Being Indian. Being Human.

I hardly write or discuss anything on religion or politics.  I have either remained aloof or quit groups that discuss them. I am not scared to express my views. I simply abhor the two subjects! 

I grew up in a village surrounded by all kinds of people, from all religious and caste divides. I have also been advised to stay away from certain sections of the neighbours, not because they belonged to a particular sect, but they were dirty. Some of them toiled in the mushy farmlands while others worked hard in the rich households in the neighbourhood. If their hands and feet were dirty, it was because they worked hard to earn their daily bread. 

I gladly disobeyed the family dictate and happily indulged in friendship with the kids of my age and ate the sumptuous, simple meals which their families eagerly fed me, whenever we were tired. Today, I have to pay through my nose to eat the Cuppa and Fish curry, the staple diet of those families, which they lavishly spread out to me, and let me tell you, it tasted heavenly. My parents regularly complained that my wheatish skin was getting darker, thanks to my free time indulgences with the neighbourhood kids. Skin and fairness creams weren't prevalent those days and the dark remained dark and the fair took pride in being fair! My parents never mentioned anything more, and I am glad they didn't. As educated people, perhaps they would have learned to hide the divides within themselves. I am proud of them.   

The internet revolution almost brought an end to the concept of nations, languages, religions and ushered in a global village. I had imagined a new world order being launched and thought it would be the last that I would hear the cries of caste and creed, over humanity. It is only strange that the internet is largely used to spread the divisive politics that represent religion. Do we realize where the vitriolic outbursts of our politicians lead us? They use religious symbols to build walls of insanity between friends and neighbours and divide us vertically. They have realized that they have run short of any workable dogma and would be soon jobless if they don't join hands with the religious voices that seem to hold more bearing these days. 

Over the past few years, I have seen educated men and women of all age groups wave their flags of religion more than the nation. I have seen a certain ugly nationalism trying to usurp the sacred expressions of nationalistic fervour we had as we grew up from a secular state into a polarised destroyed society. We have evolved from a regressive past into an even further regressive present, and I dread what we would become in the years to come. 

I believe being a good Indian is being a good human being. As a nation, we never invaded others, instead opened our doors to all cultures who came in further enriching our society, making it a colourful convergence of cuisines, art, literature, music, dances and architecture. Whichever religion we may have born into, each Indian is a true representation of this fascinating culture of cultures. We cannot disconnect from the past under the pretext of liberating us. Being born in a particular religion is nothing to be proud or sad to be. We are only different from one another by certain habits, attire and rituals which do not divide us but unite us in a colourful fashion. As a population, we share the same DNA composition, the same values and the undying spirit of being humane. 

If we were once a population that believed in being the perfect host, we should continue to be so, regardless of the voices that desperately try to separate us. India is being respected by the world, not because of its armed power or technological ingenuity, but the values that we uphold and the ethos we represent as a race that believes that the whole universe is a single-family. 

Let us flaunt the resplendence of our diversity. Lokha Samastha Sukhino Bhavandu 

- Sujil Chandra Bose