Dreams That Blunt Our Humanity.
Wise words by the deputy Secretary General of
the UN
We continue to witness terrible atrocities committed in the
name of religion, or against individuals targeted simply because of their
ethnic or religious background. These abhorrent crimes are intended to cause
fear, hatred and deepening divisions.
AND
Education is one of our best defences against
prejudices that can lead to extreme violence. We must instil in our youth a
spirit that embraces pluralism and rejects all forms of discrimination or
racism. All generations must be engaged in breaking down the mind-set of “us”
versus “them”. All of us must join in the task of building societies that embrace
our common humanity.
Someone
wanted to know why this wasn't understood and carried out as a matter of fact? She
asked, “Isn't humanity what comes naturally to human beings?”
Here’s
what I think. Humanity comes naturally to human beings but so does pride in one’s culture and community. Nobody knows why this is so. It just is. It isn't xenophobia - a fear of foreigners. It is a positive feeling, one of pride in our traditions. Simultaneously,
“Most of us accept that while we follow
our own traditions, we need to let other communities follow theirs. We also
understand that there is a handful, for example, that old uncle of ours or our darling grandma, who feel threatened by the very presence of other communities.
They feel their own culture is being swamped and overshadowed. In their minds,
secularism, or tolerance for another religion, another culture, other ways of
doing things, pose threats to our own. It might be a perceived
threat, but to them, it seems very real. They long for the ‘good old days’ when
they lived within their own community without having to contend with the
strange ways of others. Their very identity, the identity of their community,
is wrapped up in their own rituals, habits, traditions and language. If any one
of these is under threat, then who they
are is under threat.
They resist even a slight divergence from their own
culture. Civilisation, as they see it, is represented by no other. They are
keen to preserve everything about that great culture for it is their rightful
heritage - their khandaan."
They perceive the desire for change as criticism …
criticism for their ways. How can anyone call themselves a true Hindu (or a
true Muslim, Sikh, Christian or Parsi),’ they ask, ‘and still desire a change
from our norms and traditions?' And yet they see it happening all the time.
They see others in their own community openly keen
to join the modern world and all the changes it brings. To an extent they
accept changes too - changes in communication and travel, science and technology,
and in modern medicine. What they can’t bear is to witness their own kind
enjoying differences in rituals, habits, in how they work and behave. They feel
stung. Almost betrayed. Everything they stand for seems to be falling apart
before their very eyes. They feel vulnerable.
The liberal minded go ahead and experiment. And we
feel really sorry for our traditionalists. It must be difficult to live in this
fast changing world. The traditionalists are a mere handful and yet, here’s an
amazing fact, their opinion is slowly gaining the upper hand in Mumbai. Why?
The reason is simple. They have … organised.
They have organised under the leadership of someone
who understands their fears and wishful thinking; someone who promises our
traditionalists a chance to return to their previous days of glory. The plan is simple. It is consistent and it
is universal. The first part of the plan is to ridicule the traditions of
others, so different from their own refined ones. The leader is strident and
loud in his or her condemnation. This emboldens our traditionalists to voice
their feelings of murmured discontent; to let off steam; to believe that here
is a person who will protect their faith, their community and their very
identity. And is there a price our traditionalists have to pay? Of course there
is. There always is. That is the second part of the plan. The leader lets it be
known that he or she can make good their promise only if voted to a position of
greater power and authority. This leader’s motives aren’t my concern today. Let
it suffice that the traditionalists do not look beyond the promise to ask what
the leader’s actual plans are. How does one make good on a promise to return to
the ‘good old days’? Force the others to renounce their own culture or
religion? Or send everyone back to where they came from? Or the more liberal
minded from within their own community to stop experimenting?” As mentioned
before, the traditionalists do not look beyond the promise. Bolstered by the
strong front behind which they stand, they become strident in their own verbal
attacks.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for those verbal
attacks against a whole community to become an attack against individuals. They
might have a neighbour or a co-worker who belongs to the hateful ‘others’. How
long before one or two verbal attacks spark off physical abuse? When that
happens, what do our traditionalists do? For the sake of the glory that was and
which they want back so badly, they are willing to accept that some individuals
from other communities - decent though they might be - could sometimes get
hurt. They turn a blind eye.
Incapable of hurting an ant under normal
circumstances, our traditionalists’ attitude has undeniably hardened. So where
have we, the tolerant majority, gone wrong? We aren’t the ones hurting others
so why are we to blame? We might not like some of the things they do in the
name of tradition but what can we do? Disapprove of someone’s grandfather or an
old aunt? Take a stance against our own?”
So WE turn
a blind eye.
