On November 25th, many news papers carried a picture of a young man, an adivasi lying on the ground, being trampled by another. The look of hatred and fury says, “Stay there. That’s where you belong, under my feet.” There is a circle of young men watching this ugly inhuman scene. On their faces were looks of arrogant satisfaction. Not an arm is stretched to stop the violence.
Why do people feel such animosity towards certain groups of people? Where does this hate come from? These young men in their 20’s presumably couldn’t have seen enough life to hate so much. So obviously the hate has been passed on from a previous generation. A generation that held firm views regarding people, status and caste. How did they pass it on? By expressing their view openly, treating people callously and giving an example to their children. But this is a new century and a new generation.
We need people like you and me to help change views.And how do we change the old views? Now just by mouthing new ideas or shaking our heads when we see pictures as these or wondering what’s happening to our country, but by actually doing and being a different kind of person. Living a non-violent life style, being compassionate and just, goes a long way in setting an example for a new generation. For most people, the maid, the gardener, the driver and cook are lower beings who are there to serve. Today, we have to remember that they too have rights and we need to treat them with dignity, courtesy and respect.
How can so many people stand by and watch a violent scene and not do anything about it? Where was their sense of compassion? Who put it into their heads that they were so special that they could go out and beat others and trample them on the ground like insects?Today, we need to teach our children to be sensitive to those who may different from us. Their skins may be darker, they may be physically or emotionally challenged. They may be poor, sick or old, but they are still as human as you and I.
It is only when we begin to accept and behave in a way that others are also human and have the same rights that we have, and begin teaching our children the same, will we stop seeing pictures like this.
We may think that we are not like the men in the picture, but if we look carefully at ourselves, we will find that we are. We may not trample another person under our feet physically, but we may squash them emotionally, or verbally.We may not stand around with hard hearts and watch such a scene, but very often we are apathetic and insensitive to some one who is hurt. So in what ways are we better than the young men in the picture?(From The Hindu by Usha Jesudasan)
Why do people feel such animosity towards certain groups of people? Where does this hate come from? These young men in their 20’s presumably couldn’t have seen enough life to hate so much. So obviously the hate has been passed on from a previous generation. A generation that held firm views regarding people, status and caste. How did they pass it on? By expressing their view openly, treating people callously and giving an example to their children. But this is a new century and a new generation.
We need people like you and me to help change views.And how do we change the old views? Now just by mouthing new ideas or shaking our heads when we see pictures as these or wondering what’s happening to our country, but by actually doing and being a different kind of person. Living a non-violent life style, being compassionate and just, goes a long way in setting an example for a new generation. For most people, the maid, the gardener, the driver and cook are lower beings who are there to serve. Today, we have to remember that they too have rights and we need to treat them with dignity, courtesy and respect.
How can so many people stand by and watch a violent scene and not do anything about it? Where was their sense of compassion? Who put it into their heads that they were so special that they could go out and beat others and trample them on the ground like insects?Today, we need to teach our children to be sensitive to those who may different from us. Their skins may be darker, they may be physically or emotionally challenged. They may be poor, sick or old, but they are still as human as you and I.
It is only when we begin to accept and behave in a way that others are also human and have the same rights that we have, and begin teaching our children the same, will we stop seeing pictures like this.
We may think that we are not like the men in the picture, but if we look carefully at ourselves, we will find that we are. We may not trample another person under our feet physically, but we may squash them emotionally, or verbally.We may not stand around with hard hearts and watch such a scene, but very often we are apathetic and insensitive to some one who is hurt. So in what ways are we better than the young men in the picture?(From The Hindu by Usha Jesudasan)
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