The curious case of Intolerance
Once upon a time, in a tiny village by a river, lived a rich man. He made money by all means that was there to make and was keen on exploring other opportunities to make more of it. One such opportunity came knocking at his door. The recent spate of floods in the country had driven all the fish from the dam down the river to the village and the rich man learnt about it. And he wanted to make the most of that fishy situation. He knew he could not do it alone. So, he went to the baron for help.
The baron was one of the most respected people in the village. He was a businessman with a heart. He owned vast tracts of land and made good money with it by overworking the villagers who sought employment at his farms. Yet at the same time, he was willing to spend money, even if it was only a small percent of his earnings, on the welfare of his community. And that earned him some respect.
"This is our chance," the rich man told the baron. "Together, we can change the fate of our village and its people."
"What are you sugg..."
"I mean, think about it. Dried Fish. The employment opportunities it would create, the revenue it would generate. You know, we could use the money to improve the living standards of all our people. And you what? We would go down in history as men who brought about a change, a revolution. We are revolutionaries, my friend. You are a revolutionary. You care about the people, don't you?"
"Yes, yes ..."
"And the best part of it all? We wouldn't have to spend a buck on it. All the money comes from the outside. And we could make a small profit too."
"That would be great..."
"Yes, wouldn't it? So, you're in?"
"Yes, anything for this beautiful and peaceful village, anything for the welfare of my comm..."
"Very well then. I hope you will make the necessary arrangements with the people. They pay heed to you."
"Of course. Again, how much are we... ?"
In the next few days, the baron enlisted the services of two boatmen, a net maker and a few fishermen. Along with the rich man and a couple of his servants, this party arrived at the river one fine morning. And at the banks, to their surprise, they were greeted by two farmers who had cast their lines into the water, hoping their baits would trap their lunch.
"Good morning, sir," one of the farmers said. "Are you here for the fish?"
"Yes, dear friends," the baron replied.
"But, sir, the boats will scare away the fish. The rains have destroyed our crops. These fish here are our only source of food and income."
"I understand, my dears. But these men have a right to fish here. Besides that, it is for the welfare of our community. I mean, the greater good."
"But, sir, our...?"
"I do not deny your right to fish here, gentlemen. I'm only requesting you not to deny their rights. It's a free country you see."
Unable to convince the baron, the farmers walked away from the party reluctantly. They found a new spot further down the river, sat on its bank and cast their fishing rods once again. They enjoyed an occasional success. The bait would fool a small fish now and then and they rejoiced every time they hauled in their catch. The baron and his crew cheered them from far as they waited for the fog to lift.
The rich man was also observing the pair for his own reasons. After silently watching them for a few minutes, "they seem to be having a great time," he remarked. "Have you fished with a fishing rod, baron?"
"No, I have never really found the time to do it. But I bet its fun, especially if you can convince a friend to go with you."
"Would you like to give it a shot now, baron?"
"Now? No. Our mission is more important. We are doing it for the welfare of the community, ain't we?"
"Yes, of course," the rich man agreed and added, "I hope God is on our side in this endeavour of ours," He cast his line and hoped a foolish fish would take the bait. The crew did not disappoint him.
"Shiva, the merciful, will certainly help us, sir," one of the boatmen remarked.
"He does not let his believers suffer. I've brought holy ash from the temple for all of us." The boatman distributed the ash to his fellow crew. While some accepted it, others politely refused.
"I think we should offer our prayers to God before we go in," the rich man suggested.
And some of the men folded their hands and closed their eyes in prayer. The net maker broke away from the group, spread a piece of cloth on the ground and knelt on it. He too closed his eyes to offer his prayers. "Allah..."
"This isn't right, don't you think?" the rich man spoke to the baron. "Why shouldn't he be able to offer his prayers here? Just because he belongs to a different faith? The mob mentality to discriminate?"
"Yes, these people are an intolerant bunch. They never accept other faiths. They never respect the people from the other faiths. We live in backward society. Why should someone else decide who should I pray to? Why should someone else decide what should I eat? Why should someone else decide what should I wear?"
"So, shouldn't we right the wrong?"
"Yes, we should," said the enraged baron and walked towards the net marker.
"These people forced you to move, didn't they? To offer prayers?"
"Sir?"
