The Indian Genocide

They say history repeats itself. And we never learn from our mistakes. Today, almost ten years after the brutal massacre of both Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat, what remains is nothing but memories. Haunting, painful, bitter memories. Memories of what could have been. What should have been; harried housewives, stressed office-goers, playful children. Instead of the streets being alive with the hustle and bustle of early morning commuters and the honk of vehicles, all that there is outside Gulberg Society is an eerie quiet. A chilling camaraderie of wind and silence.

While many of us were too young at the time of these riots, we have grown up hearing about the genocide in Gujarat. Our parents and Google have recounted to us the horrifying massacre that killed tens of thousands of innocent people. The perpetrators have not been brought to justice. Will they ever? That remains to be seen.

Today, according to newspaper reports, one lone Muslim continues to stay in Gulberg Society, refusing to vacate the ghost-society. Others, forever scarred by the deaths of their family, have chosen to re-locate.

What is startling to see is the amazing communalism that is still prevalent in so many places in India. Gujarat may be a model state for the Western region of India, but beneath its shiny exterior, its flyovers, its radical development and its commercialisation, lies a secret buried so deep, that many don’t even remember its existence.

It may have been a decade ago, but even today, the country sits on a dormant volcano, one that can become active anytime soon. Everything is said and done keeping the minority and majority happy. Developmental schemes are not implemented as it will lead to unrest. Reservation is given, unjustly, to maintain the vote bank. Hardened terrorists are not hung, for that will eat into the vote bank.

And the Godhra riots are not the first, nor will they be the last instance of communalism in India. Ever since pre-Partition, Hindus and Muslims have shared an acrimonious relationship, with neither side willing to hold out the olive branch. The shocking murders and rapes of thousands of Indians in Calcutta during the freedom struggle left the world wide-eyed with horror.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. The response to retaliation should not be counter-retaliation. It is high time we consider ourselves to be Indians first and Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians later. India is called the melting pot of cultures. Let us ensure that it does not become a boiling pot of tempers and sentiments.