Is #inclusiveness in #minority?

 

Is #inclusiveness in #minority?

How dare you call Diwali "जश्न-ए-रिवाज"? My feelings are hurt.

How can you show a friend protecting someone from होली colors? This is not acceptable.

A हिंदू girl celebrating baby shower in मुस्लिम family? This is crime. Do not promote Love Jihad. 

 

Unfortunately this is what we all are witnessing in past few years. Now we have reached to a stage where such inclusive messages in advertisements are seen as sacrilege of religion. Let me clarify something here, this is not about supporting the brands and such advertisements.  There is possible intent by the big brands to position the advertisement to allure much bigger population towards brand and gain market share. But the bigger point which disturbs me as a citizen is opposition and wrath faced against such inclusive messages. 

 

While we have learnt that this is the land of unity in diversity, the religious polarisation is taking all together a different shape now. These voices of separating orange from green are getting louder day by day. Majority of population is sadly becoming more intolerant and non-inclusive when it comes to communal harmony. Mixing of religions which was thought as strength of unity is now days seen as insult of religion. And now this virus of polarisation has also started to interfere with the most neutral space for Indians, Our Cricket team. Is this the new India, नवभारत  that we want?

 

And what is even more worrisome in this changing scenario? Now inclusiveness is getting pushed into minority. The voices are heard only from one side. There is no pushback, there is no protest and sometimes there is not even condemning of such polarised statements. Are we expecting a lot from leaders and role models? Are they polarised too? Or they want to stay away from taking controversial stand? Afterall now the terms like “Librats”/ “लिबरांडू ” are used as abuse in these days.

 

Is #inclusiveness in #minority?

I hope not. I think the time has now come to start the action from myself. It is important to make it clear that such attacks on inclusiveness is not acceptable. Such statements/acts need to be condemned by common people like me. I have to be more vocal. Push back on such things needs to get noticed. May be that is how the voice of inclusiveness will also start to get louder.

 

And then may be we will reach back to a point where we can say. #Inclusiveness is not in #minority!

 

न तोडी चुप्पी अब तो हार जाएंगे|

पर एक जो हुए हम तो क्या ना कर जाएंगे|

 

- अभिषेक सुळे