Communalism

The front page story in Hindustan Times dated December 6 has not shocked me, for am also a victim of a different kind of ism---parochialism.

First let us read the HT report with New Delhi dateline….."One of my school friends was asked not to make friends with me. It’s because of sheer ignorance. People make judgements like this because they don’t know much about the religion," says a muslim student."

"On December 1, a teacher of a prominent Delhi school called a class IX Muslim student a horrible name: “Pakistani”. I lodged a complaint with our principal and the principal said the teacher would be spoken to.” This is an account by a 17-year-old student of that school in the national capital.

Now listen to my agonizing experiences during my school days three decades ago…a couple of teachers used to rebuke me just because I don’t belong to the linguistic majority…they even did not hesitate to call me err. I won't reveal, something related to my mother tongue…I endured their parochial diatribes, but I still respect the school from where I finished my HSC.

But the bitter experience forced me to drop the surname of my son to save him from a similar ‘terror’.

My wife and Me share the same mother tongue, but speak the language of our birth place at home.

We still need to cover a long distance before overcoming our petty parochialism and communalism.

I am tempted to quote from famous personalities to sooth my feelings.

“To us, patriotism is the same as the love of humanity.”

“Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can do for your country.”

“Patriotism is not enough. It must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone. “

“Let our object be, our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country.”