Recently, I was returning from Kolkata when a fellow traveller, a Bengali lady, demanded to know what I thought about the whole ruckus. Having answered that the "right thinking majority" of the marathi people did not support Raj's ideas, she confronted me with a question I have puzzled over ever since. "Then why aren't you doing anything about it?", she demanded, obviously pained.
What a silly question, I thought. "But what can I do?", I asked in response. "The masses have historically been silent and disorganized on such issues, and how can I be expected to organize them. There is no organized dissent.", I pleaded.
And yet, something kept gnawing at my conscience. For long after, I wondered if it was the difference in the politics of Bengal and Maharashtra that, perhaps, caused her to ask me such a question. That perhaps the "right thinking majority" of Bengal, its "intelligentsia", had a voice, or some say in all matters public, that permitted citizens to protest such blatantly anti-constitutional, divisive parochialism. Until I realized the cruel irony of it all, that Bengal is run by the Communists and Maharashtra by the Democratic Front.
Ever since then, I have puzzled over what the terms "silent majority", "right thinking masses" and "organized dissent" mean. How can these masses be organized in order to bring an end to such repeated hijacking of the legitimate political process, in what should by now be a mature democracy? And how can any one man, woman or child even be expected to make a difference?
I was falling prey to the very "drop in the ocean" pessimism that plagues these "silent masses" and keeps them silent in the first place. And then it hit me.
'The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing', Edmund Burke once said. And I agree.
For how long must this unholy equation of hatred equals votes be permitted to continue?
Thats right, permitted. It is us, we the people, who allow such insanity to subsist, and such idiots to stand for elections. How easy it is to hate, and difficult to understand, tolerate, or love. But now I'm contradicting facts. We are tolerant as a society. Sure we are.
We tolerate the peon in the government office who seems to be the only one who can get things done, and we do in fact accommodate him when he asks for only a small sum to have the babu do it.
We do in fact, tolerate the policeman at the traffic junction who asks for only a small sum to overlook the fact that we jumped the traffic light or are not in possession of valid documentation, and in turn, he tolerates us too, by overlooking it. An example of mutual tolerance if there ever was one.
We do tolerate our netas and babus who routinely embezzle public funds for personal purposes or electioneering, as though it is their god given right.
But these issues pale in comparison to the much larger issue of the steady erosion of our nation's social fabric. Yes, mother India is being systematically denuded, and has been for quite some time. But I cannot blame the politicians alone, for it is us who vote for them. It is us who permit them to go on saying what they say, to go on espousing hatred over fraternity, totalitarianism over liberty.
Why is it so easy for them to manipulate our emotions or sentiments? Because we let them. The next time a politician such as Raj or his infamous uncle utter such partisan words, the public ought to ask them, "Are you Indian first, or Marathi first?". The same goes for all politicians or wannabe leaders who preach hatred.
Are you Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian first or Indian first?
Are you Marathi, Gujarati,Bengali or Tamil first or Indian first?
Do you even know what it means to be an Indian?
It is about time we put these hate mongers in their place.
But I disagree with the Maharashtra government's approach in regard to this specimen who is only the latest to utilize such time tested techniques. Quite to the contrary, I believe Raj represents something else altogether. Raj Thackrey, rather than representing the Marathi community, represents true "freedom of speech" in this nation.
Sure. I mean, where else in the world is a public figure so free to stereotype an entire community, or group of communities?
Where else in the world can a public figure so blatantly violate the letter and spirit of his own country's constitution and not be held accountable, in fact, not even prosecuted?
In which other country are the laws designed to be so suitably impotent, as to permit any man to promote his self interest by stoking the fires of communal disharmony?
Indeed, Raj Thackrey has ably demonstrated that even though the implementation of every other article of the constitution is debatable, at least our freedom of speech is protected. Except if you're a film director/producer. Or a commoner. Or anybody other than an idiot seeking votes in an election year for that matter.
No. I believe the Maharashtra government ought to lobby the Government of India to award Raj Thackrey the Bharat Ratna for his tireless efforts in securing the right to freedom of speech in this country.
The Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award , awarded for the highest degrees of national service.
According to its original statue when established by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on January 2, 1954, this includes "recognition of public service of the highest order."
- Pylee, Moolamattom Varkey (1971). The Constitution of India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Company Ltd., p114. ISBN 81-219-2203-8.
Does the relentless struggle of Raj Thackrey against the evil forces of the government of Maharashtra and the even more revolting Constitution of India to secure the right to free speech at great personal risk, namely his separartion from the umbrage of his uncle to form his own pseudo political outfit, not qualify?
What if that move had failed? Surely he deserves the award for having taken such a big gamble. Such free speech is unprecedented in independent India, and indeed the world, if you discount the era of Nazi Germany, which is the only other shining example of such freedom of expression as practiced by Adolf Hitler. Why, if we elect this man, I'm sure he will take this great state of Maharashtra to pinnacles of glory witnessed only by the Nazis.
And in keeping with that very spirit of freedom of expression, I have created an online petition, and I invite you to have a read. Perhaps you might even sign it. The petition is titled "Independence for Maharashtra" and is available at:
http://www.petitiononline.com
3 comments:
Remember me from poorganga.blogspot.
A brilliant analysis of the extremely unfortunate surroundings . You see , it is us , the common man who is responsible for this mess . We are so engrossed in our material pursuits that our indifference is turning to apathy . We do not vote , claiming that nobody deserves our vote , but when some criminal gets elected and starts ruling us we get back to our whining . This apathy has to be changed and we cannot act helpless anymore. The power , howsoever small, is within us and we have to realize it .
ARISE INDIA ARISE.
Hey, thanks for your feedback. I Appreciate it. Every word of what you have said is undeniably right. How is it that in this democracy, which is by definition for the people and of the people, it is the common man who is the insignificant? And why is he so tolerant of oppression, first by foreigners and subsequently by his own people>
Great article! I am sure many of us Maharashtrians have faced a similar situation where we were expected to answer for the acts of MNS or Shiv Sena. It is never a comfortable situation. Although, the thought process it initiates is the best side effect it could perhaps have.
You are right about the cavalier attitude towards elections, though. It is this very indifference that has crept into all of us and impaled us to inaction.
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