By Renovatio:
“I study where millions strive to be” was sprawled across my friend’s t-shirt, accompanied by my institute’s logo. Today, her eyes were swollen, with tears trickling down her face. A concerned me asked her what was the matter and she confided in me a bitter reality. She happened to have a conversation with a professor, which was both outrageous and demeaning. Well, the gist of the discourse was cornered around the fact that South India (mainly Kerala and Tamil Nadu) remained immune to the Modi wave. He emphasized that if the whole nation was in support of BJP, then why not Kerala? He went on to say if it weren’t for the RSS and BJP, North India wouldn’t be like it is today. He audaciously pointed fingers at Muslims to say that they would have vandalized our nation. He meant to say our country needed to be cleansed of Muslims and asked why Kerala, being a Hindu majority state, was not in favor.
I apparently happen to study in an “Institute of National Importance” and if this is the kind of atrocious visions my mentors have, what would be the plight of the future generations? When Institutes like mine should be vehemently promoting scientific temper, innovation and harmony, why do they still have meaningless, deep rooted and radically communal ideology? Needless to say, my friend’s drastic difference in opinion reflected in her grades and hence the tears. Education is meant to invoke wisdom, broaden our perspective, and make us reasonable and sensible individuals. If the young minds of today are not molded to outshine blatant extremist attitude then what remains for them is a bloody tomorrow. What India needs is not another Godhra riots of 2002!
I could never fathom the logic behind harboring hatred towards any particular community. Your religion does not define your personality, it is stupid to judge a person based on the religion the are born into. We, being in the cream of the Institutes of the country, shouldn’t be taught otherwise! Judge a person based on their actions. This very loath should be directed towards rapists, murderers, thieves, treason, espionage and other heinous crimes.
A tsunami doesn’t choose between a Hindu, Muslim or a Christian while unleashing its wrath. We are all equally vulnerable and merely human. What lay ahead are testing times. We, the “educated” youth of today, need to condemn such vested, medieval, irrational and inhumane perceptions. Let not the “Modi Wave” sever your secular ties. Hail peace and let’s focus on being productive and work towards scientific progress, which is what we are in dire need of.