Saturday 2 January 2016

Intolerance

I searched the recently made famous word’s meaning on Google…I typed “intolerance” and without typing any further it prompted me if I meant “intolerance meaning” and I quickly accepted it. And lo behold before I could even blink an eye it came with the results in 0.24 seconds flat! It said “intolerance” means and I quote, “unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own.”

At the outset let me say that my views are diametrically opposite to that of Aamir Khan or those of the artists who returned the awards et al and I am just stating it. Already, I can see some of you are feeling uneasy and are gearing up to denounce me for holding this view. I ask you, based on the above definition given by Google: why are you being intolerant towards me holding this view? Just as you say Aamir has the right to say what he pleases, so do I. Or do I have any lesser right just because I am not a celebrity? So, please use the same yardstick to judge me as you are judging Aamir’s right to say as he pleases.

At this point, I am sure you will agree that both Aamir and I can’t both be right – one of us is certainly wrong – i.e. we can’t be holding diametrically opposite views and be right in doing so. Or is it so? Either his claim that India is becoming intolerant is true or is it that his saying so is actually showing his intolerance for the country he lives in? Else, some of you will not be supporting him and denouncing me already and vice versa. Or why would you be running to defend him and castigate me for my views? Or why were you running to defend and be tolerant towards Yakub who was proven guilty by the highest court of the land for killing hundreds of innocent countrymen but be intolerant in castigating the country’s Prime Minister who has been given a clean chit time and again after being hounded countless times in over a decade? Why is your tolerance selective? Or rather why is your judgment of intolerance warped? Or, is it for some ulterior motive, your tolerance meter has suddenly started malfunctioning?

It is for these reasons, I do not agree with your view that there is rising intolerance in the country and just as you are entitled to your view, so am I. Now, you can be intolerant of my assessment as you may feel, albeit rightly or wrongly, that I have been intolerant to your viewpoint.
So, to sum up, I can safely say we are as tolerant as we were in the past or are as intolerant as we have ever been. It’s been a case of much ado about nothing. ;p

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