"Can't you fight for your rights? You have a right to follow your own faith. You have a right to offer prayers wherever you like. You have a right to eat whatever you want? You have your freedom, my dear friend."
"Yes, sir. But, I... "
"Come with me, let me see who stops you from offering prayers there. They are intolerant, but I'm on your side. I'm never one sided. Come with me... "
"Sir, no one forced m... "
"Now come... " The baron dragged the net maker towards the rest of the men and spread the piece of cloth on the ground amidst them. 'Now, kneel down here and offer your prayers. Let me see who dares to disturb you... "
The baffled men eyed each other at first and then they looked at the net maker who tried to make sense of what was going on. Men started losing their nerve. Tension arose. And for a while, no one uttered a word, as people started choosing sides. Hindus sided with the first boatman, the net maker was alone and a few men formed a third group, which the second boatman headed.
Meanwhile, the baron kept rambling, "these intolerant bunch of illiterates, these idiots with backward thoughts, these stupid people who aren't open-minded, these mongrels lacking common sense..."
And a quarrel broke out.
"These people do not belong here. They should leave the village."
"Who are you to decide who I am? Who are you to decide what I eat? Who are you to decide where I live?"
The net maker and the first boatman were about to exchange blows.
"Your god lacks form, net maker."
"Your gods compensate for it, boatman."
"Calm down, guys. Jesus is coming."
"To convert us? As if the preachers aren't enough?"
As all hell broke lose, the rich man's servants separated from the rest of the men and watched the groups war against each other, joking about it as they did. The rich man himself hurried towards the baron and spoke with feigned innocence and concern. "We have to separate the groups."
"How?"
"Take the net maker and the second boatman with you. Ask the farmers to help you. Ask them to share their fishing rods with these people. Enlighten them about the joy of sharing."
"Ok..."
As the baron dragged away the net maker and second boatman, the rich man walked towards the first boatman. "I didn't think they would erupt like that. What a bunch of losers. But, hey, I see the positives here. The upper and the lower castes have finally come together to fight the common enemy."
The first boatman threw a strange look at the rich man. "What lower caste?"
"That fisherman over there, he comes from the lower caste. He used to be untouchable. But I see you've become friends now. That's a good thing."
"What friends, we aren't friends," the boatman declared and ran towards the fisherman from the lower caste.
And the rich man moved towards another pair of men. "I presume you men are from the same caste?
The men nodded their heads.
"Do you know one of you eats be...?"
"Be...?"
As the men began hitting each other, the rich man chose another pair.
"We don't eat beef. Or pork. Or chicken. Or mutton. Or any other meat. We don't even have rice often. In fact, we fast most of the days."
"But one of you wears the ash in vertical lines while the other wears it in horizontal lines."
"Holy ash... "
After a full fledged infighting broke out among the hindus, the rich man eyed the baron who was taking the fight of the muslims and the christians to the farmers. Seizing their fishing rods with his hands, he cried out to them. "Share, share. Why won't you share? Can't you see these people have nothing? Why won't you share? Is it their faith? You and your intolerance?"
Happy with what he had done, the rich man turned towards his servants. "Are you ready, men?' The signalled them to carry the nets the net maker had abandoned to the boats the boatmen had abandoned. "Let's go fool some real fish, shall we?"
Meanwhile, the baron was rambling again. "Intolerance in this village is rising at an alarming rate. I'm leaving this village. I'm doing it for my children. I'm definitely leaving this bloody village."
"But sir, you're unmarried?"
"You idiot, I will kill you, you intolerant bunch of fools."
The baron ran into the darkness, hoping to find tolerance wherever it had disappeared to.
God gave you the riches to share it with the society. When you stop sharing, there will be a bloody revolution - Mahatma Gandhi.
The only intolerance India suffers from is the Economic intolerance, the intolerance of the rich towards the poor. When a rich man voices his opinion, its freedom of speech. When a poor man does the same, its intolerance. When a rich man commits a crime, we show solidarity. When a poor man is suspected of it, we hang him. When a rich women sleeps with ten men, she is a cool chick. When a poor woman is suspected of it, she is a whore. It is this economic intolerance that gives way to the rest. Until this resolved, nothing else will be resolved.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and so are the characters in it. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any parallels to the ongoing intolerance debate in India is purely accidental. If you still think there are resembles anything all it, you are denying my right to an opinion and my freedom of speech. Therefore, I deny you, your dog and the cockroach that crawls under your bed every night.
