Peace Peace Peace

It’s been just 4 years when BJP under the dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi stormed into power. It was hailed as a great verdict that would take the nation on the great path to progress. People were promised “Achche Din” and they were agog with hope to see the great change.

It must be said that the Government didn’t disappoint initially and started its task on a very sincere note. PM himself started taking stock of pending and delayed infrastructure projects, Ministers and PM himself started making unscheduled visits to offices and hospitals to check punctuality and cleanliness, some solid gestures were made to Pakistan to improve the bilateral ties and Swachch Bharat campaign was launched. International oil prices were low, GDP was at a satisfactory level of around 7, forex reserve position was good, industrial production went up and Sensex was booming. Government then took some bold decisions and major disruptions like demonetisation and GST were initiated. While the intent was good, implementation left much to be desired and the end objectives that these big disruptions were meant to achieve remained elusive! Small businesses suffered, unemployment started increasing, international oil prices hardened and suddenly all that euphoria started dying. On top of it, increased polarisation, divide, intolerance and uncalled for aggression further led to disenchantment of largely moderate and peace loving populace of this country.

Social media is sharply divided into pro and anti Government factions, both blinded by the extreme stances taken by them. The reasonableness and rationality have become major victims of this polarisation.

Let me first give below a satirical piece of poetry based on Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s famous poem “Where the mind is without fear”. This is doing rounds in social media and reads:

“Where the cow is without fear

And the horns are held high,

Where bullshit is free.

Where the cow has not been eaten up by antinationals and traitors.

Where the fools are revered by idiots,

Where brainless strives to lynch one and all.

Where the muddy stream of superstitions has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of knowledge.

Where the mind is led backward by thee

Into ever widening thoughtless action.

Into that hell of ignorance, my national mother,

LET MY COUNTRY SLEEP!

With apologies to R.N.Tagore.

I have composed an original version, a humble attempt based on Gurudev’s great composition that is not farcical or satirical but tries to capture angst of those who had and still have great expectations from this Government. My version reads:

Where cows roam on street without fear,

And accident rates caused by them are high;

Where owners can’t sustain old and useless animals,

But leather and meat industries are running dry.

Where killing an edible animal for food is no- no;

But lynching helpless humans is go-go.

Where bullet train is the order of the day;

But petrol, diesel and vegetables are out of the way.

Where polarisation is complete between rightist and leftist;

If you’re in middle you will get a furious fist.

This was definitely not what I dreamt of my land;

The country that produced Tagore and Vivekanand!!!!

Achche din are possible only when the society is inclusive, united, open, happy, broad minded, tolerant and well behaved. The land of Tagore and Vivekanand can wait for bullet train but it can’t afford any vitiating of its philosophy as encapsulated in this shloka:

Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah

Sarve Santu Nir-Aamayaah |

Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu

Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet |

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

This can be translated as:

May All become Happy,

May All be Free from Illness.

May All See what is Auspicious,

May no one Suffer.

Peace, Peace, Peace.