Friday, February 01, 2013

We are a democracy ? We are secular ?

At the drop of a hat, we keep beating the drums of being the vibrant democracy, 21st century's superpower and with all the decorative phrases. And when people like Arvind Kejriwal question it, folks like Javed Akhtar cite an example of how much better we are as compared to Pakistan (I am referring to Aaj Tak conclave in december).
 So we are a great democracy ? If we want to fool ourselves like a rabbit putting its head in a hole in the earth and thinking no one is seeing it, then sure we can continue to fool ourselves.

We can fool ourselves while young girls get arrested for exercising their freedom of speech and expression on Facebook.

We can fool ourselves while the political jokers of the country can hold the country to ransom by banning movies because they seem to hurt the sentiments of people or they show a community in poor light. Shame on such an administration that cannot even uphold the constitution and ensure the constitutional rights of its citizenry.

The whole circus around Vishwaroopam is so sad and shameful. I am pretty sure that most people would understand a movie and are not childishly emotional to be hurt by anything and everything. Its those so called representatives who need to be really marginalized and ignored because they are the biggest morons holding the whole communities to ransom with their idiotic behavior. What a shame that the world's largest democracy doesn't even have the stability or maturity to sustain or adopt different views. A movie can take a country to ransom ? And we call ourselves a vibrant democracy ?

Its high time we are honest to ourselves and call a spade, spade. That unfortunately we are not a democracy. We are not a democracy where a common man has sound to his/her voice. We are just a liquid taking the shape of whatever is thrust upon us.

We might be doing great if all we can do is compare ourselves with Pakistan or Bangladesh.

But then, is that our benchmark ? We need to ask that. Until then, professors will be arrested for sharing cartoons, young girls will be arrested for posting on facebook and many Kamal Hassans will be harassed because their movies hurt someone's sentiments.

In the world's largest democracy, everyone seems to get offended too soon . Sigh!!

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