Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Bigotry Be Bygone

Bigotry in the form of religion, caste, creed, color and gender is the debilitating poison that has eaten away our society over a prolonged period, perforating the foundation of social structures across different parts of world.  The very basic right of leading a life with minimum dignity has been denied on the basis of these human created differences.  The framework of division of work specified in old systems, which never espoused the theory of untouchables and intolerance, started decaying almost simultaneously in almost all countries and societies during the middle ages (around from 10th to 16th  century)  – marked as the black age. It does continue till today in many parts of India and world in some form or other.
With the breakdown of colonial rules in the west, there has been a significant change to consider a human as a person before anything – tolerance and respect for individual self being of utmost importance. It pains us to see that till today a few self-styled god men consider themselves  more equal than others and mark fellow people as sinners creating smokescreens obscuring the truth and dictating terms of how should they change their beliefs and/or their destiny. These have turned into ugly wars and battles to satisfy the interest of few with huge collateral damages of loss of common human lives for no fault of theirs.

For our society to prosper and for peace to prevail on earth, we need to be more tolerant than yesterday and there can’t be any kind of society-created classification other than natural ones.  Instead of trying to advocate that one way is better than others, there is an urgent need to adopt “ So many opinions, that many paths”, as propounded by real wise men like Sri Ramakrishna.  Peace and harmony and not intolerance and acrimony need to be the first steps towards the future.

36 comments:

  1. Bigotry is certainly a menace for the societal well-being. But before society, it also slowly eats up the individual from inside, I think.

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    1. Hi, yes, you are very right. People do get affected on both sides on these divides. Thanks for your read.

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  2. A good and thoughtful B post!

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  3. This is something we should all ponder about...especially the Indian society that we live in...Good use of the alphabet B..

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  4. Thats what you call an alphabet put to good use. You gave us something to think very deeply upon.

    Ishithaa
    #AtoZChallenge

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    1. Thanks, Bhavya for your these nice comments. Will consider my effort made some sense.This is motivating. Appreciate your support.

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  5. Very insightful and thought provoking post. A very apt use of the alphabet B.

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  6. While the world stands, there will always be this kind of division amongst people. As a Christian, I know God did not intend it to be this way. But, you pointed the very reason ~ sin. That is what separated humans from God initially, and it manifested itself to the point where one race or sex believe they are above the others. We are intelligent individuals, and yet many people can not see the basic truths that we are all equal in God's eyes. To have a world filled with peace and harmony is a beautiful dream, but I am afraid this will not be achieved till we stand on the other side of heaven's gate. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on bigotry. Good "B" word!

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    1. Hi Cathy, Thanks for your time and the comment. While I agree to the challenges get created in the path, my optimistic self claim that at least we can do better. Hope you agree there.

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  7. Nice thought
    And yes paths may be different but destination is same

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  8. thoughtful and powerful post. And untill we try to change this thought process, our society will get corroded even more

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    1. Thanks, Rajlakshmi. Appreciate your time and comment. Yes, we need to really ponder on these things..can't be just writings..

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  9. Thoughtful post.... something to think about.. :)

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  10. Definitely something to think about!! Good use of the alphabet :)

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  11. But as long as you have people writing about such things, voicing their concerns I believe society can be given a chance...

    Richa

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    1. Yes, Richa. And that's why we are making progress :-) and am eternal optimistic. Thanks for the comment.

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  12. Very well said, Jayanta. Tolerance is must if we wish to live in harmony.

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  13. A thought provoking post.
    Nicely done !

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  14. "So many opinions, that many paths"--- I liked that one! That should be the path to go, and tolerance is the most important tool in getting there, I think! A very interesting read, Jayanta:-) I enjoyed it:-)

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    1. Thanks, Eli, for your nice comments. Yes, I also believe in the same thought process.

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  15. Bigotry is harmful in every society. Open exchange of ideas is important so we can share and find truth. I believe there is a truth to be found. God bless, Maria at Delight Directed Living

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  16. This is a good post. I like concept of 'so many opnions, so many paths."

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  17. The first instance where I heard the word ' Bigotry' was the famous Chicago Speech of Swami Vivekananda. Ever since, this has been food for thought. You nailed it, jayanta ji :)

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    1. Thank you, Ma'M. I completely agree and thanks for your nice comments
      :-).

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  18. Very thought provoking, Jayanta. In spite of being called a secular state, it is only when people let go of bigotry that any country will prosper.

    Thank you for visiting my blog

    Vidya Sury

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    1. Thanks, Ma'M, for your time on my blog and your comments. Much appreciated.

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  19. To me, bigotry is a form of bullying. It does not matter you live in this world, you are not immune from it. As stated, it is not just race, religion or gender but can be for a number of things. Some people like to set themselves above others for whatever reason. I also believe it is important that we try to win them over by our own attitudes. As a business woman in a man's world, I encountered this but did not let it affect me.

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  20. Hi Carol, I can't agree more and wonderful to know that you did not let this affect you. Thanks for stopping by and your time :-).

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  21. Bigotry is less visible in recent times, but it is very much existent beneath the surface of many individuals. Each one of us must try sincerely to change ourselves, and the persons around us, for the better

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    1. Yes, very correctly said...Appreciate your thoughts...

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