The Shrinking Pitcher

This is a time when the differences are expanding greatly and the tolerance is diminishing, portraying a bleak future. At a time when there is a pride in the all inclusive attitude towards the world, the charade of inclusivity & tolerance gets shattered by the world events taking place.

Instances such as “Charlie Hebdo” attack show that this tolerance is diminishing greatly and if not checked, will have disastrous consequences. It was an instance of both sides committing a grave mistake. In a world, where religion is the engine driving the lives of so many people, creating a mockery on the religious sentiments, that too continuously doesn’t make sense to a rational mind. The freedom of speech & expression are surely an integral part of individual freedom, but the actions that cause the infringement of right of others should not have any place in a civilized society.

The understanding that right & wrong are based on individual perception seems missing. It might not be the ideal scenario, but this remains the practical one. A sense of maturity is missing when the faiths of others which are not known to us in entirety are being questioned and spoofed.

While this was immature, the reaction that happened in its aftermath was insane, to say the least. Shooting down people who criticize our actions or beliefs shows the immaturity of depending on others’ perception about our “way of life”.

An alternative way might have been to answer the questions through direct responses to editors, or through publication of their own. If one can hire guns to attack people, one can surely have the money to publish their ideas, opinions & beliefs.

The ability of not being able to take criticism is becoming a very large obstacle which is pegging the society back in its journey to higher levels.

Closer home, the differences between various religious groups are again becoming intense. Take into account the theory of “Love Jihad” of Hindu fundamentalists and their corresponding solution of “Ghar Wapsi Andolan”, it depicts nothing but our inability to respect/tolerate differences and our desire to show our supremacy.

Moreover, these differences & the absence of tolerance are not just restricted to the religious domain. In the process of our nation becoming a corporate Hindu state, the governments are forcing the indigenous people to cede their control over the resources in order to fulfill the needs of the influential and the rich.

Consider the case of Dandkaranya forest and the subsequent uprising of the locals there. As a civilization, we have stooped to such low levels where we are trying to meet our ends by snatching it from others. For the corporate, the bauxite in the mountains is nothing but a resource to be used for economic opportunities. But for the locals, these mountains are the source of their life, they sustain their livelihood. Furthermore, the economic plans have no place in it for these people. So, does it make sense to a rational mind to use arms against the wish of our very own people?

 Where are we going if we cannot understand and respect the needs & views of others? India’s great ability to sustain so many differences and yet being a single entity was the thing that astonished & attracted people. While we are going forward, an intelligent society would have a sense of responsibility in understanding and carrying the lessons learnt and legacies from the past.

Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej762GCi9Zc