I am an educated person who has a bunch of degrees including – B.A., M.A. and PhD. The title “student of the year”, was conferred upon me by the President of India himself. This was a proud moment for me and my community.
A few days back, an overbridge collapsed in Kolkata – claiming some innocent lives including that of a “bookworm” who was on his way home after purchasing some books from the College Street. I have seen people from all walks of life coming out on the streets to protest a tragedy. But, I usually decide to remain voiceless. I did not utter a single word condemning Mamata Banerjee’s government for its inertia in taking care of the concerned overbridge; despite the repeated pleas of the locals to repair the dilapidated bridge.
I am an educated person, and I am well known in my community for my apolitical outlook. Under any circumstances, I don’t let trivial issues (like the collapsing of the bridge) taint my image as a “neutral person”. Besides, I should feel proud that I did not take any dig at the Modi government or questioned their recent hike in the fuel prices. This is really satisfying for me. After all, I am an apolitical person.
Minorities are being brutally lynched under the suspicion of consumption of beef every other day. But I have maintained my silence by not uttering a single condemning word. I was once asked, “Do you think it is justified to maintain silence at this crucial hour when people are being lynched without thinking about pros and cons?” Do you know what my reply was? I puffed out my chest proudly and replied, “I am an apolitical person. Sometimes a prolonged silence can be fruitful than hundreds of tirades”.
A few days back, a video was doing rounds on various social media sites. A man holding a lathi in his hand was beating a Muslim guy black and blue, and that too in the presence of people – who were enjoying the scene like mute spectators. I beautifully remained silent in this case as well, since, I am a person known for my apolitical attitude. And most importantly, I was not related to that person. So, why should I bother?
Do you know that at the time of subsequent firing by the police during the Tuticorin violent protests, I did not utter a single word condemning the police brutality – despite it being the most debated topic across the nation? I should be really proud of myself. People who visit me, advise their children to follow my footsteps – to be like me – a person who has never attempted to indulge in any activity except studying in my entire life! When Mamta Banerjee’s government-approved goons (the police force), gagged innocent voices and propagated an atmosphere of intolerance – by shooting a youth just because he wanted a Bengali teacher in his school instead of an Urdu teacher, I remained silent.