Ever thought about our time in this world. About what our real purpose here is. I mean are we just supposed to work, eat, sleep. Spend our weekdays waiting for weekends and then live it up for those two days until we are back to the grind. Of course, some of us love the work or the lives we lead but the majority I would say still have a very mundane existence. We have no idea how much time we have left in this world, or what kind of struggles we have in store for future. We still never make the most of our time. Never choose peace. Respect fellow humans. And to complicate things we also choose to throw out unnecessary hate out there. In the name of religion, politics, ideologies, sexual preferences and what not. We forget that the person next door or across borders is actually just a human being. Same as us. Limbs, bones, blood, veins, heart, brain – all same stuff. We are not manufactured based on religion. Like I don’t come up with a chip in my brain or a mark on my forehead that marks my allegiances to one particular community or religion.
I already come from a place that’s always been divided on the basis of religion. So much so that my family had to leave and settle elsewhere because of the communal unrest. The place considered to be heaven on earth is bullet and blast ridden for three decades now. There is a strong disconnect and discontent amongst people. Even though there is a strong cultural connect, mutual love for the land but somehow the hate is so strong, it negates everything else.
I have recently moved to a different country and imagine my surprise when after spending just 1 month here, I was rudely acquainted with the very disheartening news of communal tension. In a different country. Amidst people of different nationalities and ethnicities. With all the challenges that come with living in a different country as immigrants. The Hindu and Muslims, the Indians and Pakistanis had somehow managed to retrigger the inbuilt hatred and gone supremely public with it. I just couldn’t believe it that all these bullshits literally followed with across seas and oceans. One would imagine that being in a neutral country away from the communal tension, people would realize that behind the different religion and outlooks we are all just humans. People from different religion do not have horns on their heads. They look just like us. In fact, once you talk to them and get to know them better you realize they are not that different from us. Their culture, food, habits, day to day activities, nuances, family troubles are all the same as us.
As educated, sensible, open-minded, responsible adults I well it is our duty to broaden our mindset. Try and think beyond a cocoon that we have been fed and taught in. Respect each other for respective beliefs and at the same time be open to un-learn some of the toxic though process. Not get riled up by the political narratives. Think and think hard before joining a so-called protest in a temple or a mosque. And please do not be hesitant to be friends or at least civil with the people you think (or have been taught) to think as enemies.
Like I said before I have recently moved to a different country and met a lot of new people. People from different countries including people from across the border. In fact, I have now come to be very close friends with this one girl from a country that was born out of India. No, not the one you are thinking, the other one. And beyond our very apparent differences of religion, country and other stuff – I have come to realize that she, just like me is a girl underneath all that. A girl who loves to talk about silly things, shop, spend money on unnecessary things, eat out a lot, visit pretty cafes and just being an amazing independent smart girl. I have come to really admire her. Not that I was not prejudiced or did not have different biases in my head. But given a chance, I chose to unlearn and move forward (in every sense of the word).
In a world full of hatred, choose peace. For your own good more than anything else.
Make love not war (cliché, I know).
Stay happy people.
Love:
Sepo
