OUR INTELLECTUAL HATRED
“An intellectual hatred is the worst”
William Butler Yeast
The
first thing I happened to see on my mobile screen, this morning, was a set of two
hate-messages from two of my friends… both Hindus, highly qualified, with
teenaged children, living in decent housing societies. I have known these two
friends of mine for over fifteen years, and observed, that they bore a deep
dislike for each other. Interestingly, today, when I read their messages on
social media, I could make out what made them look alike - their chronic hatred
for the Muslim community!
I unfollowed both of them,
instantly!
No, there is no vaccine for this
virus. Corona may come and go – maybe, taking with it countless lives away,
without checking on their class, caste, colour or creed. But, this virus – stemming
from human bias of discrimination and hatred – will never, ever go from the
system of many of us… many are our own, dear and near ones!
Sad! Sad! Sad!
All our so-called education is worth
some dog-shit! Sorry for that taboo word in our ‘evolved’ society – ‘S..t’…
But, communalizing a virus can
easily get a ‘U’ certificate, right?
Last year, some bombed a church while the Easter-Sunday mass was in progress. The
one’s who did this barbaric act had no name or religion… They were demons! The
end.
While a prayer was in progress at a
mosque in New Zealand, some opened fire and killed so many innocent faithful. The
one’s who did this ghastly act, yes, had no name or religion either… They, too,
were demons!
And, some of us here – who ‘kill’
indiscriminately the fine fiber of brotherhood, sowing these seeds of poison –
yes, we, too, belong to the same tribe of demons!
Ram and Krishna, Moses and Jesus, Gautama,
Paigambar, Nanak and many such sublime souls have come and gone, will be coming
and going. But, the poison in our bosoms still persists…
I said ‘our bosoms’!
Well, I am too small a man!
And, in last couple of hours, I have,
also, received on social media these two messages – apparently ‘small men’ like
me, I suppose. Hope, they provide some healing touch…
KARMA DOESN’T WAIT
FOR THE NEXT
-
Padmakumar N
My mother (who passed away exactly 7
years ago this day) warned me strictly against having relationships with Muslim
or Christian girls, when I started college. And when she suspected that I
seemed particularly close to one, my mum would only refer to her (a mite
spitefully) as "that Muslim girl". I tried reasoning with her using
the argument of secularism etc., but no adult then really listened to
17-year-olds.
In the last two years of her life,
her prime caretaker in my brother's house was a Muslim housekeeper called
Meher, who gave her so much tender love that my mum was simply and utterly
humbled. One evening, glancing into her room, I saw a beautiful sight. Meher
had just finished combing and braiding Mum's long curly hair (yes, she had that
even after cancer treatment) and she'd risen to leave the room. My mother held
Meher's hand and kissed her palm. Meher kissed her back on her forehead and
left the room. And I marvelled at how the mighty had fallen.
I don't often share intimate stories
from my personal life, and my mother's death anniversary is as personal as it
gets, but to all those out there who will communalize a virus, patronize
communal politics and spread hate against those with secular views, I have a
simple thing to say.
You are destined to learn, and you
are destined to become better human beings in this very lifetime.
Karma doesn't wait for the next.
And, this one… ‘Musalmono Ka Mohalla’
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.: gettyimages
Video: Purani DilliWwalo Ki Baatein/Nasir Khan
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