Just a little over a day is left when we’ll be celebrating Independence Day. The 70th Independence Day!
If I were in school, the practice for a patriotic group song or a speech in remembrance of our Freedom movement would be what everyone would be looking at. And not to forget sweets at the end of the program. I also remember heading over to the nearby Police Station with dada to get the sweet packet from. No problems in admitting that sweets were the only motivation for the visit to the local thana.
The last time I attended Independence Day celebration, it was in 2013, when I was still a student. Although thanks to the National Anthem being played in theatres, singing the national anthem has become synonymous with movie-watching. Of course, there is no harm in standing up for less than a minute to sing along our National Anthem. And even if there was, we should just shut up. Who knows a hyper-nationalist sitting next to you might kick you out of the theatre, right?
This fear isn’t limited to a closed theatre only. Posting anything against this holier-than-thou government and their actions, might land you a few abuses, a long-never-ending argument and maybe even a trip down to the local police station. Even if I wouldn’t like to believe that, all the relatives and family friends on my timeline, make sure to tell my mother about the possibility of it.
When will we get the freedom from thi fear?
If people of the stature of Hamid Ansari can be targeted for speaking about this ‘fear’ among the minorities, then who the hell am I? I’ll be bulldozed by a mob or my inbox filled with hate! And no, I don’t even need that goddamn Sararara app for it!
Remember that time when Aamir Khan opened his mouth and got branded as an anti-national? (I had written about that here: https://reveringthoughts.com/2015/…/24/intolerance-reactions/) and if we can just change Aamir Khan with Hamid Ansari, I’ll still hold true. The reaction to the statements about Intolerance is actually proof of where we stand. This has become such a routine thing that the irony died a long time back. The backlash multiplies if you happen to have a Muslim name.
After 2 days, I’m certain to find out skull-cap-donning kids with the Indian Flag from across the country to reiterate our patriotism all over my Timeline. Frankly, only when we don’t have to show or share such images, then I’d be truly proud.
The expectation from the majority that we have to ‘show’ our loyalty is the saddest thing to witness on a day when our country got independence. Of course, how optimist I would like myself to be, I know that things are not going to change. Especially with the current narrative being pushed through mainstream media and the thousands of paid trolls.
Anyway, all of this isn’t something new and of course, there’ll be another version of this after a few months. The divide between communities and ideologies will keep on increasing.
Remember that time when we used to say, ‘Sab neta chor hain’ and almost everyone used to agree on that almost unanimously? Now, can you say that? Now, only the Congress Netas are corrupt, regional parties not with BJPee are minority-appeasement parties (as if that’s a bad thing), and only BJPee can do Vikas.
After all, 3 saalon me bas vikas hi hua hai. Hai na ?