I doubt very much that there is any Indian whose head will not bow in shame at the mindless rapes and barbaric killings that are going on in the country. The public lynching of fifty year old Mohammed Akhlaq, a few days ago in Uttar Pradesh, is yet another shameful act committed by self righteous bigots.
It was a shameful and inhuman act committed based on flimsy grounds. Yet there is a section of Indians who are brushing it aside just as “usual mob frenzy, unfortunate incidence, it happens all the time”. Powerful people who should be condemning the shameful act with strongest words appear to be mute, blind and deaf to the incidence. It is as if, value of human life is measured only based on religion, community and political preferences.
Our beloved country has come a long way since it was ruled by the various kings and rulers. For over two hundred years the country was under the yoke of the mighty colonial power of the British Empire. It took the bravery of a frail old man and many brave men and women to dare the mighty British Empire. After years of struggle and sacrifices, some with their lives, the country was redeemed of the colonial powers.
Since then, the country has come a long way to being one of the most developed countries in Asia. We should be proud of our heritage, our history and our struggle for freedom from slavery. The world wondered in awe on how the country stood as one strong nation, in spite of its diverse culture, languages and religious practices. “Unity in diversity” was the strong mantra for the country in becoming an economic force to reckon with, in the region.
Yet, what do we see today! The very fabric that bound the people together has been torn into shreds by fanatics. For some years now zealous bigotry started rearing its ugly head. People started killing each other in the name of religion, community, culture, region or political preferences. Social tolerance, which was once the strength of the country, has been torn apart. It seems that being Indian is not enough, it seems to be the least of concerns.
Who can forget the day when a place of worship was torn down by frenzied mob lead by group of bigots who stood by watching the shameful incidence with obvious sickening glee on their faces! Who can forget spate of explosions and mass killings of innocent people that have taken place at various public places, carried out by handful fanatics all in the name of retribution. Since then, there have been spate of incidences of murder and mayhem.
Irresponsible people are going around instigating gullible people with their hate speeches, spewing venom, casting aspersions on a section of the population and exhorting people to resort to divisive methods. They are even trying to dictate how one should live his or her life.
On the other hand, the number of gullible people who seem to be falling for the barbaric rhetoric of these hate mongers is frightening. Suddenly there seems to be an overwhelming atmosphere of distrust and intolerance among people. How easy it has become to incite violence!
Every drop of blood sacrificed by all those brave men and women must be asking with anguish, why did we let the country reach such a deplorable situation? Is this what we fought for and redeemed the country from the slavery and yoke of invaders and colonial powers? What happened to “free India”? Why are some forces wanting to take country back to the dark ages? Why is there so much hatred and intolerance and so much wanton frenzy to kill each other? Oh, why, why is my country bleeding?
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