Page 60 - 15MAR2019E
P. 60
OpiniOn
Hate machinery is out
to crush sane voices
Though an average Indian is averse to war and is aware of its
dilemmas long-lasting drawbacks, yet he is being fed on war cries echoing
and re-echoing from television studios and the election rallies
HumrA
QurAISHI
hy can’t we Indians hate machinery.
raise pertinent ques- Tell me how can the ordinary citizen
The Delhi-based writer tions? Why can’t we of this country vent out his or her dissent
and columnist’s books Indians raise our to these build ups? Tell me, why should
include Kashmir: The voice? Why can’t we non- violent protestors get targeted
Untold Story. She co- W Indians dissent or and tarnished? Tell me how do I cry out,
authored a series of rebel? Why can’t we Indians take on the unleash my growing anguish and dis-
writings with the late political mafia? Why can’t we Indians gust? Tell me, where do I go carrying my
Khushwant Singh and counter the divisive strategies? Why can’t apprehensions?
her short stories are we Indians expose the hawks and the Yes, today I want to shriek out that I
part of anthologies. hate machinery they control? do not trust the rulers of the day and nor
The views expressed It is distressing to see the tragedies do I trust any of their hollow-worded
are her own getting compounded in our country. speeches and fake assurances! Their
Though an average Indian is averse to political games are creating havoc in the
war and is also aware of the long-lasting country, dragging along deep divisions
disasters and destruction that warfare and absolute anarchy.
invariably drags along, yet he is being Compounding the mess, the fact that
fed on war cries echoing and re-echoing there have been instances when even
from television studios and also from the non- violent and law- abiding protestors
election rallies of the political rulers of have been booked for speaking out, even
the day. on the basis of morphed videos and im-
Why are particular television chan- ages. No critical Facebook posts tolerated
nels whipping up hate sentiments? Why by the political who’s who of this country.
are our views and viewpoints getting Are we living in a democracy or in the
controlled by the tyrants of the day? Why Raj days!
are even relevant questions not allowed I’m reminded of Professor Mushirul
to be uttered; sabotaged before they can Hasan’s volume The Avadh Punch: Wit and
be heard? Why is hate and hatred for Humour in Colonial North India ( Niyogi
the ‘other’ allowed, if not encouraged, to Books) where he writes of the Raj days
be spread amongst the hapless masses? when Indians could criticise the British
Why is there an obvious build-up for rulers only and only through indirect and
that deadly communal virus to spread discreet ways — through cartoons and
out rather too systematically, under any verses! The take off for the Lucknow pub-
of the alibis…potent enough for another lished The Avadh Punch was to lampoon
round of partitioning! the British rulers through ‘safe’ ways and
How very helplessly we are seeing the relays... Don’t tell me we have reached
decay spreading out. Today not just hu- that phase when the Avadh Punch will
man structures but entire institutions are have to be revived so that the sane voices
getting ruined, with the political chaos can ‘safely’ relay their anger and disgust
holding sway, gaining ground. Like mute and hit out at the political rot.
spectators we are witnessing massive Today, though there’s that mount-
upheavals taking place yet can’t cry out, ing anger against the political rulers but
nor boot out the men manning this very where are the forums and platforms
Tehelka / 15 march 2019 60 www.Tehelka.com
