Indian Economy Going down
This thread is crazy. It starts off about the economy, becomes a political argument and is now headed a religious way?
I know this is the fight club, but come on.
I'm not here to close it, but I would like to add my two cents in the hope of perhaps bringing a new perspective that might resonate with a few of you.
Arguing in favour of any political party these days makes it look like you have a vested interest. Personally I'd prefer army rule for a decade, with army style justice for offenders. Want a quick fix to our problems, take away our "freedom". I expect hate replies for this, but hear me out:
I've been abroad often, and even lived there for many years. One thing I always did was follow the behaviour of people on my flight. I used to especially look at the labourer class. They would spit outside the airport, eat something and leave the table dirty, go into the airport loos and leave it filthy for the next person, just throw wrappers everywhere, you get the drift. Upon arrival at the destination - here it's mostly gulf countries that I've been to - the behaviour changes drastically. They're as caring as every citizen should be, even the loos are clean when they finish with them, and I've seen them actively hunting for dustbins. I remember one chap actually asked me to confirm whether what was before him was actually a dustbin, or not. I talked to many of them, asking them why they would litter our country, and not another's. They all said they were warned by family and friends not to, or else they might be deported, jailed, fined, etc.
Fear works in India, nothing else. It's that simple. If you fear for your life or money (the only two things all us Indians value unanimously), you suddenly become straight. Threaten to take away someone's life or money unless he follows the rules, and bam, you have ordered society. Maybe Modi is not what Congress claims he is, maybe Congress leadership is not as corrupt as the scams indicate, but does that mean absolutely anything for you or me? It doesn't change that the on ground support for all of these individuals are nothing more than thugs and crooks. The lower party workers who are actually supposed to implement the ideals of the party, just never do, because they feel too important to care.
For example, those campaigning for BJP here, (I only use them as an example because they're not in power at the moment) next time you see any car with a proud BJP sticker on it, driven by someone important, and he cuts you off in traffic, or jumps a signal, try stopping him and telling him to follow the traffic rules, and say you are a BJP supporter, and that he is bringing shame to the party you support. Who wants to bet against the outcome I predict? You will be told to FO politely, or maybe even slapped for wasting an "important person's time". Now take that statement, and apply it to all positions of power. Not just all parties, but all God men, all movie stars, all self-obsessed people who think they have power - rich businessmen, or their sons, taxi drivers who are in unions, anyone!
The point is, if you think any one of these parties gives a hoot about any of us, you probably also believe in fairy tales. The local corporator might care, because he wants to be elected, and might listen for 10 minutes and make empty promises, but only if it happens to be election time, or you come across as someone who might be able to help him garner votes. Do exceptions exist? I am sure they do, and those poor people have thankless jobs, because they will always be a minority. Politics is the most power hungry game of all, and none of these people are in it to do good for this country, and certainly not you and me specifically. They hanker for power and fame, like to feel important, like to be called sahab, don't want to wait in lines, and feel entitled. Almost ALL OF THEM.
Now coming to Religion. An overwhelming majority of deaths that occur in the world, and that have occurred, are because of religion. Not one religion, but ALL religions. The number may vary, but historically, the Christian religion that I was born into, and have since shunned, seems to have caused the most genocide thus far, but the others seem to want to catch up, for some insane reason - as if this was a race any sane society would want to win!
It's also such a weird thing, because all religions basically offer comfort for those worried about death, and preach peace, and yet have the distinction of causing the majority of unnatural deaths amongst humans. It's a bargaining chip used by political parties, your friends, parents, and almost everyone you meet to try and get you to conform, when every religion always states that being forced into anything is just wrong. It should be something that's personal, but is brandished about proudly, certainly more proudly than your citizenship.
I am not anti-god (whatever form or name you want to use for him or her, I accept them all with open arms), I am just against the organised religion of today. I am against blindly following something you were born into and didn't choose, against the whole debate of faiths - as if one faith could ever be more real or better than another faith. The very word faith implies that you believe it implicitly, and yet we try and argue for or against the faiths of people?
Why humanity insists on finding ways to divide itself into finer chunks is a mystery to me, but we do - language, regions, social standing, clubs, religion, sect within said religion, gender, and God knows how many more. Yet we all know this, and instead of getting more personally involved with our God or religion at home, and being more Indian outside, we increasingly allow exactly the opposite. We vote for political thugs, make friends, hire people, fire people, fight with people, hate, love, etc., based on these perceived differences. Is this logical to everyone? Does faith have to come with blinders attached?
Everyone has a right to believe in whatever they want, why does it have to come at the cost of forcing others to believe as well? Can the supreme beings we hold so holy really be so shallow as to punish you for praying to the wrong idol or book in the wrong building? Do they all damn entire communities to hell because they were all born into the wrong family? Does the life you lead and the choices you make play no role in deciding whether you are worthy of an afterlife, if one exists?
Just some food for thought for you guys, in the hope that we can be a little more accepting of others' views on faith, no matter how ridiculous we feel they are, and yes, I would classify faith in a political party, on the same level as faith in a supreme being - for every argument that you can ever produce to support your statement, someone else can do the same for his - because (and I repeat) faith by its very definition is unshakeable belief with no proof required - so why try?
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