'Madham ennum Madham oyattum, desam malar meedhu thuyil kolattum' (Let the madness in the name of religion fade, let the nation sleep on flower beds) In this century where almost anything and everything is getting outdated, there are still anachronisms like 'religion', 'caste', 'color', 'creed' that are being preserved big time. It's like 'Time stood still'. Some or the other communal riots keep happening every year taking lives of people and questioning the livelihood of many others. And more importantly making us lose HOPE. Wish a Gandhiji or a Luther King be born again and preach people of what kind of insaneness are death and devastation in the name of religion. If Gandhiji was alive he would have said, we haven't got freedom even now. It wasn't freedom from British rule alone that he yearned for. It was for the nation to remain unified. But does 'Unity in Diversity' hold good any more or has it ever been that way. Gandhiji had gone on a fast once to stop the then ongoing Hindu-Muslim riot in the country. When a Hindu man angrily asked Mahathma 'Why are you asking us to stop the fight, the Muslim people have killed my child'. To which Gandhiji replies 'I know a way out of hell. Find a child, a child whose mother and father have been killed. A little boy about this high and raise him as your own. Only be sure that he is a Muslim and that you raise him as one'. Creating a new nation for Muslims was not the right choice to make to solve the problem. From then on the enmity has elevated only. And now India is surrounded by hostile neighbors. Peace talks and summits have also stopped to help. WE are the ones to be blamed if any kind of terrorism happens in our nations. Like any other important thing, humanity and oneness must also be advocated. People be taught about the happiness in being together, in reaching out, in creating hopes for despondent souls. But how can it be made possible when we are so narrow minded? One solution that comes to my mind is to get married to someone of the other religion. So as to create a progeny which can overlook the 'religion' factor. And remain united as siblings, as spouses, and hence ultimately united as a nation.(The Bombay film style!). Any kind of outrage kills innocent civilians. One just can't forget what happened in Gujarat, in Bombay or for that matter the ongoing Srilankan Eelam issue. Each life is precious, more valuable than the faith you adhere to. All our holy books have the same things to tell us. It's highly ridiculous when people commit sins in the name of faith. If it has to be that way then there is no point believing in the presence of God as you keep crediting your shares of wrongdoings into God's account. Doesn't your conscience prick you at the end of the day? I remember the woman who took the guilt drive in Nandita Das's Firaaq flick, an emotional take on 2002 Gujarat riots. The thought that she didn't help a Muslim lady who knocked at her door followed by an angry Hindu mob disturbs her every day and night. People who want power, most of them see things only in a vote-bank angle. And the mighty few who want to do good to the society have no large number of followers to make a difference. ‘Be the change you want to see', that is the call of the hour. You can never make a mighty difference but ya you can definitely see to that you don’t spread any more hatred. In a time where the feelings of love are attributed to the play of hormones, remember only universal love and humanity will stay forever.
