The extremists among us

Have you noticed a recent upsurge of the fanatical streak in men and women you formerly thought were like minded individuals…you know, educated professionals, the guy you share a smile with at the office coffee machine, the gal you go to gym with….suddenly, discussions have become acrid, personal. People launch more readily into the separatist tirade you’ve so far associated with the likes of shiv sena activists/bajrang dal goons……
What’s caused the sudden paradigm shift?

I’ve always believed in the world being made up of two kinds of people…the good and the bad. There’s good and bad people in every religion, caste, creed, race. Maybe that’s very simplistic for our times…..but whats wrong with simplicity? Why complicate a society already heaving under the pressures of combining modern day living with the realities of our past?

I recently got a forwarded email from a guy I used to know in college, in support of Hindus trying to ‘uphold Hindutva’ as it were….on why its essential for Hindus to come up in arms against anyone trying to convert them to other religions and so forth. Well, the simple question here is if this guy would have cared so much if these very Hindus whose souls he’s worrying about, were starving to death. Probably not.

In my book, if you can do nothing to help the Hindu who can’t put food in his children’s mouth, cant afford medicines for his ailing wife then do not tell him what religion to follow.

I have far more common with Rehman, my old college friend than the rowdy upholder of Hindu faith that’s stomping the streets, frothing at the mouth chanting obscenities against another faith. But the dilemma of present times is, its easy to separate yourself from this ruffian….not so easy when your childhood friend, your colleague, family member begins to mouth the same spoon fed monologues…

Its easy to hate….always has been. The growing tentacles of communication media have made it easier to scaremonger…to perpetrate white lies or just colour the grey into a very deep shade of black. Who knows what the reality of the catholics of Orissa was, who got beaten up and slain by people pretending to be of my religion or that of youngsters ‘going overboard’ in aping western culture in the pubs of Bangalore who got humiliated and manhandled by upholders of our ‘ancient traditions and culture.’…but there’s a hundred and fifty different versions doing rounds of the internet and more than ever before people are openly supporting these heinous activities. That’s what’s changed. There have always been ‘gundas’….lawbreakers, in our society but to see supposedly sane individuals speaking their language is scary.

Home revisited

India shining…..
The driver who came to pick us up at the airport loved to talk. Which always brings this gleam of utter pleasure in my husband’s eyes. He loves to goad and prod people into talking…gives him food for life. Yes, I have told him a few times, medicine doesn’t quite do justice to his talents. Anyway, so the guy was very enthusiastic about India shining- “arre bhaiya, abhi aap dekhna, ye do bade mall ke baad yahan ek aur sabse bada mall banega. Ab to foreign mein jo milta hai wo sab yahan milta hai.”
And so went the chat…Rohit his usual encouraging self- “waah yaar, tumko to bahut pata hai”….

So far so good. Drawing room chat for our entire length of stay centred on water though…or the lack of it. There was an almost palpable air of apprehension of what was to follow. It appears the authorities forgot to forward plan for water supply for the entire five month spell of skin cracking, torrid summer. So, there was to be NO water supply for the coming months, which made the current state of affairs- water once in five days- seem like a life of luxury. Those with oodles of money were obviously worried about the increase in crime this would bring….
Contingency plan?.....if you have money, get a water tanker to your home every few days n fill up all you can. And no prizes for guessing who owned these water tankers..of course it was those very politicians in the water department whose job it was to ensure regular water supply anyway. Now that’s what I call a genius business plan!

So on the way back our driver was slightly subdued. Its easy to get lost in the zitter glitter of fancy multiplexes and designer shops that adorn the high street in every big city nowadays. But the question is, is this what India needs? Or should the turning wheels of economic development be used to drive the fundamental changes this country’s billion strong population has craved for, for decades now i.e. water, electricity, sanitation, good roads?

No doubt we all feel proud of the recent surge in the Indian economy. I'm proud of the way Indian businessmen have taken the lead, the world over in entrepreneurship and intrepid business planning. But if the ultimate aim of all this is to create further luxury for the 0.1% of India's population, then I'm afraid nothing much has changed.