ARE WE INDIANS REALLY WHAT WE PORTRAY TO BE ???

What a beautiful day it is in Chennai. The coconut trees look splendid bathing in the eternal light of the Sun, the crowds jostling on the roads, kids playing in the nooks and corner of streets. I can see people of so many cultutre and regions going about doing there work in this South Indian Metro. I can see some Sikhs, Muslim ladies with their bukha clad bodies, people from North India, the North Eastern Society....So much variety , it look like a a mouth watering delicacy of exotic ingredients in a lavish Restaurant of a 5 Star Hotel. Everything and everybody looks so full of energy, so much so that I can sense the positive vibes flowing from within me. But this lasted only till I picked up the news-paper and read the headlines for the day. "Stray incidents of violence in Mumbai" . It looks like a harmless story, but if so ,would it have made to the front page of a national newspaper??

The article went on reporting minor incidents agains North Indians by miscreants. Also according to a televison report there was an attack on Mega Star Amitabh Bachhans house on Sunday night. These people are said to be aides and members of Raj Thackeray's political outfit Maharashtra Navnirman Sena(MSN). Also these anti-elements got some TV channels to accompany them while they took law in their hands, beating non-Marathis and shouting party slogans.

Who is Raj Thackeray??? He is the nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and founder chief of MSN. But I am not writing an article against Raj Thackeray or his outfit. I have nothing against him or his outfit but its the policy and the mindset to which i want to draw your attention please.

What I want to point out to is this ethnic strife within our nation. Why are we Indians not able to stand each other ?? Why does a Bihari become a target in Maharashtra and Hindi speaking people slaughtered in the North East?? Why is it that an issue of "Racisim" against Indians in US is the talk of the town, when we cant stand the very guy living next door in our own lands??

It is such a depressing thought. When in the 21st century we are looking forward to become a super-power, when other nations are looking up to us as role models, when we are ready to take on the US head on and not bow down to its policies or sanctions and chart out an independent course for survival, what is hurting the nation the most is this civil unrest. A social evil feeding to the needs of the selfish few who want to gain popularity and want to be called "mesiah" of the masses.

These thoughts bring the very question to my mind..."ARE WE INDIANS REALLY WHAT WE PORTRAY TO BE???" We talk of being patriotic to the core. We talk of injustice in the world to people of other races. We all became one in the fight against "Racism" charges on Harbhajjan Singh. But deep down are we really what we show to the wrold who we are ???

In my peronal opininon, I am sorry to say,I don't think so. Its a mirage that we see ourselves in and a mirage is where the patriotism exists. We will become united to fight the enemy which is a threat to our Nation and her security. But we wont be one to fight the injustice within the country. We still believe in Casteism and Raceism , no matter how much we cry out against it. They are rooted deep inside us. The truth seems bitter, but it still remains the truth. Its a fact, actually. We are all racists. We are NOT what we show the world who we are. We want to become like that but we are not. Its not somethin thats going to happen overnight. It will require courage and determination. But the point is, "ARE WE READY TO DO IT?". From what I see, its still a dream. And a dream it shall remain till we keep supporting these people.

Every now and then issues are raised regarding reservations. Its not a bad idea. Helping the minority and the under prievelaged to rise up from the low levels and become one of us is such a beautiful thought. But is that what really is happening?? Everybody wants to be enrolled as an OBC. Every party wants to fight elections on the basis of caste. Politicians fight elections by dividing districts according to Muslim majority or a particular Caste majority, etc. Politics has just become a game of Caste makers. The politicians are out in the masses promising education to the people on Caste basics. The whole system has become such a mess. And the real sufferers are the people for whom this system was supposed to benefit. No one understands that. No one wants to. The problem is not with the politicans alone but also with the masses. They are being fooled for decades now but they still don't understand.

I want to end this article on a lighter note . A stand up comedian, or rather , a stand up comedian of Indian origin, once while explaining to the audience in US said, " Americans, please try to differentiate between Indians and terrorists. We are not the same people. We dont even hate the same people. Terrorists hate Americans. Indians", note what he said," hate each other". And the crowd burst out laughing......



P.S.- I have not written this article with a prejudice against any single person or a group. I just want to draw your attention to the unjustice in the society. You can do your bit in helping the country out of this evil. I am not asking you to join politics or anything, but the next time you see the person you hated the most because he is an outsider in your society, smile and say "God bless you" in your mind. And this article is not only for Indians. Its for where ever racism exists. Its against "Racism".


Its my 1st article in the series. i have never been a great writer but i ll try my best to write more effectively by the day concentrating on my vocabulary and grammer....Your suggestions and inputs are welcome...