Wanna feel Secular – Hit the Bar

Politics is boring. One gets the feeling that the Disney world has outsourced all it’s cartoons en masse and all of them are now living in Delhi. Many found their way into the Government and those who couldn’t, became either the spokespersons of a party or anchors in various channels.

Twitter sadly has taken it to another low. Consider the recent twitter war between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi – Pappu vs. Feku. There were no intelligent points from either party’s supporters. All they were doing were hurling abuses on each other’s leaders. One of them could be India’s next PM! Imagine his predicament! But can’t really blame them alone. Even the so called respected Ministers can’t be exonerated. Notice the kind of language used by them. Salman Khurshid compares Modi with a monkey while Jairam Ramesh compares him with Bhashmasur.

Another minister Beni Prasad Verma doesn’t think Mulayam is fit to even sweep the PM’s house. These ministers forget what do their comments reflect about them. It would have been alright if they fought among themselves but to think of it, these worthy men teach us even about secularism!

Secularism , in today’s India , is the most abused word. Even someone like Lalu peppers it generously. I fail to understand how on earth can a Congress ,whose Gen Secy. calls a terrorist Osama Jee just for some easy Muslim Votes, be called secular? As for the Muslims, I am sure they are intelligent enough to understand the difference between lip service and a genuine concern.

As one grows, the number of close friends reduce. Today I can count my real friends on the fingers of my hand. Out of them, many are Muslims. But I don’t wear them like badges on my sleeve. I don’t have to shout from the roof top and proclaim my secularism. These are my friends not because they are Muslims but because they are great guys. They would have still been my friends if they were Hindus or Christians. So I don’t need these clowns to teach me about secularism. But it is sometimes frustrating, this whole discussion.

Sometimes I want to escape. Escape from this real world of lies, lies and some more lies.

Often I have tried to find the answer to this rather perplexing question : Where do you find real secularism. Finally I could only think of only one place- a Bar. It is one place in the world where the Bar tender doesn’t bother about anything. He doesn’t give you a half chilled bottle of beer if you belong to a particular religion or a customer sitting on a bar stool doesn’t engage into a conversation after he checks his lineage.
Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the legendary poet, aptly describes a Madhushala ( a bar) as the only unifying place. In his famous poem, Madhushala, he laments that the places of religion teach divisiveness but only a bar teaches integration. Can there be a better place for secularism.

At the risk of being corny, I would daresay that Manipal is another choice. But Manipal is far now.

Each year more than twenty thousand students land in this lovely city from all over the country and the world. They worship different Gods and speak in different languages. But once here, For four years or more they make this place their home. All the differences are forgotten and they live like a single happy family.

So You all politicians of different hues, Enough is Enough- If you really want to know the true meaning of being secular try hitting a bar or else visit Manipal once.

There is a third option as well. Please shut up.