DIVERSITY or DIVIDE??

 As we began our journey to Salem (Tamil Nadu) a number of thoughts ran in the minds of all of us. We were excited, anxious, high on spirits and most importantly happy to be away from the campus for 2 days!!! We reached the station near our campus to board the train. As we waited there I realized it is one of those stations which we see in our long journeys, the ones with wooden fences, one guard office, the red and green flags, trees planted parallel to the tracks and just one platform. I began thinking of rural India, the people and the simplicity in their lives. Just as I began sinking in my thoughts, I was jostled by my friend, “Dude, let’s take some pictures, everyone’s waiting for you”.

 

I was pulled back to reality but still during the so called PHOTOSESSION, these thoughts kept running in my mind. Soon the train arrived, and it was not what we expected. It was jam packed but somehow we did manage to get inside. Once inside, we were amazed to see people sitting on almost anything available!!(No not on laps of course!!). After about an hour and battling our way through the narrow passage we managed to sit on the upper berth of the compartment. As we were adjusting ourselves there, we heard someone saying, “Keep your feet away, this is South India and people command respect here, if it were your North India you could do anything!!” we looked at other, yes may it was our mistake, but the statement shook us and we apologised. We could have argued, but we had realized that we were in India, but not OUR INDIA. This was the South.

All through our journey and stay we were reminded a number of times that we were North Indians. Why do we treat our own people this way?? Why can’t people respect each other and live in harmony. No nobody came and attacked us, but those words which time and again reminded us that we OUTSIDERS did hurt us.

It made me think, we are always proud of our traditions and culture. We boast of our UNITY IN DIVERSITY and welcoming nature of people. But this very unity in diversity keeps us from growing and becoming ONE. It always hinders in ONENESS that we desire. Because of the diverse cultures, we are cocooned into our regions. We never look at the bigger picture, INDIA AS A NATION. We are always blaming each other for our own shortcomings. We in India speak various languages, accept and respect different religions, celebrate all festivals and in times of crisis we all stand together. This is our strength. But the more we magnify our QUALITY of being different, the more we diminish our feeling of being an INDIAN first. We may be different from our caste, culture, demographics etc, but we are the same INDIANS who worship cricket, shake our legs on hearing FILMY music, respect our parents, go to the temple on buying a car, criticize politicians and stand up when our National Anthem is played. We are so different yet so much same. If we realize this very fact, NORTH SOUTH will be merely directions and not identifiers of the people. Let diversity be our strength but do not let it rip us apart.  We must be identified as INDIANS and nothing else. 

This is INDIA!!!