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Intolerance, really!?


   Normally, I abstain from political talks but it has become harder to do so these days. Whenever I log in to my Facebook account, my news feed is filled with what’s going on in the country these days and more often than not, those posts seem ludicrous to me; mostly about the ones that the people, these days, have come to call ‘intolerance’. One party says that the country is intolerant; in reply, the other party says it isn’t. Some return awards while a few notable ones are asked to leave the country. The talks of ‘intolerance’ have unbelievably left the talks about Cricket behind.

   A widow returns her husband’s medal ‘coz a terrorist goes unpunished, that I can understand. I can empathise with her rage and disappointment. But this I don’t understand; so many learned people returning their own awards. It’s no less than an insult to return the honour they have been given.

   People ask: why our PM is silent? The answer would be: ‘coz he’s busy working. I find people joking about his foreign visits. They seem unable to comprehend the importance of these meetings. In today’s globalised world it is a requisite to maintain good relations with as many countries as possible. And not just that, He visits foreign countries to promote Make in India, bring in FDI, urge countries to root for India for a permanent seat in UNSC and various other reasons. So whatever our PM is doing is not futile, as many would claim. And I don’t know if any other PM has launched so many beneficial projects in such a short tenure: Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, Make in India, Jan Dhan Yojna, Digital India and the list goes on. Those who are bugging about the results should understand that it takes time for big things to come into effect.

   I’m not pro-BJP. In fact, I would have voted for AAP in Delhi. Mr Kejriwal, if not a consummate politician, is certainly an accomplished fellow. IIT, IRS, an activist then CM of a state, who does that. He too is busy working for the people. I accept that from time to time he does things totally uncalled for. Recently he was shown on TV hugging Mr Lalu Prasad. It brought forth so much criticism for such a small thing; thanks to Indian Media for showcasing things in such a way to garner a few TRPs ‘coz the common herd loves to see the famous people being ridiculed. Then the comment from Mr Kejriwal – Laluji had forced him in a hug – only worsened things. That was a blunder. Most politicians in his place would have said that it was just a customary hug, nothing political. Mr Kejriwal indeed has a lot to learn about politics. But as long as he keeps up the good work, his mistakes would be a thing of the past.

   A few days back, Mr Shah Rukh Khan made a comment about intolerance causing a ruckus in the social media sphere following which he was asked to leave the country by Sadhvi Prachi (as if she had any right to) which was further followed by SRK fans, blinded by the adulation of the movie star, hurling obscenities at her. What nonsense is that? Whatever Mr. Khan said, whether it was right or wrong is only a matter of opinion and it will vary from person to person. If anyone seriously felt that what he said wasn’t appropriate should have brought forth a reasonable counter-argument. But who has time for such pensive thinking. Just call him a Pakistani agent and ask him to leave the country, which is totally absurd. In fact, in doing so you are only proving his point.

   Now, the matter of Mr Amir Khan is totally a case of misinterpretation, thanks to Indian media again. Instead of going into the depth of the matter people are busy deprecating his movies. PK was a blockbuster. It made big bucks ‘coz people liked it, all over India. Barring a handful lot, nobody in his right mind would say that the movie was mocking the Hindu Gods. It only criticised the way the Gods and some fake babaas are revered by the people these days, nothing else. Not only this, some people have started boycotting Snapdeal just ‘coz he’s the Brand Ambassador of the company. God, where do I find these people? How can people get so dumb?  Next, they would be asking refund of the movie tickets they bought to watch his movies.

   Facebook and Twitter are not to blame but they indeed have played their role in all this. One #hashtag and everyone goes crazy. Worthless things start trending and people post anything without giving a thought about the consequences.


   C’mon people there are other, important things to focus on. The terrorist menace is on the rise again. You haven’t forgotten the date today, have you? What happened seven years back could happen again. Paris is not so far, is it? It’s hard time to stop fighting among ourselves, to keep our political gains aside and to remain united as one. Otherwise, it would be dishonour upon the life of those soldiers who lay their lives protecting us while all we do is engage ourselves in a meaningless squabble.

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