Do we need external enemies?

If one goes by the most recent examples of atrocities arising out of intolerance, and starts projecting them into the future, it is very sca...

If one goes by the most recent examples of atrocities arising out of intolerance, and starts projecting them into the future, it is very scary indeed. Especially if the trend goes unchecked.

If there is one thing that characterises Indian society, it is intolerance towards fellow Indians on whatever pretext — caste, religion, region or language. Granted, it is not easy or natural to feel like we are ‘one people’ given the historical context. Fifty five years after Independence is perhaps too short a time for a country of such diversity to truly become integrated. But what about the ‘integration’ within one state?

Feelings of superiority and intolerance can completely blind us from reason, and ultimately it threatens our very survival as a civilised society. Clearly, we don’t want to become another Rwanda or Burundi, do we? Can we really claim that we are different from those who destroyed the Bamian Buddha statues in Afghanistan with rockets?

It appears that unemployment and poverty are ripe breeding grounds for fanaticism as there is little to lose. Though your editorial of October 18 clearly points out to the lack of Dalit leadership with vision, what we need are real ‘Indian’ leaders. Where are they?

At a time when even ‘historical’ and ‘traditional’ rivals and enemies worldwide are coming together out of sheer necessity and pragmatism, it is distressing to perceive Indian society getting more and more fragmented. Really, do we need external enemies to destabilise, or even destroy us?