'India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. I love my country, and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage. I shall always strive to be worthy of it...' is what children are taught in school, as the national pledge. Read it again, for these lines emphasise on many aspects our country stands for. Or should we rather say stood for?
Besides this, for the unaware, the constitution of our country is based on secularism, and the preamble reads, "We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic and to secure to all its citizens:
Justice, social, economic and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation..."
The reason I choose to begin this note with these statements is to remind you that these sentiments have lost value in today's time. This is not what the leaders thought while forming this in the past, and it is not the identity of the country or its people. Indian heritage is not only about being a Hindu or a Muslim, and neither is 'Hamari Sanskriti' referring to one religion like many boast about these days. Let alone unity, many thoughts and decisions taken today in India and for India, do not reflect secularism, which is the basis of this republic.
Intolerance seems to be the new flavour of our country. It is spread in the air and the 'symptoms' are seen in our actions. Over the last many years, people across India have raised their voice against subjects and issues which need to be supported and not opposed. A large section of our country's population today is high on the Hindutva or religion-based ideologies, so much so that they have blinded themselves towards accepting anything progressive, let alone preach or think in the direction. More so, our freedom to speak and express is now influenced by a political agenda, driven and guided by the ones some of us do not wish to support, for all the right reasons.
Recently tarnished Tanishq's advertisement is the classic example of how deep 'hatred' is rooted in our system and how regressive, a part of India is becoming. A mere 45-second ad, made with an intention to largely promote the brand ideology, gets trashed by several hate mongers for its progressive, clean and powerful message of love beyond religion. Shameful as it should sound, the advertisement was misunderstood and 'purposely' disapproved by millions of Indians, who were claiming it to promote love jihad, where it did not intend to share anything negative, even to the slightest possibility.
One among them was the 'forever-spotlight-craving' actress and a staunch supporter of BJP, Kangana Ranaut, who couldn't stop herself from spilling her regressive, distasteful thoughts in the matter. While she claims to be a highly creative person with a progressive mindset, her creative intellectuality, understanding, and appreciation are rather questionable. It's impossible to fathom the intentions behind this hate speech, as she has millions of followers who look up to her, yet her choice of words and agenda-driven intentions are not measured or well thought. She has repeatedly used her 'bitter' tongue to only strengthen the political agenda one should not be pushing, especially in the creative space. Such acts and thoughts should be tagged shameful and it is the industry which should deny her the opportunities to work, for all she deserves, is to be ignored, at this moment and for the betterment of the future.
A person of any religion, caste or creed, in the right mindset, wouldn't see this as an advertisement promoting anything but the brand message. To be fair, it's purely a work of fiction and should be appreciated for its concept and creativity, as it breaks the barriers of communal hatred through storytelling. However, time and again, some of us have failed to do so, and this only proves how stupidity is prevailing amongst the section of the audience in India, whose only motto is to shun anything anti-Hindu and boycott anything and everything, remotely related.
It's alarming that the community is breeding hate, openly, and it's spreading like wildfire. It needs to stop, however, there are no signs of this. But what's concerning is the fact that along with the millions of commoners in this hate-driven social agenda, were many personalities, many of them from the similar media background.
Having said this, the worries are largely related to the nation, as we wonder about the future generation relying on and using social media to influence its decisions with a progressive approach. However, one would doubt the same in today's scenario. Honestly, the recent series of incidents, small or big, have pinned questions in many minds about India's future. We are in the 21st century and are boasting development, but sadly our thoughts are not.
Where is the country heading and what kind of a generation are we looking forward to? Are we moving forwards or going back in time to a cocoon we once wanted to leave?
It's time we as a nation set an example of work towards diversity and inclusivity, accepting each other, and spreading love and harmony. But the bitter truth is that the journey is way too long. We have lost the track and the destination is nowhere to be seen! Sigh…
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