Intolerance

Every day news is replete with stories of someone being beaten up by a mob, road rage incidents, a winning presidential candidate basing his campaign on bigotry and division and more. Over the past few years, I get the distinct feeling that I have become more and more conscious of the various castes, religions and race that exist in our society today. I struggle to understand if I should be blaming the environment I am in, or is it just me? The older I get, the more risk averse and orthodox I become?

If I take the stand of blaming the socio-environmental factors for my condition, I find enough evidence helping me out. Take the case of sedition filed against Kanhaiya Kumar of JNU, Delhi. Or the multiple cases of abuse of couples that happens every day across the country and which is reported by the media, quite unfailingly. At a global scale, IS and terrorist organizations carry out attacks in cities across the world. Over in the United States, Donald Trump is en route to becoming the Republican candidate for the President of that country. He is known to have made extremely divisive remarks regarding Mexicans and Muslims. That does not seem to deter his supporters going by his victories in the caucuses across the country. Over in Europe, we see Britain seriously considering an exit from the EU. Countries such as Turkey and even Germany, reel under the humanitarian crisis that has developed out of the Syrian Civil War. Millions of refugees attempt to enter the countries where they are being met with stiff resistance. 

These are present day events. Is it any different from history? Hasn't partisan behavior been a part of humankind for centuries? In Hinduism, it was caste based society as determined by the Vedas. In other religions, the names changed but the end goal has always been driven toward dividing a society into different groups based on parameters that were deemed to be fitting by the powers that be. I am usually reminded of my childhood. Growing up in a middle class family with firm middle class values, we were always taught the good things about India and the Indian constitution that calls for a sovereign, socialist republic with Fundamental rights for every citizen of India. We were taught to treat every person based on their character alone and not the color of their skin or their names or the job that they were performing. Now, in my grandparents' house, there would be the workers who were never allowed to enter the dining area and kitchen. They would always stand by the door, never venturing to step inside the restricted area. As kids, we were warned against touching them even. A form of untouchability that I can only now understand after being exposed to a little more of the world than I was, as a kid. Wasn't this also intolerance? There are incidents in our society where parents shun children who elope - isn't this intolerance? 

Recently, I read somewhere that India is a very tolerant nation. Of course, we are! A form of tolerance we all practice is in every day commute on the roads of our cities. A colleague from Israel had once pointed out that were a situation similar to the one seen on the roads in India to ever play out in that country, things would get physical in a hurry. We are so very patient with our politicians, with our news channels. If I didn't know better, I would call it apathy.