is that till
today hardly any supporters of any movement on the common problem neither acquired
common support nor created waves reverberating in similar settings? How is that
when people belonging to a particular region is targeted economically and even
physically and rest of the nation watches silently the events, nodding the
heads in doubt and desperation? How is that, in our country, when a woman is
violated only women protest apart from some close relative men? How is that, in
our country when a politician’s integrity is questioned, is still able to
survive in power and able to get re-elected in our country soon after or later?
How is that, some politicians continue to remain what they are in spite of the
fact they are caught for corruption for so many times as leaders just because
he belong to a cast that is more in number? Are we still with democracy or with
numerocracy[2] where
number of supporters are more important and not wishes of the people nor common
good or not even for minority?
Yes, Indians we have a shell to break.
We are still in eggs, like a chick, and are afraid to face the world. Our
support for public issues such as corruption, violation of human rights should
change into mass movements. Young as we
are, we belong to a young nation. Like Gandhi turned Indian National Congress
from a elitist movement to widespread destiny changing movement. We cannot live
in perpetual fear of losing out what we have. We need to support basic issues,
not based on caste and region or religion of the leader but more on issues
across all barriers, some of the imaginary and support more and more the core
issues. The identity of the victim should not cause a trouble for us to stand
behind them and support. If your MP or MLA is corrupt and he belongs to your
party, you should show the courage not to vote for him/her again.
The above ones are necessary and
without those values we cannot survive prosperously and peacefully in our
country. But there is another value that we need to develop as a society that
stands as foundation for all other something that can destroy or bring up a
democracy, the fourth pillar media.
As an avid reader of many of the leading
Malayalam and English newspapers, the only thing that I keep in mind is that I
try to do no creative action or thinking after reading newspapers. Every page,
every line is obsessed with negative energy. If at all one finds positive news it
would be in the inner most page and in an unnoticeable place. It’s not just
about newspapers and media it is also true about our topics of discussions, all
of them, quite often if not most often is something that generates negative
energy, condemning or glorifying the wrongs done to make money, fame or
prestige. Finally, all of them may end up making another story for the same
pages.
It must be a deliberate choice that we
take in our life to generate positive energy in our talks, and bringing about such
pieces of news. By these words, I am not condemning those honest and courageous
journalists, who with their hard work and commitment finds the wrong done by
the mighty and powerful in the country but rather an adequate space also should
be given to the positive energy and priority should not be sensationalism based
on negative energy. It is the right time for the media to realize that their
commitment to money not to the news can become detrimental to their money
itself. If not, tomorrow another civil society movement will arise to bridle
the wild horse that never supposed to be bridled for the good of the democracy.
My wish for India is that our dedication and commitment to build a better
future for India be a successful one!
[1] Classeism
is a mixture of Caste and Class system. An individual belonging to a particular
caste and having money considered as the highest in society. It also follows
the same hierarchical structure of Caste system.
[2] Numerocracy would mean
a situation in democracy where citizens are considered as just numbers. They
are important to the rulers in as much as they are a vote bank for them.
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