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Daddy got it wrong

My father passed away when I was nine. There were a few things which I learnt from him in that short time.

These included:
  • never hit/ hurt a woman
  • don't identify people by their religion (this when we were dropping a classmate home and i told my father that my friend was Muslim)
  • respect education and teachers (my mother was a teacher, plus Saraswati puja was the one puja which used to happen in my father's family in a big way. She is the Goddess of learning. And education is the sole force which enabled people like my parents and grandparents, non Brahmins, to move up in life)
  • not to taunt people basis their identity - I think I was once imitating my friends and calling some street kids Biharis or something like that when my Dad called me in and gave me an earful

These learning have remained in my sub conscious over the last 25 years or so even though he isn't around. I thought that this was part of our heritage, our culture.

Recent events suggest that I might have been wrong. We have 40 people beating up 5 women with the excuse of protecting our culture. When I last hear I though the Ramayan was the story of a man who went to protect and free his wife. Sriram Sena seems to be at the other end of the spectrum.

Respect for women zero. Indian Cultural dark knights 1

Then we have some other folks breaking and damaging a university the next day.

Respect for learning zero. Indian Cultural dark knights 2

A few days back another set of cultural protectors ransacked a hotel and beat up the hotel staff because the hotel had sacked people from their community.

Respect for other communities zero. Indian Cultural dark knights 3

And don't get me started on what goues under the guise of religion. The public posturing which goes under the name of religion has led to riots, deaths, terrorist attacks, traffic jams (In Mumbai - Wednesday Mass, Ganpathi visarjans and road blocks, the December fair). God knows what God would think of the pain caused in His name. The prevailing thinking seems to be "he who shouts louder gets His ear faster."

Respect for religion zero. Indian Cultural dark knights 4

I guess the score says it all.

Comments

Scarlett said…
I was HORRIFIED to learn about the attack on women in Mangalore for pubbing, by the Sriram Sena! What about all the men who used to go to dance bars in Mumbai (which still covertly exist)? And men who visit prostitutes? Aren't they "morally corrupt"? Our government really needs to get strict with such miscreant groups, and not keep letting their leaders out on bail everytime. Otherwise, soon we'll be living in a fascist country!
28 January 2009 at 22:05
Kalyan Karmakar said…
The sad thing is that the Chief minister of the local governement is coming out in favour of Sriram Srenas and saying that it is a 'small incident'. The Hindi film rape scenes of the eighties - Shakti kapoor, Gulshan Grover et al- seem so benovolent compared to this.
Whether others are morally corrupt is a different issue. The point is no one should have touched these ladies. Period
29 January 2009 at 08:07
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