These differences are the hallmark of the inclusive and plural society India is. People should understand it. Once while giving poha to children, I got to observe how caste, religion and class matter in the everyday lives of these children. Two of them told me that since they were brothers, they can eat together. Besides them, they eat separately. I observed that between those two, one belonged to the Muslim community and the other belonged to the dhobi community.
When I suggested that two children can eat together, they ate and felt happy. This is a question for us who told them that some children should eat separately while others can eat together. These children are scolded by their families and instructed to not eat with children belonging to a lower caste or a Muslim.
There are so many such incidents but here I would like to share one more story regarding children. One day when I was going to worship in a shiv-mandir, four-five children, of varied caste and class, came with me. Some children wanted to worship with me. Suddenly, one girl told me that “this girl should not worship here because, in her religion, she doesn’t have the right to worship in the mandir”.
I was taken aback when I heard that. But after that, I asked the other girl, “what is it that you want to do?“. She replied that she wanted to worship in the mandir. She was happy. Childhood is an important part of our life that helps us give directions for the future. Let children be free of these supposed identities to enable actual learning in their childhood. Don’t restrict them in the name of caste, religion, status and creed.
I would like to share some thoughts of these children in these poetic lines:
Na Hindu na Musalman chahiye,
Mujhe mere bachpan ka khushnuma maahaul chahiye.
Jahan khel saku Sana aur Archana ke saath,
Bas mujhe aisa hi Hindustan chahiye.
Na dange aur na fasaad ho,
Ghar ghar hasi-khushi ki saugaat ho,
Na goli na patthar ki bauchhar ho,
Bas mujhe aisa hi Hindustan chahiye.
Jaati, dharm aur garibi se na hame koi baandhe,
Beta beti ko jab, sab ek samaan maane,
Shehar-gaanv ke logon ki jab khayi mite,
Suno!
Bas mujhe aisa hi Hindustan chahiye.