Enough of these Senas, Dals, and Jamaats...

Acts of vandalism, public harassment, assault-all in the name of what? morality? It seems almost everyday you wake up to fresh news of such acts committed by hooligans calling themselves moral police honchoed by those who themselves hold an extensive criminal record. The status quo has become a tit-for-tat game by a petty neighbor and exploitation of the word "secular" by hoodlums within the country. Secularism is becoming ostensible. The "secular India" that was born 60 years ago has become a mere cliché, or at least seems to be advancing towards becoming one. The masses are looking up to the government for immediate action to put an end to all this. The time for phrases like sochenge, dekhenge, vichar-vimarsh karenge has long passed. There is almost a desperate NEED (and I can't emphasize this word enough) for strict laws, swift trials and harsh punishment for those convicted. The government also needs to get strict with Pakistan or this will drag on for years to come. Why are we still running the samjhauta express service? Why haven't we put an end to imports from Pakistan? What the hell is going on in this country? Hello? Is anyone listening??

Unanswered questions...

I am repulsed by the thought of how the Brits treated us in our own country. How humiliating and exasperating that must have been. But at the same time I am stupefied as to why it took Indians such a long time to realize the atrocities and raise their voices against the self proclaimed landlords of this country? Is it because we try to adjust to anything and every situation- no matter how repulsive or unjustified? Why is it that we accept things the way they are and restrain ourselves from changing them? This ignorance is the "gap" that Nehru talks about in The Discovery of India. Referring to the Indian people he writes, "The people generally had grown apathetic and servile. There was thus a gap which had to be filled before any revolutionary change could take place. Perhaps this gap had been produced by the static nature of Indian society which refused to change in a changing world, for every civilization which resists change declines. That society, as constituted, had no more creative part to play. A change was overdue." We still seem to find bliss in the same ignorance. We might not be under the British rule anymore but are swayed by hard-boiled politics and apathetic politicians who threaten to consume us in their wild games. Why are we still not able to break out of the shell that binds us in many ways? What would it take to bring about a bigger and much needed change? Are we waiting for another revolution?

Some came, they saw and conquered. Others came, looted and went back. With them went away most of the wealth, and in a way the pride of our land. India has had a long history of tolerance, something which she still maintains. During the course of her 5000 years of history many invaders came to conquer her but became a part of her instead. Then there were those who were able to take advantage of this tolerance and took back a lot that did not belong to them. Unarguably, most of India was sucked dry of its wealth by the outsiders, and bled white until poverty and famine had enveloped what remained of her. Now that it's been 61 years since Independence, I wonder why the government isn't asking back for the "cultural property" of this land? There is a piece of India's legacy and pride still under the control of foreigners. Will we ever get it back?