There are a few ailments in our society that are not properly treated and one of them is intolerance. We have become highly intolerant today. It can be on political or religious grounds or could be in conflict with our own beliefs.
Over the past three years, there has been an increasing sense that space for liberal discussion in the country is becoming narrower. It has been shown by repeated incidents of threats, assassinations, and lynching.
How are so many people intolerant these days?
Recently, actor Naseeruddin Shah had expressed his concern over the increasing intolerance in the country. He also commented on the Bulandshahr violence where a policeman lost his life to mob fury over alleged cow slaughter.
The actor’s remarks had drawn scathing criticism from right-wing trolls.
This is what a user commented on his video, “I think Gulfam Hasan’s character played by him in Sarfarosh is actually his real character. Anti-Indian elements are using social media very shrewdly.”
Well, it is not just about the remarks of the celebs but we have also become intolerant in our daily lives. We can witness cases like the attitude of people on roads. It shows how no one is ready to give anyone their right of the way or we see people breaking into a fight on roads.
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We also witness how parents pressurize their kids to clear some competitive exams or to score 98% in papers. Intolerance is everywhere, even at our homes.
Take the case of people who save our lives – doctors. Whenever they get transferred to some remote area, they go on strikes leaving the people suffering in hospitals. We see lawyers throwing shoes on the judiciary for not having been given the desired decisions.
There have been reports of teachers brutally beating their students for having cheated in examinations or not doing well in a test. They literally break bones of students for not having memorized a lesson by heart.
It is sad that we are not even aware of the dire consequences that this social evil is bringing to our society.
How it has affected our society?
I think it is true that intolerance has shaken the very basis of our society. It is believed that every country has its own social disorder but it is at a manageable or negligible level, whereas in ours it is increasing day by day.
It was reported that a Pew Research Centre analysis of most populous countries ranked India as among the worst in the world for religious intolerance in 2017. In India, the incidence of hostility related to religion trailed only Syria, Nigeria, and Iraq, all places where sectarian violence is widespread.
It is a fact that people actually showing tolerance in our society are pretty rare to find, but we should take a lead from them to bring about this change in ourselves first and in the society as a whole.
People like teachers, leaders, and clergy in power are considered role models for the masses in the development world. But unfortunately, we see the opposite.
Intolerance is present in every part of our lives. I believe that rather than blaming the government, we should start with our houses at the most basic level.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: NDTV, CNN, BBC News
Find the Blogger: @NivedytaK
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