Today morning while Jasmine was dropping Jispa off to
school, she called me. Jispa has a question “is religion compulsory? Like is it
compulsory to have a religion or in an official form you can leave it blank?”.
Hmm interesting thought. “I dont know for sure, but I think its optional to
have a religion, but many government forms and school forms don’t allow you to
say ‘none’”. “but isn’t it my fundamental right to practice whatever religion I
want; don’t we have that as a right?”. “well yes, you have but democratic
society moves a little slow for this. See things move slowly. Earlier there was
the ballot paper and people who dint want to vote for anyone, went and made two
stamps on the paper, invalidating their vote. It was a form of protest in which
they also got to the booth and ensured that no one cast a dummy vote on their
behalf and they refused to choose amongst the crap. Once the electronic voting
machines came in this was not possible and hence the NGOs lobbied for “none of
the above”. So now you can press none of the above (NOTA) and exercise your
right to vote for no one. Yes – right now, even if NOTA wins the majority,
nothing will happen and the politician with the majority is still elected but
slowly it will make an impact. It will embarrass people and who knows what this
will entail in the future. Similarly, today on the Aadhar card, you can choose
your sex as male, female or transgender. This is also a big thing in the long
run. These are small steps for now that will have greater impact. Democratic
society moves slow but it moves with the collective will of the people. Things today
will have impact tomorrow. While you were always free to be an atheist, people
happily just put in their father’s religion in the form. Now it will slowly
change.” Then I remembered and recounted a story of a friend of mine who married
inter caste and had a kid. They fought a lot with the authorities and left the religion
on the birth certificate blank.
Read story here http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA5LzEyLzI3I0FyMDAxMDQ
Yes, democracy moves slowly and that is by design. It’s also
something to do with collective will and conscience of the people. Jispa and I
went to see the Guardians of the Galaxy 2. We now see super hero movies without
torturing Jasmine. It’s been a great thing to have father daughter time outs
watching these action movies. Before the movie starts in India, the national
anthem is played. This has been a source of much dispute with the liberals
objecting to this jingoism and some refusing to stand up. It is after all not mandatory
to stand during the national anthem (its hugely controversial). This has issues
with the law and the jealous jingots using force on the rationals. So before
this movie – one guy was sitting down and he was obviously a foreigner. Jispa
looked at me and spoke to me on that. I explained that “yup, you have a choice
to stand or sit but yes, the rest of the populace will jam your happiness if
you don’t. But more importantly, it is a question of collective conscience. I
may not stand for the anthem but I also realize that I am in India and that
this small act of sitting is disrespectful to my hosts. Yes, choose to sit that’s
ok. But being insensitive about it in public is a bit of a wrong thing to do. Of
course we shouldn’t be on our part too irritated about it. He should understand
and we should as well. Intolerance towards people sitting is the worst.”
I don’t pray but I also respect that people believe in the
stone that placed in the middle of the sanctum sanctorum and I must appreciate
that. I must behave in line with the custom, if I choose to be a part of it. If
not, I can exercise my choice and sit at home. Mere misguided rebelliousness if
no use to society.
I think I have come a long way. When I was young, I wanted
to join the army and fight for my country. Then I would stand anywhere, even
alone, when the national anthem was being played. I hated local societies as local political shit shat. Today I have done a complete volte face. Now I am a non-believer
in the concept of nation hood and a complete believer in local societies. The
impact is greatest when local. Local societies can do much more to change their
life and that of their progeny than what nation states can do. And that is
granted to them by the construct of the law. Change happens in small things and
in small steps. It takes the bearings of age to temper the brute of youth.
Things are not what they seem and solutions are never what immediately occur to
you. Multiple sides, angles and implications are required to understand the
impact of anything. It takes effort and sometimes – inaction. Breathe.
