Volatility & Violence

We challenge the culture of violence when we ourselves act in the certainty that violence is no longer acceptable, that it's tired and outdated no matter how many cling to it in the stubborn belief that it still works and that it's still valid. ~ Gerard Vanderhaar

Over the last few days, news about India is pretty well dominated by acts of violence - be it Hyderabad, Punjab or Singur - whatever be the cause, whoever may be responsible, this blog does not deal with that...

What this blog deals with is the fact that we are becoming an increasingly violent society... We literally give call to arms at the smallest provocation... sometimes before the cause is established or who initiated or why the triggering incident occurred, suddenly large mobs gather & go around shouting, beating up innocents or scapegoats, killing, maiming, pillaging, burning, looting, sacking & generally making everyone miserable in their misguided quest for justice.

Even in cases like Hyderabad, where the initial blasts were the handiwork of the enemies of the state, why did we loose our control & start mob rioting instead of keeping calm & showing some solidarity & help? Why did we have to play right into the hands of the secessionist elements who triggered off the blasts to divide India & destroy its harmony, by further setting off chain reactions of violence? Why does the media have to report potshots taken by our so-called leaders as to who is responsible, before investigations have properly started, & why does it not act responsible & spread messages to calm the society & help us project a message that we, the people of the Sovereign Democratic Republic of India, will not let the secessionists' designs affect us?

In Punjab & cases earlier, we are seeing increasing cases of religious intolerance. Religion, which is supposed to be a private issue, is becoming increasingly a hair-raising trigger for violence - a small whisper, a small deviation, a small expression of artistic freedom - becomes a matter of ego & pride, & we just attack. We do not even realize the fact that the more we indulge in violence, the farther we go away from God..

Have we finally lost our senses - our sense of calmness, courage under fire, rational thinking, tolerance? Are we seceding from the civilized world? Will the resurgent Indian story be again mired in darkness & chaos?

Where are the voices & forces of Peace?

These are questions that need to be answered if each Individual Indian is to enjoy his/her right to Life, Peace & Prosperity.

Foreward

This blog is a serious whole hearted attempt to post issues that have a bearing on the future of this country and the world at large. For as long as I can remember I have loved my India with all the vigor and ferocity that a kid could possess. Its beauty combined with all the million issues that plague it have always fascinated me though I have yet to make any significant contribution to the same but one lives in hope and so shall I.

This blog is also a tribute to the so many unrecognized people who are in their own ways working hard to make a change within their own capacities and limitations. A lack of a proper channel for dissemination of information and knowledge can create a knowledge gap as had happened in my case. I was oblivious to a lot of things that are happening around and which I will try my best to scribe in this blog.Informal discussions with human being who are working on specific areas of concern and are passionate about it have opened my eyes to a lot of things which I want to share through a platform that this blog provides me with.

Here I would like to make a special mention of a true firebrand journalist who incidentally started her career through page 3 reporting in Delhi during her summer internship but got bored with it in less than 2 months. Her motivations as a journalist lies in researching real issues and she doesn’t sway from spending a week in a hut in some village where a bioscientist is working hard at regenerating a barren land for the past 25 years through new scientific means and trying to create a better environment which we callously abuse everyday of our lives without a care for what the future might look like for the generations to come. Nor does she deter from contacting unreachable grass root workers who are dedicated to their cause working in some remote areas of West Bengal and extracting stories from them for her articles (which may not get published due to red tapism and work place politics most of the time). A woman who through her dedication and determination has earned herself a seat in Cambridge for MPhil in Developmental studies due to her researched paper submission and her years of toil in gaining this knowledge which earned her outstanding references from her seniors. I wish that she gets the scholarship she so deserves to complete her dreams and fuel her passions. She is in a true sense my other half, my twin, who is not only the source of my strength but also my inspiration. We are bound together by a common passion that we share for our country and what we hope to do for it one day. Most of my acquired knowledge and the source of whatever I write here has been gained through discussions with her and a few otehr friends who share our common concerns and are dedicated to the cause INDIA. I would also like to invite her to post any new findings that she is working on and that she feels needs to be shared.

Disclaimer - Please note that the contents of this blog are my views on the issues and in no way an attempt to hurt anybody's sensibilities. I will try my best to do maximum justice to any topic that I post on this blog and the views and thoughts portrayed here would be a mix of secondary research and experiences of individuals whom I have met and talked to about the truths as they have heard and seen at the grass root level and is prone to subjectivity .