It is festive season again and with it comes joy and happiness for all. It's time to catch up with relatives, buy new clothes, start new ventures and re-kindle old friendships. In the joyous mood as we are, all of us have our plans to celebrate the next month with the biggest festivals of the country around the corner. However, this Sunday it's time for victory of good over evil again - for it's Vijay Dashami. As effigies of Ravana will be burnt across the country, it'll mark the day when Lord Rama defeated Ravana and we shall make ourselves belive that truth and justice shall always win over evil.
However, ironically, there has been an age long battle going on still in this country in which everyone seems to be loosing. The issue of who owns the "Rama janma bhoomi" (Lord Rama's birth site). Now there are arguments about who's wrong and who's right and who should own the land and all arguments seem to be fitting and none can be out rightly denied. But I'm not getting into that here and the motive is not to make this a political debate. The larger issue is that somewhere the idea of secular India is getting hurt, one way or the other. It is evident that "perfect" justice at least in this case is not possible to the extent that you'll come up with some argument, no matter what, justifying your claim. And it appears, as it does due to various events of recent times, that the idea of India is about to perish.
But today, these children, around 10-12 years in age, came to my home to invite us to celebrate Vijay Dashsmi in the neighborhood. They were basically going to each residence to invite and also collect some money to make the necessary arrangements for the event. I was surprised to see their enthusiasm and the excitement. Reminded me of my childhood. They were all lit up with the idea of burning Ravana. So in conversation, I asked them their names. To my surprise, two of them, a girl and a boy, were Muslims.
It is satirical that when the elders of these children are fighting over the so called "birth-site" of Lord Rama from opposite sides, they want to together celebrate the victory of Lord Rama, the victory of good over evil. You know, events like these give me hope that India is still secular, that the idea of India still prevails, that at least the children in this country are not so corrupt from heart and soul as their elders, that had they been given a choice they would have wanted a community park in Ayodhya where they could have celebrated both Vijay Dashami and Id together, where they could have established an emblem of humanity defying all those who thought India won't be secular and that minorities here shall forever be dominated.
In these angelic souls I find hope. Hope that the dream which today is only a partial reality shall someday be a light to the world, the dream of the World Largest Secular Democratic Nation - the Idea of INDIA.
