FALL MIDNIGHT, August 14, 1947 and the whole nation geared up to welcome the glorious dawn of a free India. A country wherein there would be no violence, no discrimination and each person would enjoy the rights of freedom. Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Bhagat Singh and Maulana Azad are a few names of our great leaders and freedom fighters who fought till their last breath so that we could live peacefully. If only they had foreseen what India would be like 50 years after Independence. Had they been alive now, they would have definitely repented the outcome of their dream project.
Our freedom fighters ousted the British who followed the divide and rule policy, so that we Indians could live peacefully and we did prove to them that we stand united.
Looking back upon time, who would believe that India was one of the most peaceful and richest countries in the world. There was a time when unity and integrity were the epitomes of our country. The current scenario gives exactly an opposite image where people fight and brutally kill their fellow countrymen for issues as petty as land ownerships, territories, family disputes, dowry, reservations and so on.
Has life become so cheap? Every now and then, we get to hear about the serial bomb blasts in major and highly populated regions, killing and injuring numerous innocent people, newly wed brides getting burnt by in-laws for dowry, and girls being harassed.
The serial bomb blasts in Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan, Bangalore and Mumbai jolted the nation. In the month of July, Indore witnessed one of the most inhumane deeds of mankind called the communal riots, in which seven innocent people were killed and several injured in the open firing. The issue was land reservations for Amarnath yatris (pilgrims). The ruling political parties had called for an ’all India bandh’ in its favour but when some people did not partake in the bandh, the hooligans started shouting provocative slogans in Muslim areas which flamed communal riots. Ultimately, the police had to announce a curfew for almost one week to curtail the riots.
A recent incident in Mumbai is another example of political violence where the city blazed under riots just because a dominant politician did not want the North Indians to take advantage over the Maharashtrians for job opportunities in Mumbai. The violence claimed one more life of a 25-year-old boy from Bihar. The boy had come to Mumbai seeking job opportunities, but was disappointed. As a result, in a fit of rage and frustration he held the passengers in a bus as hostages and got killed by the police in a firing. Were the north Indians different from other Indians?
Before Independence the fight was against British, after partition it was against Pakistanis and now the fight is amongst ourselves.
For years together, every morning children have been reciting our Indian National pledge in their schools and taking an oath to protect the nation’s culture and heritage. We are also amongst the one’s who once pledged the same.
“India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage. I shall always strive to be worthy of it.”
But every time that there is a riot, we tend to kill our own brothers and sisters and also damage the national property.
“I shall give respect to my parents, teachers and elders and treat everyone with courtesy.”
When it comes to fights, thefts and violence, we have no mercy for the elderly. Be it a 90-year-old person or a nine year old kid, the rebellions do not think before harming them.
“To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion. In their well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness.”
It’s exactly the reverse condition, ’in my well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness’, ’who cares if the world is on fire, at least I’m safe in my house… ’ is the kind of attitude everyone carries now.
What examples are we setting up for our next generation? The youth today is facing behavioral changes because of addictions to drugs, alcohol and smoking. More and more youngsters in the age group of 14 – 25 have taken up cyber crime. Even the police crime statistics reveal the increase in indulgence of youngsters in crime.
We have heard about the riches when once our country was called the golden bird. The British and the Portuguese robbed us of our wealth. And now the western influence is robbing us of our true wealth which is our heritage, customs, and values. Corruption, hypocrisy and brutality have taken over ethics, morals and accountability of us as Indians. It is not just one person who is responsible but each and every individual is to be blamed for the downfall.
If the outrageous increase in crime continues, the grandeur, the dignity and the culture of this nation will only remain as a mention in old history books.
The question to ponder about is, is the government and the system putting enough efforts to stop this nonsense?
If the war has to be, it has to be against ’violence’.
