MERI MURGI KI EK TAANG








Pic.: Chetna Shetty


In my opinion, the most number of prejudiced people are found in two areas around us: Religion and Politics. Our education, social background, financial status, none of these really can help us if we have strongly-rooted affiliation to a certain political party or religious sect. I am referring, here, to the hardcore followers… the die-hards… the fanatics. Yes, fools.

Hence that famous line: “Only fools and fanatics can be so sure of themselves.”

It is impossible to change the views of fools and fanatics… If you debate with them, you will end up making a fool of yourself. They know it, means they know it… If they say what you see in the night is not Moon but Sun, you are supposed to believe it is so. Yes, if one of them claims that his hen has only one leg – Meri Murgi Ki Ek Taang – you better say, “Amen”!

Let’s reflect on our own views – coming from our own affiliation and stand – about the political parties and their leaders or religious organizations and their leaders. It is enough to tell us how prejudiced we can be… Most of us, luckily, are moderates… When we see things in different perspectives, we show willingness to accommodate alternative views; we refrain from commenting strongly, scathingly, about other parties and their leaders, other faiths and their leaders… That’s why, so far and so long, this world has been saved from the clutches of despots, dictators and fundamentalists…

Majority in this world are moderates… Not fundamentalists!

Majority in this world are pliable… not fools and fanatics who are so sure of themselves.

In the long run, people do not like to be brain-washed. They do not like to be driven by fundamentalists’ hateful propaganda, including media. Media, no matter how influential it seems to be, cannot rule our consciousness beyond a certain point. Hate and divisive propaganda do make a big dent in our collective consciousness… But, then, what prevails finally is our collective better sense… the larger good… the soul of humanity.

Finally, we all come to accept, that what we see in the night is Moon and not Sun… And, no matter how aggressively one tries to convince us, about his murgi with ek taang, we know, that we are not fools to believe him… Nor fanatics.



GERALD D’CUNHA

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