abrasuvra: "Bharat-varsha Kothay? [Where is India?]" : Bharati (in Aranyak)

The recent most crises to have taken entire West Bengal, if not regions beyond it, by surprise (!) is the stern call for a separate state – Gorkhaland – for the Gorkhas residing for centuries in northern parts of West Bengal. We all know of it, some of us are impatiently dead against any and all sorts of demands of these people. And some are ready to have thoughts over the matter. May be what I and you and he and she thinks about the just and unjust part of the story will not matter in the final count, I am confident that if this ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘she’, and ‘he’ forms a ‘we’ and EXPRESS what we think… well… that might make some sense; rather, a lot of sense. So, I would like to ask for you people’s liberty to pen down parts of what have been going on in my mind for some time now.

So, shall we begin?

At times we feel glorified to think of the diversity manifested in the land that we call as India. Sometimes, we are taken by surprise considering the immensity of this land in regards its diversity of language, culture, geo-physical conditions, religious beliefs… the list is seemingly endless. And yes, there are also times when we keep aside the newspaper, have a sip from the steaming cup of coffee, and ask ourselves – is it very unnatural? This call for separation from various groups – like some section of people from the northern parts of West Bengal raised the demand of a Greater Coochbehar sometimes back. Then, there is the KPP-KLO (though the two parties have separate ideologies, their goal is one – Kamtapur for certain sections of Northern West Bengal) demand… Go to Assam, go to Nagaland, to Kashmir, Telengana… and, once again, the list (of separatist demand) continues. Outright most of us dismiss such things as utter notoriety and brainchild of vested political motif. But, it is again the same ‘we’ who give it a second thought, at least, tend to give it a second thought. Is it really nothing but vested political interest? Is it nothing but sheer love of power that drives hundreds and thousands of people to the verge holding their lives at stake to realize their demand of a separate state or, as in some cases, a separate nation!

From a very tender age, I have tried to think of this country as a singular family. A family with several members – diverse from each other in terms of taste, passion, hobbies, and everything that defines the person of a person. They are all diverse from each other but share the same surname. That is India to me. I remember writing and expanding exactly on this very point during my graduation exams a few years back. Yes, I do believe and try to see this land as a singular joint family. May be it is an over-simplification and the socio-pundits will dismiss me outright. But, why complicate things that you can perceive in a simple manner!

So, when does a family member revolt against the very family? When does the child say that it is no more possible for her to stay together with the family; to bear the same surname? Yes, there may be some fault with the daughter (or the son) in the way s/he is viewing everything around. But, are not the parents in any way responsible for this? Can it be that there is not the slightest hint of wrong done by the family on the daughter/son and that the revolt against the family is entirely baseless? Think over it and say. Or, you perhaps even do not have to think over it. The answer is pretty obvious. So, should not we think twice (or, even more) before passing comments regarding these agitations, the recent-most being the one led by GJM (Gorkha Janamukti Morcha) in the hill areas of West Bengal?

PS:

Please comment over the issue

And, think over these:

History (origin) of the Gorkhas (How much do you already know about this? Half of what you know about the Harappan civilization that is a thousand kilometres distant from you? Even less than that? How less? Do you know anything at all? I for one, did not know much apart from that they ARE Nepalese, despite living in and loving India for centuries now…)