It was a nice day, slight sunshine, warmth after a cold night; and I, along with three friends decide to head to the city(some 20 Km away from the college). We take a private city bus, that so characterizes Jaipur for us students. As soon as we reach Kunda a place 2 km from Amer we see drones of countless young men walking aong the street. Before we could contemplate the sight a rock hits the window , then another , then it rains rocks. A minute later the window breaks and there is debris flying everywhere. The bus stops, and I along with my 3 lady friends find ourself stranded in the middle of a potential riot. We head for cover behind a police jeep, and ask whats all this about. The answer is strange, the mob was here to join the CISF an internal security police branch. These hollignas will bear the buren of our safety, the chaps who in front of our eyes assaulted nearly 6-7 vehicals even AC tourist busses plying foriegn tourists.
Why? because they were 80,000 strong and had no transportation for another 16km, frustrated the call for drastic measures and hijack city busses and lorries on the highway. The polce force deployed to handle this situation a mere handfull.
The question that arises, why cant the manage an event that can be predicted to get out of hand as this happens everyyear. More importantly, are these the future of our police forces, the protectors of our freedam and rights.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Caste and creed?
I belong to a defence background, and have never in my life there come across a question on my caste or community. Now in college I get to hear the names of various castes thrown about in everyday life, there are the jats, the meenas etc and all so very proud of there castes. What bothers me is the importance these triffle things take in India. From small scale fights to comlete strikes and riots in the name of there caste, all from 20 something old college going guys.
Even in your academic curriculam you attract neopotism in the name of caste by "castist" teachers and faculty members, which by the way includes every member of the staff. Recently on a visit to Pune, Maharashtra, I was shocked that in most of the private colleges (owned and managed by marathis) there , they don't allow an "outsider," i.e. someone not of Maharashtra to occupy the top three ranks, and they are open about it; no calms at all!
Now if this behavior continues and such details of our past rule our future then I can only imagine a grim future for this countries people.
Every second day some or the other violence and hate filled event takes the headlines, all in the name of caste and communities, religion or areas.
I am too young maybe to suggest a solution to a problem of such magnitude in our country, that even politics revolves completly around it; or this political phenomenon of vote bank pleasing is one of the causes of this problem.
Nevertheless I have noticed the root of this proble in my everyday encounters. I see young people so much into such caste etc. based association, but it stems from there upbringing and parenting. Every parent I have met in my life outside the army cantonements has belted out the same question "Beta , tumhari caste kya hain?" (Son, what is your caste?). Such questions, such sacrosant nature of these "Labels" in the minds of people(especially our elders) has fulled this problem in my opinion. If the questions of race, colour, caste , creed etc dissolve form peoples mind as a basis of judgement of another human, then there will no longer prevail this chaos.
Even in your academic curriculam you attract neopotism in the name of caste by "castist" teachers and faculty members, which by the way includes every member of the staff. Recently on a visit to Pune, Maharashtra, I was shocked that in most of the private colleges (owned and managed by marathis) there , they don't allow an "outsider," i.e. someone not of Maharashtra to occupy the top three ranks, and they are open about it; no calms at all!
Now if this behavior continues and such details of our past rule our future then I can only imagine a grim future for this countries people.
Every second day some or the other violence and hate filled event takes the headlines, all in the name of caste and communities, religion or areas.
I am too young maybe to suggest a solution to a problem of such magnitude in our country, that even politics revolves completly around it; or this political phenomenon of vote bank pleasing is one of the causes of this problem.
Nevertheless I have noticed the root of this proble in my everyday encounters. I see young people so much into such caste etc. based association, but it stems from there upbringing and parenting. Every parent I have met in my life outside the army cantonements has belted out the same question "Beta , tumhari caste kya hain?" (Son, what is your caste?). Such questions, such sacrosant nature of these "Labels" in the minds of people(especially our elders) has fulled this problem in my opinion. If the questions of race, colour, caste , creed etc dissolve form peoples mind as a basis of judgement of another human, then there will no longer prevail this chaos.
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