Racism

Racism is a healthy outlook that human races which might be based on religion, region or appearance have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures. It usually involves the sadistic idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others. Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored and we need to own up to the fact that prejudices are getting the better of us in a way that we are not being fair to humanity. Prejudices are like rats and human mind is the ideal trap, they get in easily but it is doubtful if they ever get out. Racism is just like any etheral element. Fire for instance makes a good slave, but a bad master.

The profound belief of racial superiority which has become a part of racism is nothing but a superstition. Francis Bacon the proponent of the scientific revolution observes, ‘In all superstitions wise men follow fools’. This factor is exploited by men who desire to acquire or increase their power. Half of the harm done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They do not always mean to do harm, it’s just that the harm does not interest them. These fools and brigands of kleptocracy have learnt a great truth that where might is master, justice is a mere servant. Politicians often bank upon the fact that a mob has many heads but no brains and anger (never without a reason though seldom with a good one) carries the mind away. It is not uncommon that the communal love displayed by these separatist knaves reduces to nothing once they achieve their goal of acquiring power.

Racism has taxed man for a very precious material; Blood!! History is painted red with such blood feuds, be it the Crusades between Christianity and Judaism, the Hindu-Muslim strife or the more domineering Caste systems in ancient Egypt, India, Greece and Rome. India has witnessed the infamous Khalistan liberation movement which was suppressed after the bombing of The Air India Flight 182 claiming the lives of 329 Canadian civilians over the Irish Sea (the worst aviation terrorist attack before September 11).

As if this was not enough, India can be seen advancing towards increasing racial hatred over the past decade. India can as usual turn to the U.S. for guidance because unfortunately for them they are ahead of us even on this frontier. The American Civil War, the deadliest war in American history, caused 620,000 soldier deaths and an undetermined number of civilian casualties. This era witnessed the Lynching of slaves which included acts like burning them alive, beating them to death or even ripping them in halves using sheer force usually by tying them between horses. Thank goodness Indian racism has not yet stooped to such a level but the way some situations go out of hand makes one wonder about this suicidal attitude of wanting to test poison when someone has explicitly warned you about the contents of your cup. India must learn from other people’s mistakes, we can not make all of them ourselves. However, given the opportunity we are capable of doing so! Man differs from other animals only by a little and it would seem that by indulging in racist activities we are keen on throwing that little away. I would rather not bank upon amassing first hand experience at racism. Experience is a hard teacher for she gives the test first and the lesson later. Jeopardizing the nation’s democratic integrity for racial benefits would be rather jarring to a diverse country like ours which is yet to establish a firm rooting in the race of Superpowers.

In the western world of Christianity the people are either catholics or protestants. The mentality of the people is liberal. This may be due to the lesson they have learned after the terrible wars they had faced. There are some orthodox people around but they are very few in number.India is a bulky population with several castes and thus the loopholes to fool around with the mentality of the people are huge.

In India the race war involves not only different religions but also different sects of the same religion! The thought of one Hindu sect locked in tussle with another seems rather ironic when the Bhagwad Gita, universally accepted as the most sacred Hindu scripture, firmly establishes the existence of a sole Dharma or religion namely Humanity and goes further to slap these religious fanatics by calling everything else, even Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and all other groups as sects and a mere convenience for worshipping the Almighty Power! And there you were thinking yourself to be a proud Marathi, Gujarati, Tamilian, Bhaiya and what not!!! Every ermm… religion as WE prefer to call it, has the same basic idealistic beliefs like honor the gods, respect fellow beings, be righteous and hardworking. Why abuse most of these guidelines by dishonoring the gods be it of other races and by disrespecting other people?

Even if we do achieve separate societies for different races it changes nothing! None of the problems like pollution, population, crime can be reduced significantly. Am I to take comfort in the fact that the guy who just stabbed me was one of my own people? Or that those people of that other race no longer flock to my area for work and the factory now pollutes the area two streets ahead of my house?

A cousin of mine, a post graduate student at Stuttgart University was enjoying the Munich Oktoberfest of 2005 which traditionally takes place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October. While savoring the tastes and sights of this magnanimous beer festival he and his group had an unexpected and pleasant experience; a drunk was making rounds about their end of the large wooden table and wishing them Namaste! The point I wish to make being, if a drunkard with a history fresh with memories of the Holocaust and World War II, can find it in his stride to salute random foreigners he never knew, why is an Indian with a historical backing of rulers like Shivaji Maharaj and Badshah Akbar and the all consuming Freedom movement involving the likes of Mahatma Gandhi diffident from accepting equality and intent on mocking the sacrifices of his ancestors!

It is easy to hate someone but difficult to accept and love, that is the way of the world. Good things are always remote while bad things are ready to jump into our lap. We should keep in mind that ‘as you speak so shall the echo be’! Eliminating racism does not need us to love or like anyone, it merely necessitates us to accept and respect everyone as we would do to our nearest and dearest and mainly ourselves. Everyone thinks of changing humanity but nobody thinks of changing himself. Races are wondrous flowers; one can not dream of enhancing their beauty by rubbing their petals together, they need to be decorated in a bouquet.