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God save the boat
 Someone
rightly said years ago that politics is the last refuge of a
scoundrel. And, as I see the Indian political scene today, I
also see that hypocrisy is becoming the last refuge of
pseudo-religionist and political fundamentalists. They are
politicising God himself and instead of saving the boat are
trying their best to sink it.
The metaphor of the boat reminds me of a story, told by my
father, a staunch nationalist and a truly liberal secular
Hindu. A group of people were once crossing a river in a boat
during stormy weather. Suddenly, the boat developed a leak and
water began rushing in. There were Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs,
Christians and Buddhists and their priests among the
passengers of the sinking boat. The Hindu priest prayed to his
Bhagwan to save the good Hindus. The Muslim priest prayed to
his Allah to save his devout Muslims. The Christian priest
prayed to Lord Jesus to save his flock. The Sikh priest prayed
to his Wahe Guru to save the good Sikhs. But the Buddhist
priest simply prayed “O Lord Buddha! save this boat.” He was
truly a man of religion and also a man of humanity and
compassion. He knew that if the boat was safe, all in it were
also safe.
India today is a sinking boat. The politicians are drilling
holes in it. They have already drilled holes in the name of 'khands'
or fragments. The once-famed 'Akhand Bharat' or 'indivisible
India' is being turned into 'Khandit Bharat' or 'fragmented
India.' They want more States not for the benefit of the
people but of the sundry politicians who will be able to
propel themselves to positions of power and pelf. O, people of
India, see the conspiracy, understand it and ensure that the
petty politicians of today do not do to the country what the
British, the masters of divide-and-rule, did to this country
in 1947.
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