History was one of my most boring subjects in school. It was mainly because I had to memorise so many dates and events and names and so on, I never understood what the point was when it had all got over long ago. Of course some of the stories were interesting, but overall it was the most boring subject on Earth especially due to my total lack of motivation! 
Over time, many years after I finished school, I happened to come across one answer – the maxim that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Today I was watching the movie Bombay again, it showed Babri Masjid demolition era, and the violence that followed.
The parents of this particular couple in the story, who were from different religions and had opposed the marriage vehemently at first, but when faced with a life and death situation, one of them saves the other by identifying him as his own brother.
There were two little boys – 6 year old identical looking twins. Its a very colorful and melodious beginning in the movie, but eventually, after the indiscriminate destruction of the mosque, communal riots break lose. These little brothers are fleeing for safety amidst the mob fury, but are caught by a group of arsonists. Threatening to set fire to them they ask them “are you a hindu or a muslim?” again and again. Both the terrified boys reply one religion each, what can they say when their names are Kabir Narayan and Kamal Basheer! It confuses the mob who repeatedly ask the same question, and then just decide to just burn them both and start pouring fuel on them! Its a heart rending scene… a metaphor of exactly what happens in every community riot. Within any external classification of people we make based on birth or background, inside we are the same just like these twin brothers.
The violence, pain and suffering is portrayed with graphic realism – its quite clear how people in power manipulate circumstances, while it is the poor common man who is affected. The innocence of the children and love in this inter-religious family is a stark contrast. I can’t imagine any movie conveying this brotherhood any more clearly than this movie.
It seemed that not everybody appreciated it though, as a matter of fact bombs were thrown at the director’s house after the release. But I don’t think any common man could’ve got away from this movie without getting this point).
One of the songs of the movie Malarodu Malaringu…
When flowers are joining together,
why people are fighting with each other?
Let the madness of religious fanatism be buried.
Let the world find solace in religion.
There is no sorrow in these tears.
Blood dosen’t have different colours.
Breeze dosen’t have stipulated direction and purpose,
Let our hearts join together
Often misunderstood, this was the core idea of Gandhi’s non-violence…
Gandhi was not talking about defeating or overthrowing anyone.
Satyagraha—Gandhi’s nonviolent action—was not a way for one group to seize what it wanted from another. It was not a weapon of class struggle, or of any other kind of division. Satyagraha was instead an instrument of unity.
You may wonder, how did Gandhi himself come to this
amazing attitude? He said it this way: “All my actions have their
source in my inalienable love of humankind.”You see, love for the victim demanded struggle,
while love for the opponent ruled out doing harm. But in fact, love for
the opponent likewise demanded struggle.Why? Because by hurting others, the oppressor also hurts himself.
Of course, the oppressor isn’t likely to be aware
of that. He may be thoroughly enjoying his power and wealth. But
beneath all that, his injustice is cutting him off from his fellow
humans and from his own deeper self. And when that happens, his spirit
can only wither and deform.Now, that’s not obvious, and if you don’t believe it, I don’t know any way I might convince you.
