Bounty of Tolerance

This whole year has been quite turbulent for the city of Hyderabad; what with the 'T' issue raising its malignant head every now and then, and now the recent disharmony leading to curfew and disruption of normal life resulting out of few intolerance and large amount of petty politics...

In an era when we challenge the league of nations in becoming the next superpower, when India and Indians the world over has become synonymous with such words like success and achievement; such an incident not only paints a sorry pictures of us as a nation living in the Stone Age but also gives us enough food for thought of understanding the real miasm behind the malady...

Tolerance, they say, comes with a society in which each community is aware and sensitive to each other and has weathered harsh time with perseverance and fortitude together to emerge as a mature society and hence gains among other bounties the bounty of tolerance...

I still remember as kid we used to listen to my mom and uncle (especially my younger maternal uncle) who used to recount the turbulent times post independence when there was rampant rioting and unrest... Many of grandma's relative had decide to move to the 'New found Land' (either East or West Pakistan) and were hurt, disappointed and dismayed that my grandpa chose to stay over in the country of his birth and not the country of his 'faith'...

My grandpa was a Deputy Superintendent of Police with the newly formed government... His work took him far and wide in to pockets of trouble within the state to restore law and order... This vocation of his kept him mostly away from home... As the the children were growing up, my grandpa built a house in Cuttack (the house built on a patch of land near my great grandpa's house) where my mom and her sibling grew up...

Rampant communal tension and riots used to break out those days over petty issues and people no matter on whichever side, used to live in perpetual fear of rioting and large scale looting...

Of the many incident that my mother recounted, the account which remains etched in my memory till date was as follows:

It was early 50's and there was a large scale rioting and civil unrest in the city resulting out of some miscreant throwing stones at the religious shrine of other community; rioter from both communities were on the rampage killing each other as if there is no tomorrow and this was their judgment day... With situation growing worse, my grandma alone with 4 kids decided to take refuge in one of our family friend's house close by as rioters reached each area and tried to identify members belonging to the opposite community through local help...

This family friend of ours (whom we fondly called as Mousa meaning uncle in Oriya) was a well renowned public figure in Orissa being an eminent educationist and intellectual of our state.. he also was a puritan Brahmin belonging to the lineage of the pandas ( personal servants of Lord Jagganath)... He provided shelter to the distraught family and assured them of their safety...

That's when a group of hooligans knocked on his door... They had gone up to the house and finding it empty had wrecked havoc with the furniture and belongings in their frustration... Some veiled voice told them that they have taken shelter in the aforesaid gentleman's house...

The mad mob came hurtling towards the gentleman's house... Loud banging could be heard on the front door... The old lady and her kids were mortified with fear and awaited their end...

Everybody in the house panicked.. But our family friend was unmoved and reassured all that everything would be fine...

With such confidence he marched to the front door... He towered over others with authority and asked in a gruff voice " what is it?".... The mob receded a bit knowing him previously and respecting him for his stature and personality...

" we were looking for the family from the other community... we know that they are taking shelter in your house... being a devout brahmin that you are, we request you to hand over them to us... you will be doing a great service to your community..."

" No way would I hand over even a single person to you" thundered the usually calm and composed gentleman... They have taken shelter in my house and for them I am their saviour... Our religion teaches to save those who come to your refuge with all you have... So shall I... If you have to get them, you have to walk over my dead body and get to them" said Mousa almost charged and roaring... " Now if any of you have the guts to kill me, come forward..." He roared like a lion..

The motley mob looked at each other and finding them selves speechless, dispersed and melted in to the streets of Cuttack sheepishly...

The gentleman then requested my grandma and her family to stay as long as they wanted and after many days drove them himself to the Police Colony where her brother was working...

Till date both family keep in touch with each other and come Eid or Diwali we would go to Mausi's (Mausa is no longer alive and passed away when we were kids) house and would get sweet, snacks and Eidi from her... Both the family attend each others wedding and the kids touch the feet of the elders whenever they meet each other (much to the astonishment of people from both the communities)

Such was the example of non-partisanship, secularism and belief in the good of humanity that our previous generations had.. With progressing time, it is expected that we would be notches higher and better than they were and show more of those quality with a universal spirit of compassion...

True we may have achieved those quality theoretically but when put to test such virtues crumble in the face of adversity... Hyderabad may be an indication for us all to introspect and strengthen these values in ourselves.. Only then can we hope to stand united and expect to expose the narrow divisive politics behind such act and hope to cleanse our system..

Let my great country awake.....