Statue of Unity or Disunity?
Mudasir Ahmad Gori
An important fodder for the discussion these days for news channels and print media is Statue of Unity. It is the same Statue that Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi promised to build as a symbol of unity.
Many other promises that were made to the public are: return of black money, increasing jobs. However, the government has miserably failed because there neither is growth in employment ratio nor has the black money been received back, least to any individual account. What is more disgraceful is the reluctant attitude or helplessness to control self-made Hindutva mobs from damaging the image of the country.
Needless to say, he had mentioned that he will build a monumental statue which he did. The expenditures of it are still a subject of debate and mostly controversial. The condition of farmers is known to everyone, they were beaten to pulp, make in India has not been so influential up until now and future even seems blurred. Is it going to do any good to the country or community except that it may make it to the Guinness Book of Records for being the tallest statue in the world?
Interestingly Sardar Patel was born on 31 October, which coincides with the assassination date of Indira Gandhi, which may be sidelined now because of the same. No wonder from now onwards this day will be officially looked in that direction, in the same fashion 25-December was shifted to Good Governance Day irrespective whether you are good administrator or government, celebrations must be there. Further 2nd October is now more looked as Swachata Day. Places have been renamed to satisfy the collective consciousness of a certain section of society. Extra-marital affairs are being legalized, where are we heading as a society, is a question that haunts many.
It is good that you exhibit your love for leaders that were great for one or the other reasons. Patel must have been Prime minister is very effective narrative and perhaps earning more momentum in the present society.
That he also was against the working of RSS is not discoursed because they won’t digest this version of narrative, they are very selective for their demeaning motives. The question that eats us up is that what the Iron man of India would will think today.
During the freedom struggle many hindrances and hurdles were struck in the ways of these freedom fighters. They hoped against hopelessness, but were determined to secure their long-awaited dream. He would have expected that people from all religion, communities and faith lived in harmony. Giving due cognizance for each other’s religion.
However, that is not what we see today. Would Patel realize that his dreams were fulfilled by watching all this stuff happening around? He would see an outcry for not allowing women to enter into place of worship. He would witness mob lynching scenes everywhere. He may from such an altitude be able to see Indian army shooting aimlessly Kashmiri people, blinding many of them. He may get a chance to see Dalits beaten for simply attending an event of a certain magnitude.
Perhaps he may be dismayed after watching the pitiable condition of farmers, watching a man carry the dead body of his brother on his shoulders for hospital could not offer him the ambulance. He may be shocked to know people get killed only just because they are followers of a particular religion. He will feel disgusted that a boy and girl out of their affection want to marry just because they are not from the same religion and then they will make a molehill out of this very normal issue. He will feel disgusted to see people talking about women rights when actually they failed to perform their duties towards their women. This certainly was not India that he might have dreamed off.
The significance of Statue must be now that India needs a man as strong as the statue to see all that is happening and come up with some solution for all the social and political instabilities. Enough of your acting, it is over-people have understood that you are a good orator and actor on stage but off stage you are simply a garrulous sesquipedalian.
KV Online
