Recent events in Mumbai and some other cities of Maharashtra involving attacks on north indians particularly poor migrant workers from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are condemnable. Raj Thakray is desperate to gain his lost political ground after being thrown out the party run by his uncle. But in his pursuit of acceptability by masses he is practicing most vicious kind of politics of hatred not very much different from the so called hindutva parties like BJP and Shiv Sena. Politics of hate and division, of fear mongering and of narrow mindedness.
Recently I was reading a book named Time Zones by Joe Schlesinger, a renowned Canadian journalist who has been witness to some of the most important political events of the 20th century from second world war to the Islamic revolution in Iran.
Schlesinger writes -
" I have come to recognize some of the signs of the madness that leads to tragedies on a grand scale. Old grievances are resurrected and refurbished with new intensity. Ancient injustices are insufferably aggravated. Politics are elevated to religion. Religion is marred in politics. Nationalism is degraded by ideologies of exclusivity, racial superiority and supremacy. There are always scoundrels-demagogues and megalomaniacs posing as prophets and saviors – ready to light the match. And behind them, an army of self righteous fanatics, self-serving bureaucrats and opportunistic sycophants willing to feed the flames.
It is different every time. Yet it always starts the same way: with the loss of civility, reason and tolerance."
It is different every time. Yet it always starts the same way: with the loss of civility, reason and tolerance."
After reading this i am wondering on the similarity of politics of hatred, symptoms of which Schlesinger identifies so completely and politics of Thakray practiced here in India.
But more surprising and repulsive is to see several posts on the net supporting Raj, saying he is doing the right thing.
