From the land known for its extravagant wedding ceremonies, its multi-millionaires and perhaps one of the biggest film industry in the world, comes the plight of over a million people. Stripped off their dignity, displaced off their land, kept in slavery by the age old feudal system reinforced by modern politics and capitalist ‘virtues’, are people who fight on a daily basis for the most basic necessities of life. These people, collectively termed as Naxalites are coined as the biggest threat to the nation’s internal security by none other than prime-minister Manmohan Singh. How can a group of displaced tribal be a threat to anyone let alone the nation is beyond comprehension. Yet we see scores of news channels demonizing this movement as they bring the world to the television sets of the modern Indian.
The 9-5 working middle class chap gets a glimpse of it while surfing for something to watch in between the telecast of his favorite cricket match. He can’t wait to get back to the match but the advertisements are still on. “I don’t know how much money do these people want to make”, he murmurs as he runs the news. There the naxalites have derailed yet another train killing 20 passengers and injuring 100 more. “This nation is going to hell,”,he cringes as he nods his head, “its all government’s fault for making a fuss of it. The army took down Veerappan in matter of days. If the journalists can reach them then why not the government? The basic cause of all this is corruption. Anna Hazare.....”, “4 runs !”, his 10 year old convent school going child interrupts his chant. “See! our government should learn something from these cricketers, especially Tendulkar. See his perseverance and hard work and a non-corrupt attitude!”
The 9-5 working middle class chap gets a glimpse of it while surfing for something to watch in between the telecast of his favorite cricket match. He can’t wait to get back to the match but the advertisements are still on. “I don’t know how much money do these people want to make”, he murmurs as he runs the news. There the naxalites have derailed yet another train killing 20 passengers and injuring 100 more. “This nation is going to hell,”,he cringes as he nods his head, “its all government’s fault for making a fuss of it. The army took down Veerappan in matter of days. If the journalists can reach them then why not the government? The basic cause of all this is corruption. Anna Hazare.....”, “4 runs !”, his 10 year old convent school going child interrupts his chant. “See! our government should learn something from these cricketers, especially Tendulkar. See his perseverance and hard work and a non-corrupt attitude!”
Millions of us new Indians, the multiplex hugging mall culture have a very scant and vague memory of the old India. The only time most of us, rather inaccurately, hear about them is while discussing alternative medicines or if the right wingers of the country are upset about certain depictions of their favourite gods and goddesses. Once every year without fail we hear about the last dalit who had risen against the system and made a difference in the life of his fellow comrades. But hundreds of thousands of people trying to fight for the rights to hold their own land have been quite easily termed as terrorists and their supporters as ‘Maoist sympathizers’.
India has arisen from tribes invading each other ,interacting with each other, always finding out that the best solution is to co-exist. But the differences now are so huge that it wouldn’t be a bother if the other side just rolls up and dies. We talk about art in ancient India but the artist is forgotten, we talk about science in ancient India but that scientist is nowhere to be seen other than on TV sets blowing up trains and killing for the cause. One of the biggest migration of humans since the last ice-age is being, perhaps naively, called as development. Population influx into metropolitan cities like Mumbai have angered the local political parties which have waged a war once again on the people who lie right at the bottom of both, the religious and economical order of Indian society. Some of them already persecuted for being born in the wrong part of the country.
The correct part of India ,on the other hand, gets to be open, liberal, libertarian, centrist, right wing, left wing, Neo-modern, choosing to be a doctor, engineer, manager, scientist, pursue its own career and shape its own life. The power is in the hands of this individual to succeed in life and get all the luxuries it deserves or so, they say. To go abroad and live like a king. To celebrate ‘that thingy about India’ once a year with fellow NRIs. “Ab apne aap ko banayye gora keval teen hafto mein”, the ad runs.
