I do not like to comment on existing social issues in my blog but am making an exception this time.The provocation is a panel discussion on NDTV 24x7 channel yesterday on the present day treatment/status of minorities particularly muslims.
We were brought up as children in the last days of the British rule in India. I do not recall any prejudice whatsoever at that time towards muslims. Our parents had muslim friends and so did we.Our household had muslim servants who had been with us for twenty, thirty years and had acquired the status of extended family;they expected and received the respect, affection and loyalty that they gave us.We used to welcome our muslim friends to our house as we were welcomed in theirs; both celebrated the joys and sorrows of each other and celebrated each others festivals. My father who was a Civil Servant had very few friends, but the closest I remember was a muslim gentleman who had been his colleague in service but had taken retirement early and had taken up service to his muslim bretheren.We used to refer to him as Shah Saheb;I still remember he would always turn up in his conservative dress with rosary and a skull cap.When he marriage of a daughter was to take place in our family, Shah Saheb volunteered and took the entire responsibility of arranging everything both at our house and the place where the bride groom's party would be putting up. My father always said that if you want loyalty, you will get it only from a muslim;that even if his limbs were torn to bits, he would remain loyal until his last breath. I had similar experience with my friends; whenever I was in any kind of difficulty, my muslim friends were there to help me.
The divide between Hindus and Muslims came after both communities were made conscious of their position in society with the sole purpose of dividing them.From being Indians we were made to think as Muslims or Hindus for purely political purposes.This vivisection ultimately lead to partition of the country.Unfortunately, our leaders thereafter took no steps to bring back the feelings of Indianness and instead started using them as vote banks to keep themselves in power. Things have gone much beyond that now. In Linguistic States and with Mandalisation we have created castes, sub castes and sub sub castes.It suits politicians of all shades to keep the average person ignorant and uneducated. Because if they become conscious of their exploitation they would throw off the shackles of these self serving politicians. who treat them merely as pawns in the game of politics and as mere vote banks.
The biggest damage done to our nation since independence has been in the field of education.It has been totally ignored.Unlike Soviet Russia or Israel which emphasised its importance and that too in their own language.Russian elitists wrote and spoke French as Russian was considered to be too crude for them. Under the Soviets,however, Russian language developed beyond one's wildest dreams and became one of the leading languages in the world, both in the field of Diplomacy as well as in Science and Technology;Similarly, Hebrew, long considered a dead language, was developed by the Israelis and the language is alive and kicking and how? Both the Russians and the Jews had immense pride in their heritage and a fierce determination to make a mark in modern world. We in India have never really cared about our heritage and have never exhibited any pride in our own languages or any desire to develop them as a means of improving the lot of the common man.We have adopted an ambivalent/lukewarm attitude primarily because no understood how to use education as a weapon of social uplift. Consequently,all communities continue to wallow in misery and ignorance. Particularly affected have been the Muslims who felt that they were suspected of being actually looking to Pakistan as their mother country. and expected to prove their patriotism all the time.To some extent,this did affect their development in economic and educational fields. despite existance of institutions like Aligarh Muslim University,Jamia Milia etc.To rectify the anomaly,
some people advocate affirmative action, as in the US. My answer is that it is not one particular group or community but the entire nation which is today wallowing in the filth of ignorance and affirmative action is required for ALL CLASSES.This means a total revamp of our priorities and massive investment in education which alone will bring social upliftment.Perhaps,and perhaps,then we may see our composite Ganga Jamuni culture back again.
We were brought up as children in the last days of the British rule in India. I do not recall any prejudice whatsoever at that time towards muslims. Our parents had muslim friends and so did we.Our household had muslim servants who had been with us for twenty, thirty years and had acquired the status of extended family;they expected and received the respect, affection and loyalty that they gave us.We used to welcome our muslim friends to our house as we were welcomed in theirs; both celebrated the joys and sorrows of each other and celebrated each others festivals. My father who was a Civil Servant had very few friends, but the closest I remember was a muslim gentleman who had been his colleague in service but had taken retirement early and had taken up service to his muslim bretheren.We used to refer to him as Shah Saheb;I still remember he would always turn up in his conservative dress with rosary and a skull cap.When he marriage of a daughter was to take place in our family, Shah Saheb volunteered and took the entire responsibility of arranging everything both at our house and the place where the bride groom's party would be putting up. My father always said that if you want loyalty, you will get it only from a muslim;that even if his limbs were torn to bits, he would remain loyal until his last breath. I had similar experience with my friends; whenever I was in any kind of difficulty, my muslim friends were there to help me.
The divide between Hindus and Muslims came after both communities were made conscious of their position in society with the sole purpose of dividing them.From being Indians we were made to think as Muslims or Hindus for purely political purposes.This vivisection ultimately lead to partition of the country.Unfortunately, our leaders thereafter took no steps to bring back the feelings of Indianness and instead started using them as vote banks to keep themselves in power. Things have gone much beyond that now. In Linguistic States and with Mandalisation we have created castes, sub castes and sub sub castes.It suits politicians of all shades to keep the average person ignorant and uneducated. Because if they become conscious of their exploitation they would throw off the shackles of these self serving politicians. who treat them merely as pawns in the game of politics and as mere vote banks.
The biggest damage done to our nation since independence has been in the field of education.It has been totally ignored.Unlike Soviet Russia or Israel which emphasised its importance and that too in their own language.Russian elitists wrote and spoke French as Russian was considered to be too crude for them. Under the Soviets,however, Russian language developed beyond one's wildest dreams and became one of the leading languages in the world, both in the field of Diplomacy as well as in Science and Technology;Similarly, Hebrew, long considered a dead language, was developed by the Israelis and the language is alive and kicking and how? Both the Russians and the Jews had immense pride in their heritage and a fierce determination to make a mark in modern world. We in India have never really cared about our heritage and have never exhibited any pride in our own languages or any desire to develop them as a means of improving the lot of the common man.We have adopted an ambivalent/lukewarm attitude primarily because no understood how to use education as a weapon of social uplift. Consequently,all communities continue to wallow in misery and ignorance. Particularly affected have been the Muslims who felt that they were suspected of being actually looking to Pakistan as their mother country. and expected to prove their patriotism all the time.To some extent,this did affect their development in economic and educational fields. despite existance of institutions like Aligarh Muslim University,Jamia Milia etc.To rectify the anomaly,
some people advocate affirmative action, as in the US. My answer is that it is not one particular group or community but the entire nation which is today wallowing in the filth of ignorance and affirmative action is required for ALL CLASSES.This means a total revamp of our priorities and massive investment in education which alone will bring social upliftment.Perhaps,and perhaps,then we may see our composite Ganga Jamuni culture back again.
very well said Mr.Krishna.....India needs people like you to get back what we lost...please continue writing :-)
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