The Talibanisation of modern India

As you may have read in one of my earlier posts (a long, long, loooong time back!), one of my favourite things to look forward to is a Sunday morning, sitting with a cup of freshly brewed South Indian filter coffee in one hand, and The Times of India in the other. I always am eager to read the editorial section in the Sunday edition of TOI, where the thoughts of some of the best experts in finance, politics, business, sports and entertainment are presented. This past Sunday, a very thought-provoking article that was published caught my eye. It was based on the new wave of social extremism that seems to have swept through our country in recent times. All of a sudden, fights over religious differences, political blame-games, and even regionalism, seem to have taken a backseat. Apparently, a group of self-righteous people, mainly looking to gain some political ground, have taken it upon themselves to "cleanse" our society of its sins. They hold themselves above the law, above the prevailing social structure, and above humanity itself. They have been grossly brainwashed and misled on the nuances of our value system, ethics and culture which our country can proudly boast of. The author of the article, whose name currently escapes my mind, calls this the "Talibanisation of India".

Having read a substantial amount recently in Khaled Hosseini's books ("The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns") about the disturbing tales of the horrors that Afghans have faced in the last 40-odd years, I cannot help but compare the social system that the Taliban tried to bring into Afghanistan, and what the social radicals are trying to do in India right now. Innocent young women, whose only "crime" was to walk in and out of a club in Mangalore, were abused and beaten up in full public view. Couples sitting in parks etc. have been harrassed and further beaten, and, on Valentine's day, even forcibly married off! Even a policeman, who we trust with our lives, indulges in some couple-clobbering, dragging them away to a police station, only to find that there is no law under which he could book them. Even a brother-sister pair were taken for a couple and beaten up. All romantic alliances are seen as mortal sins which must be punished severely, that too physically. A taste of the Taliban, anyone?? The only difference seems to be that the Taliban roamed around in red Toyota jeeps carrying Kalashnikovs, while here the fundamentalists run around on the road (at the most commandeer a red Toyota Innova....sorry but I had to put that in!), and use anything they can lay their hands on as a weapon. It indeed is a shocking revelation, which should simultaneously serve as a wake-up call as well.

This is not about standing up in defiance against these extreme elements, but about facing the broader consequences of the issue, and getting that into everyone's head. I'm not saying that going to a pub, having drinks, smoking cigarettes, doping etc. should be completely permitted in society. In fact, I'm all for stricter implementation of stringent laws on the latter two at least. But its time both sides of society buck up and realize their responsibilities - be it as a friend, a brother/sister, a son/daughter, a father/mother, or simply as an adult and as a citizen of this great nation. We should be mature enough to understand what is right and what is wrong, what's good for us and what isn't. And for those who cannot come around to understanding and making those decisions, we need to ensure that the law is above all else, and more importantly, that the law is implemented correctly, logically and effectively. This may be a democracy, but no one has the right to take the law into their own hands. No one has the right to impose their own will on others. Yet, at the same time, no one has the right to hurt and disregard the sentiments of their fellow citizens, whether they make sense or not, which is something we need to be a little extra-careful about.

Until the next...