In India: Forgotten past and hypocrisy's inexorable march

There's the old dictum: History repeats itself. It therefore makes sense to revisit history, every so often, especially when you've a citizenry with short memory, and there are lessons, from history, that need to be relearned.

In March '06, Baroda city was conducting its demolition drive to reduce encroachment of public spaces. The city authorities demolished several temples, other structures, which were in violation of law, after due procedure and orders from high-court. Most of these incidences were uneventful i.e., they went ahead as they should've: peacefully. One of the illegal construction though just happened to be a mosque. And there, the local populace belonging to a certain peaceful community went on rampage in protests, attacking the demolition squad and the police. To regain control of law and order, the police had to fire upon the mob in which three rioters died.

Such is the premium on lives of members of a particular community that the central government in Delhi sprung into action upon reports received from Baroda. Leaders of the ruling secular clique issued threatening calls, suggesting dismissal of the popular state govt. of Gujarat. This, when a city authority, independent of state government, was following orders issued by the regional high-court.

Recently, in Kerala's Kannur district, communists murdered about half-dozen workers of a rival rightist group, after having initiated a "cycle of violence" that has continued over past few years. These workers, unfortunately, do not belong to any particularly peaceful community. As such, neither the central govt. nor the media mourned their death or tried to provide solace to their hapless relatives. Their tears were considered unimportant. There is no evidence that the PM lost sleep over the reign of terror unleashed on these forgotten Indians. No comment has been made on the visibly deteriorated law and order situation in a state ruled by those who're supporting his rule at center.

Rewind a little more, few years back. There was this case of Jhabua nun rape--a rape that wasn't, but still remains in media memory. Much was made out of it, including raining of charges on a rightist group. Charges which were discovered to be unfounded. Anyway, progressive MPs and MLAs of Kerala, "god's own country," mostly communist CPI-M members, a couple dozen of them altogether, decided to descend upon Madhya Pradesh, a not-so-progressive state where Jhabua is located. Their ostensible reason was an Orwellian sounding fact-finding mission. No facts were reported to be found but yet the the mission went on untrammeled. No prize for guessing why--the alleged victim belonged to another particularly loving community.

These instances are either forgotten or considered unworthy of being recalled to refresh public memory. Neither is there any fact-finding mission scheduled to visit Kannur, nor is their an almost hysteric outcry over the state's deteriorated law 'n order situation, something usually reserved for some select states. Letters from concerned citizens are missing and silent marchwallas have maintained a deafening silence.

Tolerance, freedom of speech/expression, human rights and such high-sounding phrases have been reduced to mere slogans. A cheap, synthetic outrage has become the norm, and even a way of living, for India's so-called elites.