THIS HATE WILL HAVE A LONG-LASTING IMPACT
Edit: Yesterday, my friend, a Muslim, experienced something that I had never seen first-hand: Being denied a place to stay because he is a Muslim and this happened not in places known for it — Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and their likes. It happened in a peaceful place of Haldia, where I have lived for six years now and had never seen anything like this. He was said straight on his face that he can’t be allowed a stay because of his religion. No explanations. No remorse. I was sitting just behind him. I can only imagine what he is going through. Just 24, this is probably the first time he might have experienced such a thing.
This article was in my drafts since September last year. But I hadn’t thought of publishing it. I think I should publish it now.
Almost every one of us has heard of Hitler at some point in time. After all, a ‘leader’ who went out of his way to eliminate an entire race is someone worth remembering, to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again. But that’s easier said than done. Time and again, many leaders and organizations have exploited this religious paranoia and a sense of pride in ancient history to feed religious extremism and fuel their political career.
While it does benefit them in the short-term, over a period of time, the impact it has on social discourse and communal harmony is devastating. A person who has got tangled in it will always have a portion of this hate inside him, no matter the circumstances. It’s just a matter of time before it rears its ugly head again. These increase in the number and support for far-right parties is a testimony to the fact that at heart, every man is a devil. All that he needs is a spark.
But why do some people do it?
Creating an imaginary enemy
It is very simple. If you have nothing to show for, deflect the attention. The party which started on the promise of “Achhe Din” has soon turned its focus on the thing that it does best. Because they know it very well that fulfilling promises is a big ask while polarizing isn’t. It’s no wonder that every now and then, we see many leaders of the ruling party coming forward with rabid communal insinuations, even going to the extent of saying that India is only for Hindus and that govt. should only work for them. They have guts to come out openly in support of a rapist with tricolor and are even non-hesitant to provide financial aid to terrorists engaged in lynchings.
On the face of it, the reasoning appears to be simple: You promised too much and you had no idea how to fulfill them. So you obfuscate. But the real reason is that they were like this from the very beginning. The absence of people-centric politics and blitzkrieg PR stunts had only served to provide it a cover of the development agenda. At the core, they were always rotten.
Feeding the narrative
It’s not just the leaders who are to be blamed. Every instrument of society is responsible for it. Take, for instance, the movies. How many times have you seen that a terrorist on the screen turns out to be a non-Muslim? The only time a Muslim is shown in good light is when he does something extraordinary for the hero like sub-serving themselves to him or when they have sacrificed their lives as a soldier. Are they to be praised only when they die for their motherland? Why this compulsion?
Recently an-already failing TV series apologized for showing a Hindu as a terrorist, following an uproar. How many times in the history of cinema have you seen filmmakers and actors apologize to Muslims for portraying a terrorist belonging to their religion?
The statements, movies, PR stunts should be viewed in the present context.
The Worst part: we have got used to it
In fact, the whole thing has become so common that we hardly flinch when we see news of people getting lynched or cold-murdered. We have been fed enough venom to become immune to such incidents. It’s no wonder that Twitter is filled with posts where people belonging to a particular party openly issue threats — rape, death and whatnot and nobody bats an eyelid. Even the people in prominence appear to be supportive. When was the last time you show Bollywood biggies like Amitabh Bachan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and the likes of them speaking on issues that matter? They are more than willing to comment on Army, cricket and even GST, the things they know very little about.
Your time will come too
If you think that staying silent is an option, then you are wrong. Your silence is your endorsement. If you think that since the hate doesn’t concern you, remember your day will come too. Once they are done with the present imaginary enemy, they will come for you.
