By
Ashi Kalim
Following India’s 72nd independence, I am forced to write this…
Dr. Johnson said “patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel”
And I love the epigram used by Milosz in his book “The Captive Mind”
When someone is honestly 55% right, that’s very good and there’s no use wrangling. And if someone is 60% right, it’s wonderful, it’s great luck, and let him thank God. But what’s to be said about 75% right? Wise people say this is suspicious. And what about 100% right? Whoever says he’s 100% right is a fanatic, a thug, and the worst kind of rascal.
As Saadat Hasan Manto (Pakistani writer, playwright & Author born in British India) puts in “speak up because your words are still Free”
Though India celebrated its 72nd Independence this week and Pakistan celebrated the same independence a day earlier, Gauri Lankesh (journalist) was still killed and Umar Khalid threatened at gun point.
Freedom of speech has made an Indian speechless.
I run out of words while speaking of religious fanaticism being spread in the name of Ultra Patriotism.
The sycophants are working again as they did pre-independence. We still need freedom from being lynched on the basis of our caste and religion. India is a country that has clusters and labyrinths of tribes and philosophies, each still striving for their independence and identity. Let’s at least sit in silence and listen to their resonating eons of silence.
Let’s strive and struggle together to build our nation as one no longer of snake charmers but of unity, respecting diversity, otherwise we have reached a verge where the only solution to see is – decaying humanity.
The cataclysmic reversal of power from high authoritarian class to equally dividing it amongst the underscore native.
The inconceivable question of whose India leaves us dumbfounded.
Maybe, by my words here I have appeared unpatriotic to you, but to save humanity, I am just ready to open my words of steel and pen them.
The telltale saga of Rani Laxmi Bai gives us goosebumps but still at least praise the #khilji who protected India from Mongol invasions several times.
Praise the Aurangzeb and Shahjahan too who according to Noble laureate Naipaul could view the Taj Mahal as a mere mausoleum!!
Have you ever, apart from reading forwarded WhatsApp schools of drama, opened up a history book and read that renunciates Naga Hindu Sadhu and Muslim Sufi Shah united together against the ‘Red Boots’, the term coined for the then British Indians, and named this movement #FAKIRSANYASI REBEL; the very first fight for independence during 1776?
This stands as an example again for us to stand against pseudosecularism.
Otherwise our Nation will still remain divided on Chanting VANDE MATRAM or Yaum E Azadi Mubarak.
As ALLAMA IQBAL sums up: “Hindu and Muslims are equally two beautiful eyes of a bride called India.”
The answer to hegemony is always the reversal of power equally dividing it and yes, freedom of speech (our fundamental rights) screams to me to speak the cause.
Ashi Kalim
ASHI KALIM is a homemaker, avid traveller and an explorer. She is a novelist, National Book Honour Award Winner (NBHA), international poetess and a content writer at www.allaboutlives.com, Eyoguroo.com, Midnightdiary, Qodro.com, The Times of India (Content writer), sparkling.biz
She has been interviewed as TOP TRENDING AUTHORS TO FOLLOW IN INDIA: DÉ MODÉ magazine (Italy/ India) www.deltaaegis.com
She is a writer of the HISTORICAL FICTION genre. Her recent Novel has come up titled “The Day Before…I Died “– MATRYOSHKA in East – available internationally. Her novel had been handpicked by KINDLE amongst foreign authors.
Her short story book has come up titled OOPS-EMBARRASSING MOMENTS.
Soul Sojourn book launched by shri shri Ravishankerji, ART OF LIVING.
She has voiced ‘Corruption’ in her latest book launched by Ms. Priya Dutt & Lt. Gov. Dr. Kiran Bedi, had all praised her efforts.
Her poetry has already been published in ‘Writing bee‘ and‘Elysian literary Journal‘ (ANTHOSINE ON FEMINISM). Her poems find it’s space too on an International level. Her poetry “I DO BLEED” had been published internationally.
She keeps writing for world peace, the need of the hour. She has given her powerful words to the cause of Refugees, Racism and Syrian kids in an international anthology titled REFUGEES, RACISM- RESISTANCE & HUMANITARIAN VOICES VOL I & VOL II.
Her education and romance with literature started when she was young and in a convent school. Further she completed her Masters in C.S. from prestigious Central varsity A.M.U. She was a computer science educationist, for quite long time & has researched a lot in the field. She has worked in Defence COD as a Corporate Trainer. For her learning is a life-long process.
She is an orator and an activist too. Working with JaiHo (NGO) foundation & Being Social- Ek Nayi Shuruwat, praised by PM Modi in Man ki Baat.
She speaks her mind through her pen and participates in various social causes.
I read the article of Ashi Kalim. It is really nice.