How fanatic was regressive India in 90s!!!

I ponder at times whither are we going? I take a cue from what i had written in those days.

The Ayodhya imapasse: Whoever thought himself very smart that a majority of population- obviously that of the Hindus- can be flared up by fiery speeches and petty political maneuverings, was indeed very smart. For until now the demagogue has been able to do that and will keep on doing so in future. It may sound a bit impulsive and outlandish too, but whatever has happened in Ayodhya until now has forced me to believe that if a particular community was wrong, on which pretext VHP's propaganda gains ground so often, the other might just be toeing similar lines. They who talk of theology, why do they shrug off philosophy? And philosophy, which is so inextricably mingled with theology, will always say that it is useless to fight over a portion of land. In fact, I too have a confession to make. Just a decade back I was a die-hard Hindu fanatic and had intended then to join the Karsewa, which fortunately I never did. Today after maturing myself ten years ahead, when I reflect on my past status, I feel like smiling at my childishness then. Then it makes me wonder those leaders so much senior to me are stage-managing the whole conflagrations. So probably even age has not much to do with reason. Or else the senior politicians of the country would have tried their level best to hold the country united and spearhead an economic revolution, instead of a religious one. Granted that VHP is right that a mosque was created over a temple centuries back, why to dig the graves of the past then? As for Muslim militancy, as they often point out, there can be other ways to counter it, than to indulge in rioting even at the very outset. One has to be prepared for the defense, if there is any need of it. And any offense in this context will only push the country back another twenty years and while other countries would be cruising easily along the 'advancement' ship, we will again find ourselves in the Neanderthal age. I am not a secular man to give comments like that. Actually, I am still as fanatic as the nearest Kar Sewak. But my religious predisposition as of late have merged themselves with the economic ones too. And there can be no doubt that the nation suffered huge economic losses in the riots that ensued the Ayodhya tangle. It is again on the verge of it, thanks to organizations like VHP, who cannot contribute significantly to the earthquake victims or the cyclone victims for that matter, but are forever eager to roll their sleeves on the mention of the word 'Babri Masjid'. Strange as it seems, probably the VHP will never erect the Ram Temple at the disputed site. Because then it will lose its raison'd etre. Its entity is only till the time when the temple gets erected. So watch out for future and see for yourself what lies in its store. Hundreds of lives might again be laid and the disputed site will remain just the same, that is my presentiment. And isn't it too much to be taken as coincidences that the BJP flares up the Ayodhya issue whenever the election is near and forgets completely about it thereafter. Any sensible person can see that and it is a wonder people in India are mostly fools not to catch the ulterior motives. A majority of those who are sensible become tongue-tied over it because of the fear of being branded 'pseudo-secularists'. My idea is that we must come up against the numberless and pointless Ayodhya or the recent Gorakhpur agitations, not only to maintain secularism, but also to inculcate some sense in the masses, foremost being the sense of being manipulated by the politicians time and again. I was musing over the post-Godhra incidents. In fact, they held a bit more sense, being in reaction to whatever happened to innocent victims of that ill-fated train, although I still sympathize with the victims of the post-Godhra riots. But still those riots in Gujarat held a bit more sense. And the Ayodhya tangle as of now? Earlier times were backwards, unethical, irrational and cashstrapped. Are the times now better or can we simply shrug off saying these are the best of times and these are the worst of times. I wish to laugh at any fanatic misdemeanor of the past, just as I wish to laugh at the modern counterparts. The black Sunday of 6th December nearly more than a decade ago has been pointed out by a famous editor. And today it is not just a Sunday. The equations are changing so fast that every day appears to be similar to the black Sunday aforesaid. Ask those in Ahmedabad. Even while the city is limping back to normalcy, the morbid cloud of fanaticism lurks in the background, adding to the general pathos. And instead of alleviating his or her fears, somebody has sit on a hunger strike, exposing himself to chronic illness. Come to think about it and a definite impression of backwardness emerges in the forefront. These are cybertimes as we project to others, even to the US, make no mistakes about it (God save me from the Dubyaman syndrome). But as Jug Saraiya makes no bones about his open contempt for terrorism or counterterrorism for that matter, I also feel that things must be taken more in lighter veins and then we will find out most problems, including this recent unusually usual Ayodhya hype. I was offering my usual morning prayers a day after the Ahmedabad carnage came in light to me. my Pooja room has a big portrait of Lord Rama too. Risking the ire of the lords, I will write that I did not feel like praying then. The picture of Lord Rama had suddenly become phantasmal to me and despair followed that this is the essence of religion nowadays and just see how far from the religion itself these religious misdemeanors take away an average worshipper. To those who are blinded by fanaticism I will like to ask a decade after. As of now they will hold me a Communist, which I intend to become if theology treats its followers this way. A decade after they only, if they do not become politicians, will say, "Come on, it was just a frenzy in March, 2K2." However if these fanatics shun their wrong ways and follow an upward going economically strong life, they will simply reminisce the 2K2, it being the genesis of a wonderful life in the making. The bottomline is: Remove illiteracy, superstitions, and idleness of purpose and above all poverty and then you will not need religious riots at all.