Kajal Chatterjee
In these times of “Good Days”; all things, comments and persons under the Indian sky have been divided into “national” and “anti-national”.
In such an intolerant hypocrite perspective, it is absolutely natural that those who will dare to pose any question revolving the Centre’s decision of demonetisation will automatically be treated as “dogs”, given a bad name(“anti-national”) and “hanged” through choicest abuses!
It seems that the “nationalists” have forgotten the fact that India is a democratic country where its citizens are Constitutionally empowered to exercise free speech. So by virtue of that very Constitutional strength; right from Mamata Banerjee to any common man hold every freedom to express themselves and every right to question the process of demonetisation. In the same vein, the “patriots” also possess every authority to contradict the Banerjees with sound logic; but they hold absolutely no democratic, moral or Constitutional right to character-assassinate them by coming up with terms as derogatory as “anti-national”.
Had the “Desh Bhakts” learnt to act a bit tolerant to the views of the others; then they would have at least appreciated the fact that neither the Banerjees nor the “anti-nationals” have protested against the move of reining in black money or confiscating counterfeit notes. They are merely saying that there should have been prior plan and proper methodology of flushing out black money so as not to land the common people into utter harassment and the society under supreme chaos. Now just because they are questioning the methodology or process of implementation, they are “anti-nationalists”!
The harbingers and zealous supporters of the “boldest decision in the history of independent India” have brainwashed the nation to such an extent that despite encountering inhuman ordeal in banks, post offices and ATMs to deposit/withdraw/exchange money and facing various obstacles(including medical emergency) due to shortage of currency of lower denominations; nobody is daring to open his/her mouth for the fear of getting branded “anti-national” or “black money hoarder” overnight. In these dark days of cowardice, Banerjee has dared to display her spine by very rightly protesting against the mayhem and chaos that have engulfed the length and breadth of the nation thanks to the “boldest decision in the history of independent India”. Rightly has she boldly stated that financial anarchy is dominating the nation over demonetisation.
4 persons have already lost their precious lives in rush for money . Many more deaths or serious injuries can occur in the upcoming days. Will the think-tank, sponsors and supporters of the “boldest decision” and the bunch of “patriots” return the lives of those two unfortunate innocent persons or at least monetarily compensate the hapless families of the deceased duo? Far from offering compensation, the “desh bhakts” are not even expressing a token sympathy for the common public who are coming up with stampede-like situations in banks and other places to collect “legal” money to run the kitchen or purchase life-saving medicines. Instead they are shamelessly trying to blackmail the persons and leaders of opposite views emotionally — “Are you for or against black money?” If unconditional support is offered to the powers, he is against black money; if any question is raised, she is for black money!
Civilization, ethics and minimum common sense demands that each and every decision in the world should have to pass the test of humanity. The pathetic death of 4 individuals and Himalayan ordeals being faced by billions of Indians since last few days have drastically failed the litmus test of humanity. Neither “Nationalism” nor “Boldness” can come at the cost of common people.
Source: The Sangai Express
