Today is rakshabandhan. Madhusudan and Sankat have gone to their home for
the festival. Paramveer has also got a rakhi along with a letter from his
sister kamaljeet. Reading the letter and tying rakhi he is quite happy.And why
he should not be happy? He knows it well how difficult it is to have sister
form the place he and his parents belong to. That’s why he considers himself
quite lucky in the matter.
Ganpat had gone to Bade Hanumanji Temple in the early morning. He did
darshan over there. It is natural to get emotional at such time and remember
family members. By taking dip in the
spirituality he got peace and after that he returned back to home via
university road. He saw many students coming with some eating stuff in the
polythene bags. He could not stop himself to ask one of the known faces
regarding this. He was told that because of festival the mess was closed and
everybody was trying to arrange something for the hunger. Today he came to know
that hostelites who are famous for fights are also bound to be on their knees
against hunger. All the right and wrongs generate from need of stomach only.
Till now Ali was in his room itself. Ali was remembering his sister. His
sister was quite bright in the studies. But she could not study more as she
would have to go to city for the higher studies. And it is not accepted in his
community. If his father doesn’t consider his community’s belief and sends her
to city for further education it is very much possible that community will also
not consider his family part of it. Really there are so many traditional
beliefs in the society which are hindrances but still we keep them as if they
would have been ornaments. Even if we feel suffocation in them we don’t do
anything about them. What a helplessness it is.
This way he was thinking about the little doll of the family. In a way
relation of brother-sister itself is a tie, what is the need of any other thing
to be tied up? And whatever religion or clan one is, can anyone get free from
the binding of emotions?
“Why you are so detached today dear?”
“I was lost in tides of memories of my family dear.”
“ Fine come out of that and let us talk some thing else.”
“What would you like to talk?”
“You would knowing Urdu quite well, right?”
“No, not much really. Just I can write alif, be, pe etc. And can speak a
little bit.”
“Why dear? You should know Urdu.”
“Why should I know urdu? Just because am a Mohammedian?”
“You tell me how much sanskrit do you know? Can you read, write and speak
Sanskrit? And if you know all this how many such people are there in your community
who know all this.”
“Your point is quite valid dear.”
“It’s the same thing. People try to differentiate us on the grounds of
religion and language and like fools we follow them. Nothing much than that.”
“It is said that all the terrorists, who have been caught are Muslims. If
Pakistani’s and Bangladeshis are involved in terrorism it is but obvious that
they will be Muslims, but for this distrusting all the Muslims of India is
really unfair. Why so, do the criminals and rapists don’t belong to Hindu
community? We will have to raise ourselves above this political throng; this
can dignify only these illiterate politicians and not us. We common people have
always been together and will have to follow the same. If we don’t trust each
other then who else will trust us. I don’t know why people do so.My abbu was in
defence. My mamu is also in arms. Two cousins are also in army. Mamu
participated in 1971 and cousins in Kargil-war. What other evidence one needs
to prove ones loyality.”
“But that vandematram issue, what do you say about that?”
“Is that any issue? Which patriot will not say vande matram? We say ‘sare
jahan se accha’, ‘maa tujhe salam’, so why not ‘vande matram’, just because
it’s in sanskrit? No it’s not an issue at all. It’s a baggage of selfishness hung
by traditional muslim religious leaders on the nail in the wall of unity, which
should be avoided by both the communities.”
“Don’t youthink you people are still tough-lined and not able to leave
the traditional ways where the whole country is going ahead on the way of
growth and development?”
“What are you saying Ganpat? Who doesn’t want growth and development? We
also want growth and development. The problem with us is that if we are having
community leaders like Shabana, Akhtar and Gilani kind of people; we have
traditional tough-lined leaders too. Most of the General public is in contact
with this tough-lined people who try to mend the things in their own way on the
name of Koran or religion. They know it well that if common people become
literate and open-minded they will lose their most of followers which will be
equivalent to losing their power.”
“But how long it will go like this? How long will you people carry this
autocratic thinking of theirs? We are also having so many Holy Scriptures, but
we have changed and accepted the change continuously.”
“Yes, that’s true but you people have also started changing from the time
of freedom struggle, in the process of which the middle class came into the
picture. In our community also it is coming up. Intellectual people among us
are also cautious about this autocratic way but it will take time. When the
intellectuals will come in majority, all the doors will be open for
opportunities for our community.”
“Asgar Bhai don’t you feel that being Hindi a mother tongue to people
from states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh etc. it’s not
a problem for them as for others in India?”
“Ganpat Bhai you are telling this because of ignorance. In reality
Avadhi, Braj, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Rajasthani, Haryanvi are different languages
and Hindi is our earned language. We need to learn it as you do.”
“How is it possible? Generally it is said that Hindi is the mother tongue
for this belt.”
“So what? Have you ever noticed how Paramveer speaks? You can get some
accent of Khadi Hindi in that some times. Hindi has developed from there. As
you are unable to understand Marathi, the native of western Uttar Pradesh is
unable to understand Maithili.”
“What do you feel; the opposition of Hindi in south is fair or what?”
“Not at all. Love of mother tongue is natural and justifiable, we should
not ignore it. Learning English is also inevitable as it is global language and
enhances the opportunities of growth and development in terms of science,
technology and economy. But Indian sub-continent is as multi-lingual as Europe.
If one wants to understand everybody over here on should know Hindi. On
whatever rank (4th, 5th or 6th) you prioritize
it, but it should not be resisted upon. It is a medium to keep us united. At
the same time prejudice of Hindi speakers that everybody should love Hindi
instead of their mother tongue is childish. At the same time I suggest North
Indians to learn south languages to eliminate such resistance.”
“Bravo! What a solution you have given Ali Bhai?!” Paramveer exclaimed in
pleasure.
“Arre! When did you come,Param?” Ganpat asked.
“I was here since long and was listening both of you, but did not
interrupt in between as an important discussion was going on and an
interruption would have ruined the essence of discussion.”
This brought smile on everybody’s face.
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