Blue Peepal

The readers’ reactions to my earlier article threw interesting questions and perspectives, mainly: -           Was I suggesting that all is well in our country, and no such glaring issue of intolerance that swamps the wider public attention? -           Does the idea of individual tolerance, be an effective vaccine when media (including social media) and the political discourse stoke the intolerance debate harder? Hence, the objective here is to test the idea of individual tolerance and be discerning, against the backdrop of current political discourse, views from intelligentsia and media-led quick service opinions ; to also look at what elected Government needs to do that can reinforce positive sentiment. An affiliate purpose is to define an image of India that I want my children to grow up with. Demons we fight When Gandhi and many of our freedom fighters decided ...

The country – if few political parties, historians, writers, film makers and section of people are to be believed, is in a siege of intolerance. This makes for good debate, television hours, newspaper and social media space. Taking sides in the debate – now labels the person as pro-NDA, or pro-non-NDA. How much people agree with this debate, or point of view that India has become intolerant or, the Govt. with PM Modi as its chief identity is the perpetrator – is a different paradox. Now how do I as an Indian citizen measure – Intolerance, who do I blame and how much it helps to address this concern? Let’s address these issues with some real life context. Intolerance – without getting mired into political definitions – is manifested as rejection, or resistance to a difference of belief, opinion, or action. It can range from a parent-child conflict in a family, to a government-citizen context, and take a victim-aggressor interpr...