HOW INTOLERENT ARE WE?

Last week, I read about an incident on a whatsapp group that had a lasting impact on me. An old father staying somewhere in the interiors of Maharashtra who had raised his only child (son) and supported him through all thick and thin. The son got a job in Mumbai and he shifted here. In Mumbai he decided to get married to a girl of his choice, to which his parents readily agreed. After marriage the newly wed lady started having problems with her husband’s parents and insisted on cutting off all ties with them. But the parents could not let it go and kept on enquiring about their son and his family. The son had also moved on and was not keen on communicating with them. But the father would call the son at regular intervals. During one such conversation, the son announced of him being moving to the US as he had got a job there. Hearing this, the father asked his son to visit their village once before leaving the country. The son was not at all interested and said that he did not have the time to do so. The father wanted to see his son once before he left the country and so he decided to come to Mumbai to meet his son one last time. The mother had given besan laddoos to be delivered to her son which the father was carrying. After reaching Mumbai, the father tried to call his son, but the son would not respond. Fortunately, the father had noted the address of his son and started searching for the same. But it was found later, that the son had deliberately given wrong address so the father could not reach properly. The father, dissappointed was sitting on the railway station and did not have the money to have food. He had the besan laddoos in his bag, but they were for his son and the father would not touch them. The father had to move back to his village without meeting his son but the sweets remained with him and he had not consumed them.

Their may be many such incidences happening in and around us. But do we really care? Are we so engrossed in our own lives that we cannot share moments of joy or sorrow with our loved ones. Are we so vulnerable that we may be manipulated so easily? Have we become so materialistic where relations take a back seat against personal gains? Have we become so insecure that we cannot see anything good happening to others?

Do relations like parents- children, sister- brother, husband- wife, teacher- student, friends, neighbours etc. mean nothing to us? Aren’t we moving towards a society where values will become non existant due to our materialistic greed? Have we become emotionally so inhuman that we do not care about our surroundings?

The number of divorce cases, cases relating to family matters, brothers suing sisters, friends suing each other, are all at an alarming high and sooner than later will lead to a nation full of greedy and self centered people. And in this scenario can we survive together as a nation. We will become far more vulnerable to invasion and our identity would be in crisis. Isn’t this the biggest example of intolerence?
Yes, it is true that in today’s world, competition and professional pressures have taken a toll on our personal life. But are these pressures worth the sacrifice? Does the responsibilty of a parent finish with admitting a child to an ICSE or CBSE school, or taking them to malls on Sundays and let them play games in the gaming zones there? Are we teaching our children the rich culture and tradition that we have been so proud of. Are we teaching our children to remain grounded no matter how big the success they may achieve?
Some people might argue that times are changing and so are we. We are becoming more modern and hence this change. I am not at all against being modern. It is rather the need of the hour. But modern lifestyle does not necessarily mean that we forget our traditions and culture. Being modern does not mean that we stop respecting elders. Will respecting elders make us backword? I don’t think so.
A big chunk of our family time together, is spent watching television and movies. Entertainment is a great source of bonding. Cinema has always played an important role in social awareness. It has the capacity to set the narrative for the society. Alongwith movies that are pure entertainment, we should also make sure that we are showing our children the movies that showcase our family values, and rich history. The recipe for a healthy society is the correct blend of family values, culture and traditions, history and entertainment.
A healthy family is always the one which spends quality time together. The family that eats together, stays together. Make it a point to have atleast one meal with your family. Be crazy enough to laugh without a reason. Be courageous to cry for no reason. Be responsive and approachable and engage in a dialogue. Problems will always be a part of our life. It is imperative for all of us to accept each other with all the differences.
Intolerence in one’s self is the biggest threat to an intolerent society. This Diwali let us become tolerent to ourselves and our loved ones and secure our future by creating a tolerent next generation.

Happy!! Depawali