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Wednesday, February 01, 2006


Of riots and massacres...

'There is another Gujarat waiting to happen'

This news story from rediff.com and many more such stories give a clear idea why the country is sitting on a virtual gunpowder, which can blow it if not into more pieces, but surely to bleed more profusely than ever before. Right along the brouhaha of India shining and the country becoming a super economic and military power, there is one reality that is being masked and shielded or just not given enough attention by the media, which is either too involved in sting operations or covering some celebrity birthday, love story, break up etc.

'India is my country. I'll live here and fight back'

There are certain parts of the country which are in real communal turmoil of some form or other be it rapid radicalisation of the improvished Muslim community in the certain parts of the country or the increasing hatred being spread by the right wing Hindu activists across the country against the religions which they consider 'outsiders'.

The most pitiful thing is that the section of the young generation that forms the cream of the country is least concerned. They are too involved in making a mark for themselves, planning to become CEO's and managers, which are the best thing they can do for themselves and their family and even for the country. But one thing that beats me is how would they do all this if the very country they reside turns more radical and communal each passing day.

I myself form a section of the youth whose sole aim in life is to be successful, grow big and do every good thing worth doing in life. But there are certain things that catch up every now and then either from past, - being a ten year old sneaking through a riot and curfew hit Mumbai to supply food to an ailing grandfather in hospital to spending the nights in the chawls so that we can be safe if the buildings are burnt in the night and many more such memories - and the present where there is terrorism and communal hatred is very much alive and spreading fast rather then any of signs of abating.

Every time I think or write about such things, I find it too difficult to complete them and a logical manner, just too many emotions and sentiments gather as a storm in me and leave me wordless.

So I come back later to complete this post, well considering the finesse and brutality with which the Gujarat massacre were orchestrated by the state and very well covered up later, I shriek at the thought of the next riots taking place. Thinking, which would be the next city, next community whose people will be massacred and plundered and who would be the next 'hero' who'll dance on their ashes.

---Asif

2 Comments:

  • Asif,

    Totally emphathize with your opinion and prediacment. The 92 riots for me was a very distant happening coz there were no Muslims in Kanjur and none too in my friends circle. The only time we used to be worried was when my Dad used to reach home by midnight. Dad had to walk one entire night to reach my aunt who had just delievered a baby in Mangalore.
    but, the Gujarat riots brought the whole madness in our homes and definitely it was a eye-opener.

    But, you say that the young ppl are not concerned about such things in their search for material nirvana.

    But, IMHO I find the youngsters getting extremely radicalized..May it be religion,regionalism or language. Everyone has a parochial bent of mind.
    I have seen people from most-renowned insti's too behaving like the Sangh guys or the SIMI types.

    So, dont know what the answer is..

    HP

    By Blogger HP, at 6:46 am  

  • One answer to this madness and mayhem is accountability. People don't dare to act alone in such devilish manner for the fear of law, but when they act in a group which is politically affliated they know they have an immunity against the law of land which is highly impotent. The clear examples being people ruling the states and nations after orchestrating riots time and again, No single political figure has ever being penalised by the law of the land for participating in the massacres.
    As for the youngsters, Yes they are becoming highly radicalised probably for the reason stated above and lot of other socio-political reasons, which require a separate discussion.

    ---Asif

    By Blogger As If, at 6:33 am  

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