A Non-Secular Nation

Lately, I have come across a lot of news about the lynchings in the name of “Jai Shri Ram”. It is really sad to see that our country is slowly becoming an non-secular nation. We usually sympathize with victims but some people are happy about whatever is going on while the rest are indifferent. But how can people empathize with a situation that does not affect them?

For few minutes, let’s imagine whatever I am saying. I am sure that it will help. You may find some of the things funny. One thing I want to make clear that whatever I am going to mention is solely the product of my own imagination.

Imagine that you live in a country which is pre-dominantly resided by the people following Ximu religion. You were living in this country for a long time. In fact, your ancestors too lived in this country.

Imagine that all of a sudden the Ximu people start discriminating between Ximu and non-Ximu people. You belong to the minority population. Now Ximu people want all the non-Ximu to do whatever they want Ximus want them to do.

Imagine that their chant is “Xa Xum Xo” and few violent groups chant this mantra. These groups force people to chant it and those who don’t are beaten up. They target specifically the non-Ximu people as their physical features are different than those of Ximu’s.

Imagine that you were walking on the street and a group of Ximus surround you to say “Xa Xum Xo”. To save your life, you uttered the chant. But they beat you up uselessly. You think about taking the help of the law. You lodge a complaint to police. Imagine that the police are also Ximu and he is taking orders from the government who gives priority to the interests of Ximus.

Imagine that Ximu worship potatoes. They grow potatoes and keep them as idols. They call you barbaric for eating potatoes. Even then, your younger brother tried to eat potato chips secretly. Some Ximus saw him eating it. They cannot tolerate it. They killed your teenage brother and clearly justified that he did something against their religion.

Imagine that every morning when you read the newspaper, it is flooded with news related to lynchings in the name of potato and the chants. Imagine that government is spreading these Ximu ideologies too. You stop eating potatoes and search for some other options. You start covering your face so that you cannot be recognized as a non-Ximu. You start living in close-knit communities of non-Ximus.

Imagine that a girl of 7, a non-Ximu is raped in Ximu’s sacred place as a sacrifice. The rapists did it to scare those non-Ximus who were residing in that area. Imagine that you fear to practice your religion as you don’t want to drop a hint about your identity.

After all this, imagine you decided that you will flee the country but you realize that you won’t be accepted anywhere in this world. Imagine the pain of separation that one feels when they are eradicated from their roots.

Imagine the worst so that you could realize the blurred line between right and wrong