The upcoming YRF flick starring Bollywood biggies Aamir Khan & Amitabh Bachchan might be making waves in media but our real thugs are not getting the attention they deserve.
With my headphones on and my trusty umbrella giving me company I had
covered quite a distance and was deliberating upon my options to regain the
calories I had just lost when I was jolted out of my reverie. Turns out a guy from
my school I hadn’t seen in the past 5 years had just recognised me and wanted to
have a chat. I obliged and over a cup of chai our conversation began. Manoj (that
was his name) was telling me something when I saw a small plastic Tiranga resting
near the garbage can. I mentioned my observation to Manoj and our conversation
switched over to the real ‘Thugs of Hindostan’. I’ll highlight some of the points
from the conversation.
Our nation thanks to its huge size and population has no dearth of people and
problems. Ask anyone around you and they’ll give you a good list but recently a
trend has emerged that though not found in these lists has as much potential to
engulf our nation causing much strife and grief. This destructive trend is the
emergence of pseudo-nationalists or as they’ll be referred here ‘Thugs’. Unlike the
glamorous thugs of bollywood these are regular everyday people not discernible at
a glance, making them all the more dangerous since they hide in plain sight and
strike as they please. Now some of you might be thinking that I am making a
mountain out of a molehill but let me elaborate on some of the ‘nationalistic’
activities our Thugs have recently indulged in.
Lynching, these Thugs they do not believe in following the law of the nation. No,
they take the law in their own hand and worse yet utilise the religious or cultural
sentiments of bystanders to aid them in their crimes. For these are crimes that
these people commit, often for nothing more than their own sadistic purposes.
There is no thought of nation in their actions, that is but an act to give them a
safe passage for indulging in their wretched deeds. Since 2015 (Dadri mob
lynching) dozens of innocent lives have been taken by these Thugs in the name of
nationalism but I do not recall my nation - a nation that holds pride in its history
of non violence - ever condoning leave alone approving of the kind of hideosity
these guys engage in.
If you thought that it was just common people these Thugs targeted you are
wrong. Bollywood superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and his peers are are not safe
either. In the name of nationalism these Thugs go on a rampage against movie
industry when it comes to people of certain religion; however, in the world’s
largest democracy it can’t be nationalistic to point out people based on their
religion. No they are not nationalists because beneath that false facade are close
minded, racist, gender biased, anti social elements who engage in these activities
to satisfy their cruelty and nothing else.
Furthermore, these Thugs on the basis of
nationalism might accost you at anytime, even say while you are watching a movie.
Thugs that they are, they do not even spare handicapped people, to them it does
not matter that you are on a wheelchair and that’s why you can’t stand for the
national anthem, they will take this opportunity to thrash you. It is because they
are thugs and not nationalists after all.
What makes you a real patriot?
“What do you think a person who really cares about his country does?”. The
answer might be far simpler than most of us think. A true patriot, values his
country but he values the people who live in it more. He/She respects the national
symbols and anthems and expects the same from others but does not force his
believes on others. Above all a person who cares about his country takes proper
care of it. It is not difficult to do either. Simple steps make all the difference.
Volunteering, helping people in need, in keeping the community clean. Leading an
honest life, not cheating or abusing others and just following our duty as
descendants of this great nation, that is all a person who truly cares does.
The opinions expressed within
this article are the personal
opinions of the author. The facts
and opinions appearing in the
article do not reflect the views of
MISB and MISB does not assume
any responsibility or liability for
the same.
About the Author, Hello everyone my name is Raghav Chaudhary. I am a part time barista & full time B-School student. My friends generally find me in one of the cafes around the school. Mostly with headphones on & a novel in my hand, with a nice cup of coffee next to me & a smile on my face.
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