I was in Gujarat for two long years and it was perhaps the worst years of my life. Not because of the fact that I missed my home or the food I loved but it was for a much deeper much subtle reason. I have noticed how people there marginalized the minorities and how openly they confessed their hatred towards other Religious Groups. From my childhood I have gathered a notion that a developed city should have a open heart... Perhaps my city was not so glamorous or rich like Mumbai or Ahmadabad but nonetheless we had Jewish Bakers, Anglo-Indian Singers, Chinese chefs, Muslim cooks and also people from all over the country, if not the world. From my childhood I have learned how to accommodate with the diversity and also how we should indulge ourselves in pursuit of knowledge rather than flaunting our possessions. It was 2007 when I left Kolkata and now after a long struggle when I came back here and trying to establish myself as a Writer, I find the same trend being repeated in my own City. We are flaunting our possessions, shamelessly marketing ourselves, pushing aside the minorities and also not accommodating with any group who are distantly different. Our culture always promoted Art and encouraged the Freedom of the Artists. But nonetheless there had been incidents were writers like Taslima Nasreen were forced to leave this city and now an eminent comedian Mir is a target of religious backlashes. My question to you all is do you want to make Kolkata a religious hub where freedom of expressions will be restricted? Is this how you want your city to be? Do we want to go back in time and continue insulting each other? Do we want to make it Gujarat? Think before you promote a culture which is not ours!!!
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 07:38:22 +0000
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