‘All Indians are my brothers and sisters’ is the first line of our country’s pledge. This is what we are taught when we are in school, during our growing up years. We are taught to be compassionate towards each other, towards the other person and the importance of values of being a ‘good human being’.How much of this pledge holds true, especially in today’s scenario?
With the publicity stunts of the politicians to tear apart us Indians, do we really feel ‘compatible’ with each other? Is a Marathi manus as attuned to someone from UP,Bihar? The notions of regional differences are getting imbibed in us knowingly, unknowingly by the constant exposure of various mediums.
Every state is shouting their identity in various forms, thus boasting of their uniqueness. This marginal difference of regional attitudes is evident in the less sensible portions of society where people fight with each other based on the groundless clause of regionalism.
A person coming from a particular state or an area doesn’t make him an outsider in his own motherland. The whole issue contradicts the notion of democracy that certain Indians can’t roam around freely or live freely in other states.
What is disheartening to know is that such cases happen in metropolitan cities of the country, where people throng for opportunities. They are thrashed right at the point of access and exit like the railway stations, thus carrying inhumane views of the particular state. Their ‘sense of arrivals’ and ‘sense of departures’ carry ugly mental pictures of the unreal state they previously aspired for.
I realized the attitude of these regional differences penetrating in our minds when I along with my friends from different states of the country jokingly said that hey don’t say anything about Marathi manus or else you would be beaten up. Though there was a humorous connotation to the issue, what made me apprehend was the differentiation that is being inculcated in our minds. Of course, the media has a major hand in imbibing ‘these values’ in us.
Differences of regionalism are evident in people’s mind and always poke their nose out time and again when such issues arise.What is heartening to realize is the fact that now people are taking an issue of a much deeper impact in a much ‘light’ hearted manner. If taken as a serious note by all, shall lead us to dire consequences.
Arey who Bihari, Up wala bhaiyya, Marathi manus, sardar, madras etc are being taken lightly by the people. Instead of calling each other by the state names or creating anyone’s identity from the place he/she comes from, we need to keep an eye on the type of character he or she represents, more than anything else. Then we can say truly that our pledge holds true meaning.
Dis-is-integration!!!
very true vikrant! if u come to think of it, r indian society has always been divided unfotunatly! by religion, caste, creed, class, etc etc.. we have always been disintegrated. and oppotunistic people have always taken advantage by divide n rule, isnt it! we still havnt learnt any lessons from r past where already so much blood shed has happened! on the contrary we came up with another new dividing line - regioalism! why do u think this naxalite problem has come up again! nobody is bothered about this adivasi naxals. you take away their land n in return dont give anything! they r going to rebel! there ways may be wrong. just few days back i lost my cousin n gardchiroli, he was one of the 17 police men killed. its very sad, but is counter attacking them the only solution? we r not bothered bcoz they r not r community, caste, creed or relatives. similarly there r so many other such issues! for all these, we as people, as society have to unite n do good for fellow indians. did u read the news paper few days back where they have said that india is 134th country in terms of human delelpoment! so bad, such a sorry state! this happens bcoz we r divided, we r not bothered abt other segments of society, as long as we r happy, we r fine with whats going on! but in the same survey we r also one of the fastest growing economies! wonder where all the money goes! hope we an make a difference to this n r life time!! Shruti Phadnis Humane, Pune
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