North vs East vs West vs South vs One Nation

      North vs.East vs.West vs.South 

                         Versus

                     One Nation

    By  – Pamarty Venkataramana

India as a nation was carved in an attempt to drive out coloniaism and the atrocities that visited upon native population. Erstwhile kingdoms had all been prevailed upon to come under the umbrella of a common Constitution of the new Republic.

Those sections of the population who differed from the timeless and time-tested Sanatana Dharma principles of co-existence of Humanity broke away chunks of land to be declared as separate countries. However,we the ‘People of India’ gave unto ourselves the federal structure with a unitary character of Governance. Thus came into existence one nation with a common flag,a national anthem and national ethos binding diversity under the emblem of national unity.

However,in course of time with polemics falling into the hands of illiterate and semi-literate ones posessed by fissiparious tendencies,the ugly head of parochialism came into play.

More recently,desperate attempts were being made to create rifts and divisive feelings between citizens of one region and another. This is anathema to the very concept of nationhood.

The myth of there being a Father of the Nation when Motherland existed for centuries upon centuries with unlimited folklore and rich mythology is as weird as the artificial barriers of mindsets being created by quislings of the State.

Who are the ones spewing venom against the finer senses of nationalists by spreading canards and fomenting both fear and mistrust among people who reside in parts of the motherland,away from their native place?

When did the rants against ‘madrasis’ or ‘northies’ begin?

Why are common folks lending credence to such derogatory and racist propoganda being unleashed by anti-national forces via anti-social elements?

Does smoke emanate without fire? Or,is this wild tendency a smoke-screen to usurp power and for self-aggrandisement politics?

This essay seeks to delve into the reasons for such a disturbing trend raising its ugly hood as an open challenge to the Constitutional safeguards provided to every citizen of India,regardless of caste,creed,region,language,religious beliefs or gender.

It all began when a seemingly innocuous debate was taking place about the pride of place being enjoyed by ‘idli-pidli’ in palates of northern india while ‘pani puri’ and ‘gol gappas’ were ruling streets and plates down south of the Vindyas and Nilgiri Mountain ranges.

Invariably,news items of a autorickshaw driver in a certain ghetto-city of south India ejecting passengers hailing from northern or eastern parts of the country by hurling snide remarks was highlighted by a dear friend who like a million others,had chosen to flock to this much-fancied desi silicon town for a silken future.

This tell-tale incident is lamentably not a stray episode. What remains unknown to strangers to real politiks is that such abhorrence is inculcated by practices which are ‘different’ from local habits – be it dislodging of a traditional-attire by skimpy dresses in belief of it being a ‘freedom of choice’ or as being more comfirtable or be it dietary habits and inter-personal relationships,the paranoid mindset is growing to alarming proportions.

One major cause could be that rather than following the much-touted phrase ‘to be a Roman while in Rome’, third parties to a certain place have been converging to thrust or ape an alien and Bohemian ‘lifestyle’ on local populace under cover of a perceived,so-called ‘secular society’: so much so that a reprehensible act of a ‘clothless’ woman parading herself in metro train being used by several children and youth of an impressionable age as well as senior citizens, in the national capital region,recently is being bandied about as being passe’ and entitlement of ‘freedom of expression’. Shameful for a nation which prides itself on personal values of a civilised society with tradition which frowns upon such a gross behavior.

A root-cause for ignoramuses spearheading a fallacious campaign of ‘modernity’ is the failure to understand that the word -‘secular’ means that ‘it is not the duty of the State to let matters of religious identity interfere in laying down public policy’. Hence,it is incorrect to keep parroting that ‘secular means equal recognition or co-existence of different and opposing religious groupings’.

Here pops the question of intolerance towards people from other parts of the country who choose to migrate to saner regions for valid reasons of occupation,livelihood,studies,relaxation,retirement life or just sight-seeing.

Co-existence is the mantra of Sanatana Dharma.

And,sadly successive governments at helm of power in our great country have failed to enunciate or support the spread of that most unique and all-encompassing word,viz,Dharma.

Righteousness is Dharma. To act right and to cease or desist from all things wrong,immoral and illegal.

What ails parochialism?

Often times,it is intolerance,ignorance and incontinence of the mind,so to speak. On other occasions,it is superiority-complex spurred by a sense of insecurity and inferiority complex.This aberration of thought of a ‘local’ ill-treating an ‘outsider’ is not just a desi phenomenon.

Almost every other advanced country has reported such a wild and racist slur being hurled or incidents of mugging and deadly assaults taking place for motive other than theft. It is a civilisational problem of mankind,more existential than legitimate.

Our country should bring in an uniform civil code in the first place to reign in different attitudinal behaviour of different sections of population albeit enjoying privileges of an avowed ‘equality of law,equality before law’ Constitution of India.

Another key game changer could be abolition of system of allowing a free passage of foreigners to all parts of the country. Spies with an evil agenda have been successfully creating sleeper cells and inculcating moles in administrative as well as ordinary circles. As one who has successfully got a foreigner declared as a ‘persona non grata’ through a comprehensive Trial and cross-examination  in courtroom,am aware of how deep-rooted this hydra-headed monstrous machinery is.

National security hinges upon internal security and internal security is dependant upon social security.

The ongoing attempts to disturb peace by pitting citizens from the north,south,north east,east,western or tribal regions against one another must be denounced as well as doused at once. The truth is that human life is precious as is dignity of labour.

Almost everybody knows that due to famine,cyclones or lack of job-opportunities apart from rampant lawlessness in certain States,their natives shift to safer havens to which they are entitled. However, few locals feel uncomfortable because the lazy-bones among them feel threatened by loss of jobs.

Drug abuse,rave parties,grooming gangs,love jihad and conversion factories sponsored by foreign outfits recruiting youth who flock to cities like Bengaluru,Pune and Coimbatore are the ones to be probed by elite wing of National Investigation Agency without letting it to continue to be viewed as local vote bank politics or that law and order is a State subject (not Central subject) in Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

A mass awareness campaign must be launched to highlight golden tenets of Sanatana Dharma especially in wake of exodus of foreigners who have come to be officially given citizenship,not to take into account illegal migrants and desperate,lost souls in our plural society.

All things considered,the phobia being injected into minds of persons migrating to southern region or vice versa  is a vicious propoganda tool which needs to be counteted vehemently by Central Government in collaboration with special forces of the respective State Governments. 

Frankensteins and other ignoble members of paid media cult ought to be tied down by law enforcement agencies – in the larger interest of the nation. Advisories be issued to let local representative offices of every State Government to support affected people hailing from their native States in case they face harrassment in another part of our country.

To sum it all up,do not succumb to peer-pressure and embrace vices lest you fall victim to the unseen enemies mingling amongst us all. This includes the right to lead a righteous lifestyle in the same proud manner in which vain,wayward flocks go about their unholy activities. Whether to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond depends ultimately on one’s own temparament towards one’s own self,life and    dignity.

Much ado about nothing? It indeed is just that. Animosities among individuals cannot be magnified to perpetuate hatred,ill-will or fear between citizens criss-crossing between regions and States of #OneNation. 

Those who frown at playing of national anthem in cinema halls for instance must now grow up to understand the simple manner by which the #OneNation concept is driven into psyche of all and syndry, across all regions of India.