Intolerance has been the highlight of the week gone by. Whether it be for artistic freedom or shown by the state by hanging Afzal Guru (as a large section of the society claims it to be). In a democracy where freedom of speech and expression is a basic right, I think our nation is faring pretty poorly.
The administration is very swift, alert and efficient to arrest and lock up citizens who simply express their views (without threatening any individual) on the various social networking platforms, however completely fail to protect talented artists from hooliganism (art exhibition attacked in Kolkatta) , fatwas and social boycott threats (Kashmir’s all girls band).
What’s even more interesting is the hypocritical nature of all these elements who believe that they are the last living saviors of the Indian cultural fabric. They are the epitome of intolerance when it comes to people having a different view point than them but expect the world to turn a blind eye and show tolerance when someone from their region or community has been punished for an act which took the lives of 9 people and had the potential of far greater damage.
I feel it’s important that different sections of society have different points of view and have a right to express and protest. However, the moment it starts infringing on the right of the other person and interfering with the law of the land, we should step back and check where are we headed and do we really want to be so intolerant?
The administration is very swift, alert and efficient to arrest and lock up citizens who simply express their views (without threatening any individual) on the various social networking platforms, however completely fail to protect talented artists from hooliganism (art exhibition attacked in Kolkatta) , fatwas and social boycott threats (Kashmir’s all girls band).
What’s even more interesting is the hypocritical nature of all these elements who believe that they are the last living saviors of the Indian cultural fabric. They are the epitome of intolerance when it comes to people having a different view point than them but expect the world to turn a blind eye and show tolerance when someone from their region or community has been punished for an act which took the lives of 9 people and had the potential of far greater damage.
I feel it’s important that different sections of society have different points of view and have a right to express and protest. However, the moment it starts infringing on the right of the other person and interfering with the law of the land, we should step back and check where are we headed and do we really want to be so intolerant?
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