It finally hits home after two months. I'm in the most powerful nation in the world and it just elected a new leader, practically for the whole world. I can't help compare (forgive me for this impudence).
America has come a long way. From slavery to its first black president, this is a remarkable journey. While American people said "Yes, We Can", back home our notorious MNS said "No, We Won't". I read an article in the New York Times and came to know that, Mr. Raj Thackerey has been the centre-point of yet another furore. We cannot stand a person just from another state, let alone another religion, and we say "India, poised"...Poised with weapons to lunge at each others throats (?). (The article quoted someone saying, "Our own people are betraying us")!!
I'm not singing praises of USA as everybody else does. True, US society isn't all silver-lined. But, is it wrong to appreciate something that's genuinely good? With so many foreigners making a bee-line to this country, its really amazes me how tolerant the legal citizens are, especially after being exposed to the incidents of lathi charges back home. Compared to the MNS, the Americans seem to be angels. Of course there are lot of other factors, especially the availability of all resources here but still, the crux is we are being sensitive to petty issues. How should it matter who finds a job in which state? Aren't we all legal citizens of India? Some of my dearest friends are Maharashtrians and now are in various other states. I pray that they don't cross the path of some fanatic seeking revenge for all these incidents.
As Mahatma Gandhi said, one will be foolish to separate religion and politics. But, things are getting out of control. Instead of the spirit of nationalism (that we once read about in school textbooks), there's the spirit of regionalism and communalism. All these things are for the ultimate prize - regional vote banks. Petty things are now our breaking news while we say, "India is a growing super-power".
It really is upto us what we should choose to be concerned about. Obviously, "they" are doing all these "things" as they perceive that they stand to gain something. Are we all set to be influenced by such regional and "religional" fanatics? Are we all set to be wooed by them to make them our next leaders? Are we going the "right way"?
