A tale of the "DONKEYS"

I really don’t know how to begin. There are so many emotions that come and clog my mind right now that I cannot narrow down to a mere one or a coherent few for that matter. Yes, Indian politics is that myriad and that queer.

I take resort to my teenage science books and begin with the definition of the word “politics” itself. Yeah, I remember that is how they took care of “matter”, “scalar” and “vector”. Everything under the sun would invariably begin with a definition.

Politics originate from the Greek word “politikos” meaning “of, for or relating to citizens”. And immediately you know why current Indian politics does not stand for what it should. It has become an eccentric ball game that cannot be really put into words. And the people in charge of the grand affair sometimes force you discombobulate between politics and circus. Indian politics sure has been taken for granted. To cut a long story short, there are these hoard of “goats” and a stable full of “cows” and we the “donkeys” have to choose between the “cows” and “goats”. That is how democracy is exercised in our country. Yet the above scenario is the best possible. The others are even worse. There are these “hungry” donkeys and some “blind” and “painted” ones and the situation keeps getting worse.

A healthy democracy can never survive without the very elementary wisdom of differentiating good from bad. And when you cannot differentiate you will be very susceptible to modulation. You can be made to believe that “good” is “bad” and vice versa. Indian democracy thrives on exactly that. Indian literacy rates will make any proud Indian squirm and wiggle. There may be hundreds of reasons that can/may justify the numbers but the figures remain shameful nevertheless. And the so called “politicians” see a silver lining in this cloud of chagrin. They bask in the glory of contemptible reflection. Indian education scenario looked more preponderant under British rule than it does now. You will now be able to know why we are “slaves” turned “donkeys”. I believe slavery is a situation and donkeys are what we made ourselves to be. The difference isn’t subtle. We just try to make it so.

Education is only a shade of this gloomy picture. The deeper you try to go the murkier it becomes. The caliginosity blinds you. It takes away your will to see the world in your inner light. And right then you decide to go with the flow. You become a “donkey”. And the “donkeys” who realize they can be “donkeys” no more, cultivate wings and fly away. An easy escapade. But the aftermath is indeed strong. Some try to become horses and they go deeper and deeper into the sinking sand till they give up.

India is a fascinating tale in itself. And complicated to say the least. Multilingual, multicultural, multi religion. A heady concoction of spirits. A cocktail of emotions. It is never easy to write the sequel of an already spellbinding epic. But the efforts have been so apocryphal from the very beginning that now there is only a heap of carcass left. Every sincere effort that you now try and take seems to be a drop of water in the amaranthine desert.

This country has always been shrouded by a religious war sometimes intermingled with class and caste. If we try to take a closer look we can surely ascertain the origin. ‘Politics’ it is. ‘Politics’ it will be. And every time we succumb. ‘Religion’ is an inseparable part of us. It is the beliefs that we hold within us. It is the way we choose to live our lives. Religion as we customarily think is not merely related to “God” and “The Holy book”. It is more deep-seated. It is not an art or a science. It begins when all that ends. But “politics” is what we make it. And we make “politics” come in between “religion” and paint an ugly war scene in the canvas. As is the rule of the jungle, “When elephants fight it is the grass that suffers”, the “donkeys” in this case suffer.

There always has been times when “donkeys” have revolted. They have sharpened themselves under cover, they have strengthened stone to stone. They have stood against oppression and they have glinted like horses. They have changed the entire story and I only wish that my story changes. Sooner the better.

 

The "DONKEY" Man