| Do we need more? |
Borders or no borders, mother Earth doesn't care
Recently, there have been a statement given out by a prominent religious person which created a buzz in India. This is not the first or last, but among a series of comments and 'opinions' that keeps on adding fuel to a fire. It was such a series of events and opinions that had given us the partition of British India into the current India and Pakistan. Actually its very interesting to note that, the idea or the name Pakistan was coined 13-14 years prior to the actual partition. Even though there was credible and ample concerns for those who advocated the partition as the only way forward, the incident has been and in the future will be affecting millions of people. When we look at it from an outsider perspective, there is only one outcome from the geographical region - chaos. This situation has been lingering since partition. Both sides arguing their legitimacy and fighting over pieces of land which at a time belonged to both parties, has created a situation which keeps both the states in constant internal turmoil.
The British policy was extremely successful. As evident from the Economic Drain Theory of Dadabhai Naoroji, the fuel for the empire's sun which never set was looted from India and other colonies. The British may have many reasons and justifications for their actions that led to a industrialized India, but they wither away in the light of their real world implications and the calamities caused by them. For example, one decision by the British to divert food grains from an area deprived of it to one of their army barracks as reserve stock led to the Bengal famine that killed millions of people. Ultimately, India was Britain's warehouse for raw materials and labor. Taken advantage of by some people who worked to please and fill the coffers of the investors of the East India Company and later directly by the monarchy. For successful execution of their plans the Britishers needed a divided India, not a unified one. So what shall they do?, Oh yes it's very simple. Just magnify the differences between the multi-cultural and multi-religious society. To instill a belief that they could not ever live along peacefully.
People of different beliefs and cultures lived along at least without major clashes during the medieval times or before during the ancient times. India has been ruled by foreigners all the time. We are not new to that idea. But this time, it was being ruled an taken advantage of by a corporate entity, and subsequently by the monarchy from outside it. Rulers had a sense of responsibility towards citizens at-least by a small amount prior to the British. But all sense of a responsible government has been thrown out the window by the British.
The same feeling of insecurity still lingers in people's minds. We are not able to see it clearly. But it exists. It pokes its head from time to time and reminds us that we are still not independent from the British, but are still under the influence of British propaganda.
It is at this time the voice of partition surfaces again in decades. We can neglect these local events for now. But what is waiting for us in some two decades may be alarming. Is it necessary to divide ourselves when we can be one happy family?. I know this a bit utopian, but be real, isn't it the thing all of us desire?
| Let us unite! |
With prominent world leaders advocating for ever increasing separatism, why not India be the role model and show that it is possible to get along, that we have done it in the past and can do it again?
One shortcoming of the medieval times was that there was no sense of a nation but several regional powers who went to war to settle differences or to conquer others. Today we have India. So, what should we do as an Indian?, just remember that we are Indian and whatever voices of separation we hear, there shouldn't be any necessity for new borders between us. The title says it all, the only thing we can and must do is to respect the Earth which is politely being the stage of our play called life, and act out our roles responsibly and gracefully. May it be toward the betterment of the nation or the ultimate reason for living, the betterment of oneself.