Others amongst us prefer to distance themselves from
the whole thing - why stick our noses into something that doesn't concern us?
One way or another, we all take a vow of silence.
This is where our silence has led us. We are
beholden to, and victims of, the organised actions of a small proportion of
people from our own communities. Or, from a different perspective, we are
victims of the inaction of the tolerant majority. Either way there is extreme
mistrust between communities. Already great cracks have appeared in our secular
umbrella, in one law for all, in peace and harmony, in live and let live. If
things are allowed to carry on as they are, then in all probability, this
secular umbrella is going to crumble."
The above
is an excerpt from the book, “Never Mind Yaar”. In the excerpt, I've stated, “This leader’s motives aren’t my concern today."
Perhaps it
is time to define what I believe are those motives.
As you've seen from the excerpt, his or her strong actions against the ‘hateful’ others immediately
gives the leader credibility and followers. And you've also seen that the
strong front the leader presents is nothing but an impossible-to-keep
promise of the return to the mythical days of glory.
The more
savvy leader understands he or she need only reveal their ugly side to a select
few. The trick is to be seen to be a leader for all communities while their
army of paid ‘helpers’ hurl verbal and physical abuse at the ‘hateful’ others. The
army does the dirty work. The leader remains untouched. He emerges pristine, smelling of roses. It is important
to keep up appearances even if everyone suspects the leader is in collusion
with the ones who perpetrate the actions intended to physically and mentally
cow these hateful ‘others’.
The end
game is eventual power and wealth (or luxury) for themselves. It is couched in evoking the
longing for a fuzzy, rosy dream. Who would want to verify the reality of such a
glorious vision? The leader has fully understood that humanity doesn't hold a
candle to “if only”. To selling an impossible dream.
He knows the
vision he’s created has cleverly and effectively blunted our humanity.
Note from
the author: The Delhi elections are within a few days – on the 7th
of February. Hopefully, every Delhi-ite will vote. And hopefully, even if the elections are
fought unfairly by some parties, they will be unable to perpetrate any fraud
like booth captures by goons or exploiting the vulnerability of the EVMs to their advantage. I would vote for the party that has laid out detailed plans and the budget
for various issues that trouble Delhi-ites. But also, I would vote for the
party that sells the dream that enhances our humanity by promoting unity between communities.
Here’s a manifesto I like, respect and believe in. All the best, Delhi.
the UN
We continue to witness terrible atrocities committed in the
name of religion, or against individuals targeted simply because of their
ethnic or religious background. These abhorrent crimes are intended to cause
fear, hatred and deepening divisions.
AND
Education is one of our best defences against
prejudices that can lead to extreme violence. We must instil in our youth a
spirit that embraces pluralism and rejects all forms of discrimination or
racism. All generations must be engaged in breaking down the mind-set of “us”
versus “them”. All of us must join in the task of building societies that embrace
our common humanity.
Someone
wanted to know why this wasn't understood and carried out as a matter of fact? She
asked, “Isn't humanity what comes naturally to human beings?”
Here’s
what I think. Humanity comes naturally to human beings but so does pride in one’s culture and community. Nobody knows why this is so. It just is. It isn't xenophobia - a fear of foreigners. It is a positive feeling, one of pride in our traditions. Simultaneously,
“Most of us accept that while we follow
our own traditions, we need to let other communities follow theirs. We also
understand that there is a handful, for example, that old uncle of ours or our darling grandma, who feel threatened by the very presence of other communities.
They feel their own culture is being swamped and overshadowed. In their minds,
secularism, or tolerance for another religion, another culture, other ways of
doing things, pose threats to our own. It might be a perceived
threat, but to them, it seems very real. They long for the ‘good old days’ when
they lived within their own community without having to contend with the
strange ways of others. Their very identity, the identity of their community,
is wrapped up in their own rituals, habits, traditions and language. If any one
of these is under threat, then who they
are is under threat.
They resist even a slight divergence from their own
culture. Civilisation, as they see it, is represented by no other. They are
keen to preserve everything about that great culture for it is their rightful
heritage - their khandaan."
They perceive the desire for change as criticism …
criticism for their ways. How can anyone call themselves a true Hindu (or a
true Muslim, Sikh, Christian or Parsi),’ they ask, ‘and still desire a change
from our norms and traditions?' And yet they see it happening all the time.
They see others in their own community openly keen
to join the modern world and all the changes it brings. To an extent they
accept changes too - changes in communication and travel, science and technology,
and in modern medicine. What they can’t bear is to witness their own kind
enjoying differences in rituals, habits, in how they work and behave. They feel
stung. Almost betrayed. Everything they stand for seems to be falling apart
before their very eyes. They feel vulnerable.
