Friday, November 7, 2008

Raj Thackery & His (Maha)rastrian Pride

It appears that Raj Thackery has raised this new bogey of (Maha) rastrian pride to steal a march over Uddhav in the ongoing war of succession raging between the two. The internal wranglings of Raj and Uddhav are proving to be too costly for the rest of the country. While each one of them is trying to outdo the other in his effort to win friends and influence voters, the whole concept of India as a nation lies in shreds around Bal Thackery's feet. But is he doing anything, except yawn lazily over it?
After the linguistic division of the states, what are we trying to achieve now? Demanding that all the non-Maharastrians be thrown out of Maharastra is certainly no way of creating a (Maha) rastra. Over the years, Mumbai has gained reputation as a truly cosmopolitan city. Repeated acts of terrorism and subsequent communal riots have already taken toll of this cosmopolitanism.
What are we waiting to do now? Dump the concept of Mumbai along with its long, chequered history into the Indian Ocean? Mumbai came into existence with several little islands coming together. Do we now wish to go back and restore status quo ante? Let's not allow such narrow, provincial forces to prevail. Let us find ways of getting rid of all those politicians who only serve their own petty ends at our cost. Let's not allow ourselves to be guided by their false rhetoric and be eager to shed each other's blood. For their greed knows no limit, and no amount of human blood shall satiate their insatiable lust for it.
It's time we stopped following these "agents of devil" and started thinking where our redemption lies. It lies in protecting each other, in developing a sense of brotherhood and in marching together towards a NewIndia. Let's not sleep in darkness but wake into light.
Hey Indians! Shed your hatred, not your blood; shed your prejudices, not your compassion; shed your so-called 'leaders,' not your ability to lead. India, the time is now ripe for you to take over. Down with this defunct, decadent and rotten 'leadership.'

5 comments:

  1. I agree with your views on this subject.

    I do believe that as a society we first need to remove the negativity that is associated with politics. Politics for common good is desirable in a democracy.

    This being so we must encourage people from the younger generation, with the right values, to take up politics as a lifetime profession. Teachers like you can help in this direction, I believe.

    We only find people like Raj Thackerey and his goons in politics because better people donot think politics to be worth their while, or donot understand the significance of politics in reconciling differences in any democracy, specially in such a diverse democracy like ours. It would be absolutely impossible to keep India united without democracy. Democracy needs politicians - peoples representatives. Politicians with the right stuff would help in this direction.

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  2. Rhetoric without action sounds(and probably is) empty. Whining about what is happening while sitting on that armchair is pseudo-vanity at its best.

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  3. Hello Rene
    In life we do what we can. Some reflect, some scream, some act and some criticize. Cheers to everyone. Why be judgemental? Some like us are only meant to be armchair pseudo-whatever. I don't mind being one, believe me. It's much better to be one than be a by-stander and show total apathy to whatever is going on. Don't you think so?

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  4. I actually regret the tone that last comment adopted and I hope you didn't mind it.

    I guess you're right. Its just that when you are on one side of the fence, you end up devoutly loving and rejecting the other viewpoint....or indulge in the grass-greener-on-the-other-side bit. :)

    But still, how do you think being concerned but inactive is different from being apathetic altogether?

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  5. Well, if you think, writing is a form of inaction, then I have nothing to say. Writing is action, writing is resistance, writing is consciousness-raising. Words have triggered revolutions, words have fired imaginations, words have the power to change the world. It's because I believe in the power of the 'word' that I have chosen to be a blogger. Besides, everyone can't be a flag-bearer and everyone shouldn't be. What I meant was, some write what they can, others act on what they can. How can writing be 'inaction' or a form of 'apathy'? I fail to understand.

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