The regional trick from the hat of politics

Do you remember how we were thought at school that India is a country where people of different cultures live together in peace? This feeling of unity made me feel real proud of my nation, and I’m sure that your case was no different. As we grew up, the reality started trickling down to us gradually. Perhaps the weight of the truth would be too much to bear had it dawned upon us all at once, so the process was gradual. Incidents over the years made us worry silently that our belief of people of different cultures dwelling together in peace might prove to be no more than a lullaby sung to a child to comfort him/her. Yet we silently wished that we were wrong in our worry. Finally, the feeling of pride has transformed into a feeling of pain. That all of us Indians live together in peace has been proved to be a myth-proved so by the wannabe politicos, proved so by those emotionally foolish citizens on whose shoulders these politicos rest their guns, proved so by the mute governments and police and finally, proved and attested by us the regular citizens, the mute spectators to the molestation of national integrity.
Let’s have a look at latest case of sectarian politics in our country. A desperate politician from Mumbai whose infant political party had badly lost the previous B.M.C elections eyes the elections of the next year. He needs votes. Does he come up with an agenda so good that the people would want to vote for him? No. Instead, he attacks the North Indian migrants in Mumbai both verbally and physically. He does so claiming that they do not love Mumbai and that they are spoiling the Marathi culture. He claims to be championing the Marathi cause., all this to garner votes from Maharashtrians. Does the law catch up with this instigator of violence? Yes, it does catch up with him. It does catch up with this sectarian, but not before he creates an environment where thousands of poor migrants are forced out of Mumbai, left helpless at the railway platforms of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, staring silently at their dark and uncertain futures. It does catch up with this sectarian, but not before a father is left on the railway platform in Bihar with seven children to take care of, with Rs.10/- in his pocket, and without a job. It does catch up with this sectarian, but not before a mother is forced to deliver her child in a toilet in Mumbai and a Marathi Ambadas Haribhau Dharrao is dead in the violent protest by his party workers. He is arrested in true filmy style, and is released in filmy style…you know, where the bail comes within minutes of the arrest. This wannabe politico I’m talking about is the nephew of Bal Thackarey, Raj Thackarey. The political party in question is the one that Raj formed after separating from his uncle’s party Shiv Sena. It’s called the M.N.S(Maharashtra Navnirman Sena). I had not heard of it till before the entire circus. Had you? We are so mute and weak as a nation that a wannabe politico choreographs a cheap political drama on lines of regional feelings to garner publicity and a few votes, all at the cost of our fellow Indians.
Today it was the North Indians suffering at the hands of MNS. Tomorrow it could be you and I, God forbid. The virus of regional hatred can be cured by us being united and vocal. Just like love, hatred begets hatred and more hatred begets more hatred. The moment we notice someone trying to attack one set of people from amongst us, portraying that by doing so they are benefitting us by saving our jobs or saving our seats in universities, we must resist. We must resist by being vocal. We must resist by discussing about the ugly event which might turn uglier at our cost, with the people around us. We must resist by joining democratic protests provided we are sure that the protest will be peaceful ones. We must resist, by reacting. We don’t want to be caught up in a situation where there are barriers of hatred within our own country, barriers which we are not allowed to cross. It’s high time that we get aware. Let’s beware of the things affecting us, and the regional card from the hat of politics is just one of them.