The way the issue of singing the National Song has become a controversy is highly ludicrous. In fact it is sad how all such trifles take political colours in India. Sometimes I wonder do these politicians who claim to be our leaders and role models really feel they speak sense when they make a roar about such matters...
Look at the issue of the Natioanl Song for instance. The government declares that everyone has to sing this song on the 7th of September. Why? As a mark of respect to this song, since it has grown 100 years old as a National Song. Wonderful! I could not believe my eyes when I first read this in a newspaper.
Though it is foolish to give arguments to prove that this kind of an action by our government is foolish, I will do that since for some reason, this government has begun to take us common men for granted.
All of us - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians etc etc, love our country a lot. We are no less patriotic than an American or an Englishman. We sing out National Anthem, at least we stand up when someone is singing it or it is played by a band. Nobody asks us to do so. We do it on our own free will. Definitely we love our Nation and our Nationality. Now let's take the case of Vande Mataram. We all respect that song. For decades, since the song came into existence, even Muslims have respected that song. So what if some of them don't want to sing it. The reason is pretty simple - that a few stanzas contain references to Hindu Goddesses and since Islam does not permit worshipping a God but rather believes in the divinity of nothingness, it is not agreeable according to Islam to sing the song. Most Muslims may not even bother and will go ahead and sing, just like I don't mind going and worshipping in a mosque or a church. We all respect each other's religions. It is just a bunch of politicians again who have no other way of having fun than to have the people fighting with each other over religion.
Secondly, I don't think it is justified in any way to make people do something, even if it is to respect a song, against their will and religious principles when you know that they are all honest citizens who love their country and are ready to die for it. Afterall don't we call ourselves a secular State? It is just like forcing a Muslim to burst crackers just because it is Diwali. He may want to do it himself, but if he doesn't, what right do you have, or does anyone have to deny him the freedom of refusal?
If you think that the national song deserves respect by all citizens, you are not wrong. But firsly in a multi-religious nation like India, why should you declare such a song National which is biased towards one Religion. Of course one may argue that the song had a great significance in arousing patriotic feelings during our freedom movement. But that is no reason to declare it as a National Song. Being a secular Nation, we should never have those things for such National Symbols which reflect the religious sentiments of one religious community and totally ignores the other ones. And if some Muslims consider it a betrayel to Islam to embrace the Hindu religious ideas and sing the song and mean each word of it at the same time, I don't think there is anything wrong in their argument. I respect all religions. But if I am in the US and the government compels me to read the Bible on the Christmas Day, I don't think I would want to read it for their sake. I would love to read it on my own out of my own free will whenever I want to. The point I want to make is, you cannot force someone to embrace your religious ideas or pretend to do that. It should be a personal choice and nothing else. It is totally stupid on the part of our Leaders to express their will on the citizens of this country. They can do what they like. They can declare that they will sing that song in the parliament. But it is terribly annoying when they ask everyone to sing that song on a particular day at a fixed time. Is this democracy?
I think we've had enough. These poiticians must understand that we citizens are not their slaves. In the true spirit of democracy, they shoud represent our views. But sadly that hardly happens in India. These politicians decide whatever serves their political interests and slap them on the Nation. Look at the way the Reservations for OBS's issue was handled. A large majority of the polulation in this country including those in the SC's, ST's and the OBC's understand very well how ridiculous this system of reservation has become and how much flawed it is in the current scenario. We all know who needs these privileges and who finally gets them. And I am sure the politicians know these facts much better than any of us common men. But it is sad to see them turn a blind eye to reality and burden us with their non-sense policies.
We are a free country. We are a Democracy. Let's make it meaningful. In the current shape, we are not at all ruling ourselves. The Democracy in India is fake.
Vande Maataram
JAI HIND
