Intolerance arises when people of different faiths, beliefs, castes and creeds are unwilling to accept diverse views and ideas different from their own.
Instances of intolerance have been sighted all over the world. Take for instance, the Nazis who were famous of their own beliefs and destroyed Jews in the process on the rift between Sunni Muslims & Shia Muslims which has caused a stir worldwide.
Our motherland India is a democratic country. Secularity is India’s religion according to our constitution. Then why is it that people can’t stand the other person just because they belong to different religion or caste.
The underlying reason is the dividing of the country along social and political lines. Politicians divide the country on the basis of their vote banks and empathize with people so as to gain power and money. At times politicians have been caught giving hate speeches so as to fill fury and rage in the minds of the public. They bank upon this fury to quench their thirst for votes
Nevertheless the social hierarchy which has been prevailing in the country since time immemorial has nothing but hamper the situation evens more. Even though untouchability has been banned a long time ago yet people have been gripped with the shackles of classicism.
The so-called upper class or rich strata of society are often reported for bad mouthing or abusing the poor people just because they consider them dirt and are not tolerant to our views. people are not ready to let go of their staunch beliefs and more towards progress which is why intolerance is on a roll all time high these days.
The existence of Intolerance is almost nil in the urban sphere of life, due to high literacy rates but in the rural part, it is completely different situation altogether. A man namely Mohammad Akhlaq was kicked and beaten to death by a cruel mob in Dadri for having probably eaten beef without any investigation.
Media and entertainment industry is also largely responsible for instilling intolerance in the minds of the people. Whatever those celebrities may say, it is a fact that they have a big hand in making societies intolerant. Violent moves and news reports have become a norm in today’s world, and they leave a major negative impact on our thoughts and thinking process.
Religion is a path to a peaceful living, not a destination which has to be attained even on the expense of other`s lives. Unsocial elements like Terrorist groups such as the ISIS or The Jihads aim to send across the message of Muslims by the means of guns and threats. They want their religion to spread roots but not with a message of love and affection but with a slogan of hatred and cruelty.
Intolerance restricts the flow of new ideas as when people are restricted from voicing their opinions and ideas, the ideas don’t spread vehemently among the people.
It constricts research and development because as mentioned above, ideas are the seeds of researches that carry on for a long period of time but if your roots are not strong and they do not get enough minerals i.e. exposure, the plant of the idea will wilt away slowly. Suppression on linguistic, chauvinistic or racial basis creates dejection among the masses as they feel put down and badly treated.
Tolerance has vanished in thin air. Impatience and rigidity in beliefs has taken its toll over people’s minds. This has resulted in an atmosphere of tension and fear throughout the country. People fear stepping outside their homes doors to the prevalent violence.
Chills pass down our spine when we see that no individual is spared from this torture of hatred. People mercilessly slay their own brothers just because they believe in some other faith. Your beliefs should not bring you down; they should be the reason for their upliftment.
But when we witness massacres happening in the name of religion, we are forced to think whether my religion in world preaches violence. Terror has ignited the hearts of millions who find it difficult to shed away the misery of the nightmares.
A recent experiment was carried out by some investigators to assess the people on their religious beliefs. The subjects were asked to disclose their religious or national identity i.e. what religion flowed in their veins after a DNA test done, the results were completely surprising. For example a Muslim fanatic claimed himself to be a descendent from the Muslim and Persian race.
But he got the shock of his life when he came to know that his blood consisted only 16% Muslim and 9.33% Persian. He started sobbing for having housed in himself so much hatred and bias for the other castes. It doesn’t matter what blood we are made from, what matters is that blood is red and we all are humans.
The only end that can be put to this perturbing menace of intolerance is through communal harmony. Communal harmony brings peace, unity and prosperity to a nation. This problem can’t be dissolved with bullets and guns or by spewing venom on each other that belong to different faiths and religions. Introducing a special chapter on social harmony in textbooks will also help.
Ending the social hierarchy in our society would definitely go a long way in helping our nation to achieve the envisioned success.
Finally I would like to conclude with a fact that no matter which faith we believe in, we always have to stand united. Issues like intolerance and prejudice won’t exist when rifts between mindsets are mended.
When this nation starts to think of India being its religion, then a day will come when the wheels of development would run leaving the complete globe behind.
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