The liberal minded go ahead and experiment. And we
feel really sorry for our traditionalists. It must be difficult to live in this
fast changing world. The traditionalists are a mere handful and yet, here’s an
amazing fact, their opinion is slowly gaining the upper hand in Mumbai. Why?
The reason is simple. They have … organised.
They have organised under the leadership of someone
who understands their fears and wishful thinking; someone who promises our
traditionalists a chance to return to their previous days of glory. The plan is simple. It is consistent and it
is universal. The first part of the plan is to ridicule the traditions of
others, so different from their own refined ones. The leader is strident and
loud in his or her condemnation. This emboldens our traditionalists to voice
their feelings of murmured discontent; to let off steam; to believe that here
is a person who will protect their faith, their community and their very
identity. And is there a price our traditionalists have to pay? Of course there
is. There always is. That is the second part of the plan. The leader lets it be
known that he or she can make good their promise only if voted to a position of
greater power and authority. This leader’s motives aren’t my concern today. Let
it suffice that the traditionalists do not look beyond the promise to ask what
the leader’s actual plans are. How does one make good on a promise to return to
the ‘good old days’? Force the others to renounce their own culture or
religion? Or send everyone back to where they came from? Or the more liberal
minded from within their own community to stop experimenting?” As mentioned
before, the traditionalists do not look beyond the promise. Bolstered by the
strong front behind which they stand, they become strident in their own verbal
attacks.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for those verbal
attacks against a whole community to become an attack against individuals. They
might have a neighbour or a co-worker who belongs to the hateful ‘others’. How
long before one or two verbal attacks spark off physical abuse? When that
happens, what do our traditionalists do? For the sake of the glory that was and
which they want back so badly, they are willing to accept that some individuals
from other communities - decent though they might be - could sometimes get
hurt. They turn a blind eye.
Incapable of hurting an ant under normal
circumstances, our traditionalists’ attitude has undeniably hardened. So where
have we, the tolerant majority, gone wrong? We aren’t the ones hurting others
so why are we to blame? We might not like some of the things they do in the
name of tradition but what can we do? Disapprove of someone’s grandfather or an
old aunt? Take a stance against our own?”
So WE turn
a blind eye.
Others amongst us prefer to distance themselves from
the whole thing - why stick our noses into something that doesn't concern us?
One way or another, we all take a vow of silence.
This is where our silence has led us. We are
beholden to, and victims of, the organised actions of a small proportion of
people from our own communities. Or, from a different perspective, we are
victims of the inaction of the tolerant majority. Either way there is extreme
mistrust between communities. Already great cracks have appeared in our secular
umbrella, in one law for all, in peace and harmony, in live and let live. If
things are allowed to carry on as they are, then in all probability, this
secular umbrella is going to crumble."
The above
is an excerpt from the book, “Never Mind Yaar”. In the excerpt, I've stated, “This leader’s motives aren’t my concern today."
Perhaps it
is time to define what I believe are those motives.
As you've seen from the excerpt, his or her strong actions against the ‘hateful’ others immediately
gives the leader credibility and followers. And you've also seen that the
strong front the leader presents is nothing but an impossible-to-keep
promise of the return to the mythical days of glory.
The more
savvy leader understands he or she need only reveal their ugly side to a select
few. The trick is to be seen to be a leader for all communities while their
army of paid ‘helpers’ hurl verbal and physical abuse at the ‘hateful’ others. The
army does the dirty work. The leader remains untouched. He emerges pristine, smelling of roses. It is important
to keep up appearances even if everyone suspects the leader is in collusion
with the ones who perpetrate the actions intended to physically and mentally
cow these hateful ‘others’.
The end
game is eventual power and wealth (or luxury) for themselves. It is couched in evoking the
longing for a fuzzy, rosy dream. Who would want to verify the reality of such a
glorious vision? The leader has fully understood that humanity doesn't hold a
candle to “if only”. To selling an impossible dream.
He knows the
vision he’s created has cleverly and effectively blunted our humanity.
Note from
the author: The Delhi elections are within a few days – on the 7th
of February. Hopefully, every Delhi-ite will vote. And hopefully, even if the elections are
fought unfairly by some parties, they will be unable to perpetrate any fraud
like booth captures by goons or exploiting the vulnerability of the EVMs to their advantage. I would vote for the party that has laid out detailed plans and the budget
for various issues that trouble Delhi-ites. But also, I would vote for the
party that sells the dream that enhances our humanity by promoting unity between communities.
Here’s a manifesto I like, respect and believe in. All the best, Delhi.
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