Holding hands

Unity does not mean homogeneity. It is a state of harmony in which diverse opinions coexist. Like myriad notes of a mellifluous song. These are the lofty ideals upon which our great nation was built. In a universe quivering with eclectic energies, this is an adaptive vision to uphold. Are such subtleties being tarnished by the rise of "majoritarianism?"

The onslaught has been cleverly disguised as a quest for justice and uniformity. First there was a great hue and cry about minority vote banks and appeasement. It seemed plausible, unjust. It was a call to coalesce the majority community into a vote bank and this ruse worked effectively. Fear mongering eclipses rationality. A simple dictum goes unmentioned - Elections are won by majority. Who needs a minority then?

In a family of seven – parents and five children – one child has no limbs. The parents have to clean, feed, and carry this youngest disabled child. The other children are strong enough to fend for themselves. They do not receive any special privileges. All of them take turns to look after the frail one and they live happily. One day, their uncle “Uniformity” came to visit them. He took the eldest son aside and whispered to him – “Your parents are so partial to the youngest one. A great injustice has been done to you. It must be rectified at once by treating everyone equally.”

It is this kind of justice that the proponents of the new Hindustan are clamouring for. Nuances are lost in the deafening thud of jingoistic nationalism. Rational thinkers are killed. Democratic institutions are denuded of sane voices and peopled by the children of “Uniformity.” Universities become battlegrounds. Intellectuals become enemies of the state. The “F” word is a conspiracy theory that cannot be uttered. Is this the India that our freedom fighters died for?

Are we to panic and metamorphose into another shadow of irrationality? If we did, what difference will there be between them and us? Let us pay attention to what they are feeling. Try to understand where the aggression is coming from. Gently pull the wool off their eyes and lovingly invite them to share in the truth. Address their fears. Increase their awareness as well as ours. Feel our common essence. This is the point of contact. This is a place from which healing can commence.