The more we respect each other as human
beings the more peaceful our inner and outer worlds will be.
Yesterday, I was sitting with a couple
from Hyderabad. The husband, a close friend, who has been living in Hyderabad
for decades now was telling me that he was considering moving out to another
state. When I asked him why, he replied that post the formation of Telangana as
a separate state (it comes into effect on June 2nd, Monday),
anti-Andhra and anti-Seema sentiments are running very high. Since he hails
from Andhra, he preferred to move to a more “accommodating, neutral” city.
Honestly, while he was dead serious about his impending decision, I did not
think much of it. But this morning’s Hindu’s
Page 1 headline shocked me. It read: “‘Andhra-domicile’
staff can’t work in Telangana: KCR”. Obviously the reference is to Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K.Chandrashekar
Rao’s (KCR) threat to people in government jobs. But I am sure, as my friend and
his wife fear, these divisive sentiments can impact general public too. In
fact, according to them, they can already feel the hate and the heat.
Just the other day, a friend’s facebook
status, in the wake of the NaMo wave, read: “I feel ashamed and insecure of
being an Indian Muslim today.”
In an increasingly connected world,
thanks to technology and social media, I wonder why are we are allowing people
to play up divisive politics? At the very basic level, can’t we not insist that
everyone respects each other as humans? Now, if this is how people are going to
feel about being who they are, obviously there is an urgent need to reach out
be inclusive as nation. And that job, really, is not to be left to the
politicians or to the government. We, the people, have to make an effort in our
daily interactions and start a movement that thrives on, above all, being human
first.
In today’s Hindu itself, interestingly, I found an inspiration from a source
where one would least expect an attitudinal change coming from. The Vithal
Rukmini Temple Trust, in Pandharpur, which functions under the Maharashtra government,
has decided to allow, for the first time, women, and men from all castes, to be
priests at the famous 900-year-old temple. The Trust’s Chairman, Anna Dange,
told The Hindu: “For the
first time, a temple is throwing open its doors to everyone. We thought it was
time now for us to set an example. No group should claim monopoly for serving
as priests in the temple.”
I believe there must be more
efforts like Dange’s and his Trust’s. Each of us has to champion the message of
equality and freedom for all to everyone in our circles of influence. For my
part, I would like to leave you with this quote from Clive Barker, the famous
American author and filmmaker: “Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we’re opened,
we’re red.” Think about it. Irrespective of what we wear, what we do, how much
we earn, where we live, who we pray to or what we are about, we are the same
within – powered by a red blood and the same source of Life! Do we need any further evidence of our equal nature?
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