The Great Indian Divide !!

 Posted on April 30, 2020 by Ruchi

As I sit reflecting back over the years gone by, I wonder what went wrong over the years. When I was a small child, I never heard the religious discussions either in my family, school or neighborhood. There was only one Muslim family I knew, and only thing which was different about them was that Eid used to be a bigger festival for them and not Diwali.

Still in school, Babri masjid incident came followed by riots all over the country. Thence came in more discussion about history and Babar’s invasion. I didn’t understand the noise about it even then, and wanted a school or hospital to be built on the disputed site.

Years later, Babri Masjid incident echoes would be heard and then would be replaced by another heart wrenching incident at Godhra, culminating in the Gujrat riots. Were both the incidents politically fueled ? Yes, even a person with no interest in politics understands that. However, what the 1947 partition started has now reached it’s Zenith with the divide reaching to masses.

Whenever I read about such things on Social Media, the hatred on either sides is palpable and I feel sad over how things could go so wrong. All throughout the years, I have had and still do have friends from Muslim community and I do have an understanding of the differences. But do they matter to me on a personal level. No, they never did. Prayer is something as private as Sex, and how I pray or reach out to the Almighty has nothing to do with anyone else. Yet not many feel this way. Somehow the rituals in every religion which do not have a scientific basis ( and believe me every religion ( Hinduism, Islam and Christianity including ) has them, have pushed me towards aesthism and meditation. I feel much better sitting each day trying to reach out to the silence within.

When covid started expanding it’s roots over the world, I thought this would unite the world. It healed the earth for a little while, till we again start rampaging the land, water and air again. But it has pushed one human away from another. Suddenly every one is fearful of the next person. Ah, may be he is the next asymptomatic carrier who will pass me on the infection. However, what is happening in my beloved country back home is beyond imagination. As always doctors were the fall guy for each death, and everything that was wrong with healthcare systems, but the incidents against them have increased manifold. Similar to that the Hindu-Muslim divide has widened, and will any patchwork ever able to stitch the quilt again? I hope, yet the hope is bleak.

What do you think ? I know my blogger friends are busy in Annual A-Z Blogfest. I didn’t have the right mindset to participate this time either by writing or reading and I’m in awe of them, who could remain unaffected and continue like other times. My doctor friends are busy, either with Covid patients or those who are not directly involved, busy in thinking when they will be back in practice. Either way, I would like you all to pitch in and understand how to make a difference.

I invite my friend, Manas Mukul to link his post. Let’s bring out our voice and make a difference to make this world a better place.

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