Fellow Indians,
Please consider joining this group based on the idea of India described hereunder. Our acts, talks, thoughts, and efforts are directed toward creating a cohesive India where no Indian has to live in fear of the other. If you are willing to subscribe to the idea, join us; it is not an easy journey; we will make mistakes and guide each other to get back on track. Everything begins
with you and me. If we are not, we cannot ask the other person to be caring and loving. Let us build ourselves to be caring individuals, no matter who it is, we are still Indians, and the same blood runs through our veins. I aspire for an India where every soul is free to drink, eat, wear and believe whatever they want. One should be free to live their life in the pursuit of their happiness. Can we grow up having that kind of heart and mind? If you do, read on and join us. We are Indians and don't have to agree with each other, but we can conduct civil dialogue and share opposing points of view - we can live and let live. We will be critical of every political, religious, and civic leader who kills the idea of unity and peace and divides people; instead of calling to be Indian, he calls a group or the other to join him to harm the others. That is not good for anyone in the long run. We are Adivasis, Atheists, Bahais, Bos, Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Hindus, Jains, Jewish, Muslims, Sikhs, Tribals, Zoroastrians, and every possible grouping. We are Brown, Black, White, Yellow, and green with envy and Phir bhi Dil hai Hindustani (our heart is Indian). Our Motherland is represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture, and religion. We see God as one, none, and many; and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. We are proud of our heritage - a multi-faith, multi-cultural, multi-regional, and multi-linguistic society. We have come to accept and respect every way people live. For over 5000 years, India has been a beacon of pluralism - it has embraced Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha'i, and Zoroastrianism to include in the array of indigenous religions; Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. We may want to start thinking and acting as one people consciously, one within a nation and a community, and one globally. It's like home when we are conflict-free. I hope each of us purges any bias towards the other; there is joy in being free from ill will. Try to be free from it from this day forward, from anything that prevents you from being a part of the whole. Jesus embraced everyone regardless of who anyone was, and similar philosophies are grounded in all religions. Our combined attitudes believe in one world; Hinduism describes the world as Vasudaiva Kutumbukum; the whole world is one family. As Quran puts it, the idea of Ek Onkar(one) in Sikhism, you are all created from the same couple. A majority of every group goes about their way, living their life with struggles and ease and don't even bother others. A few don't follow their heritage and resort to thievery, loot, murder, terrorism, rioting, rapes, infanticide, and other evils destroying society's fabric. We should build upon the 99% of the population and not on the less than 1% that does not follow any principles. On this day, and from here forward, make a pledge to yourselves to talk about in terms of we Indians - and not Malayalee, Gujarati, Bengali or Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Israel. Don't expect others to jump and say the same; give them the time, and if you are consistent for at least a year, you will see others emulating you. India led the way in the freedom movement; since 1947, every country has been liberated from colonialism. Indian democracy is a shining example to the world, where the people have peacefully transferred the powers. Indians are inherently secular and economically capitalistic. They believe in a "live-and-let-live" lifestyle, which is the essence of capitalism. I am proud of my heritage and am proud to be an Indian-American. Through the years, we have expressed the highest degree of maturity in handling extreme situations; the more divergent opinions we hear, the larger our heart grows, the bigger our embrace would be, and we can cushion more differences. Let's continue to honor the concept that there is always another side to the story, as finding the truth is our responsibility. INDIA'S JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE
The prosperity of India can be compared to a bus journey. If the driver ensures the air pressure is even in all its tires, the trip will become safe for its passengers. Similarly, if all the communities in a nation are on a level playing field, the country's prosperity becomes secure and sustainable. It would be dumb to tell one of the six tires of the bus, "hey, look, we, the five tires (prosperous communities), have worked hard to be effective and have the right amount of air in us. We have prospered, and you are low in the gutters, and you need to work hard and rise and be on par with us; we are not going to give you a ****ing hand; no one gave us." Would it make sense to give a hand to the ones in ditches and bring them up on a level playing field - then the bus journey would be safe, and sure, we all can ride safely. It is in our ****ing selfish interest to bring everyone on par and let them compete from there; when all of us can stand on our own, on a base, then all of us can prosper. Unfortunately, the majoritarian attitudes of "a few" harm India's harmony and adversely affect her prosperity. They harass, threaten and use violence to teach the minorities, women, and the weak how to behave and put them in their place. It is like letting the air out of one of the tires, hurting all of us. The 1984 Sikh Genocide, the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, the burning of Hindu Passengers in Godhra and the Massacre of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, the rapes of Nuns, Dalits and the destruction of Churches are among the ugly cruelties we have witnessed since independence in 1947. It is a shameful blot on the civility of our Mother, India. Then the blood bath of Partition, cruelties of Aurangzeb, raids on Somanth... and we can prepare a long list of incomplete transactions that need courageously acknowledged, forgiven, and brought to a closure. The anguish, suffering, apprehension, and non-restoration of justice for the victims will continue to hurt the cohesiveness of India. As Indians, we need to set aside our pettiness and pull every Indian onto a level playing field; the more people we pull up, the greater the prosperity for all. Deep down, all humans seek justice and a balance in life; without it, they are lost in sectarian warfare. As a member of the civilized nations, we must collectively work towards building a cohesive India, where no Indian has to live in apprehension, discomfort, or fear of the other -- an India where everyone is free to eat, drink, wear and believe whatever suits them. Affiliated sites:
Mike Ghouse
Committed to a cohesive India where no Indian has to live in fear of the other.