Cast, in order of appearance: The politicians and the industrialists - Rich man. The upper middle class - BaronThe middle class - Boatmen and the net maker The lower middle class - FishermenThe poor - Farmers
The baron was one of the most respected people in the village. He was a businessman with a heart. He owned vast tracts of land and made good money with it by overworking the villagers who sought employment at his farms. Yet at the same time, he was willing to spend money, even if it was only a small percent of his earnings, on the welfare of his community. And that earned him some respect.
"This is our chance," the rich man told the baron. "Together, we can change the fate of our village and its people."
"What are you sugg..."
"I mean, think about it. Dried Fish. The employment opportunities it would create, the revenue it would generate. You know, we could use the money to improve the living standards of all our people. And you what? We would go down in history as men who brought about a change, a revolution. We are revolutionaries, my friend. You are a revolutionary. You care about the people, don't you?"
"Yes, yes ..."
"And the best part of it all? We wouldn't have to spend a buck on it. All the money comes from the outside. And we could make a small profit too."
"That would be great..."
"Yes, wouldn't it? So, you're in?"
"Yes, anything for this beautiful and peaceful village, anything for the welfare of my comm..."
"Very well then. I hope you will make the necessary arrangements with the people. They pay heed to you."
"Of course. Again, how much are we... ?"
In the next few days, the baron enlisted the services of two boatmen, a net maker and a few fishermen. Along with the rich man and a couple of his servants, this party arrived at the river one fine morning. And at the banks, to their surprise, they were greeted by two farmers who had cast their lines into the water, hoping their baits would trap their lunch.
"Good morning, sir," one of the farmers said. "Are you here for the fish?"
"Yes, dear friends," the baron replied.
"But, sir, the boats will scare away the fish. The rains have destroyed our crops. These fish here are our only source of food and income."
"I understand, my dears. But these men have a right to fish here. Besides that, it is for the welfare of our community. I mean, the greater good."
"But, sir, our...?"
"I do not deny your right to fish here, gentlemen. I'm only requesting you not to deny their rights. It's a free country you see."
Unable to convince the baron, the farmers walked away from the party reluctantly. They found a new spot further down the river, sat on its bank and cast their fishing rods once again. They enjoyed an occasional success. The bait would fool a small fish now and then and they rejoiced every time they hauled in their catch. The baron and his crew cheered them from far as they waited for the fog to lift.
The rich man was also observing the pair for his own reasons. After silently watching them for a few minutes, "they seem to be having a great time," he remarked. "Have you fished with a fishing rod, baron?"
"No, I have never really found the time to do it. But I bet its fun, especially if you can convince a friend to go with you."
"Would you like to give it a shot now, baron?"
"Now? No. Our mission is more important. We are doing it for the welfare of the community, ain't we?"
"Yes, of course," the rich man agreed and added, "I hope God is on our side in this endeavour of ours," He cast his line and hoped a foolish fish would take the bait. The crew did not disappoint him.
"Shiva, the merciful, will certainly help us, sir," one of the boatmen remarked.
"He does not let his believers suffer. I've brought holy ash from the temple for all of us." The boatman distributed the ash to his fellow crew. While some accepted it, others politely refused.
"I think we should offer our prayers to God before we go in," the rich man suggested.
And some of the men folded their hands and closed their eyes in prayer. The net maker broke away from the group, spread a piece of cloth on the ground and knelt on it. He too closed his eyes to offer his prayers. "Allah..."
"This isn't right, don't you think?" the rich man spoke to the baron. "Why shouldn't he be able to offer his prayers here? Just because he belongs to a different faith? The mob mentality to discriminate?"
"Yes, these people are an intolerant bunch. They never accept other faiths. They never respect the people from the other faiths. We live in backward society. Why should someone else decide who should I pray to? Why should someone else decide what should I eat? Why should someone else decide what should I wear?"
"So, shouldn't we right the wrong?"
"Yes, we should," said the enraged baron and walked towards the net marker.
"These people forced you to move, didn't they? To offer prayers?"
"Sir?"
"Can't you fight for your rights? You have a right to follow your own faith. You have a right to offer prayers wherever you like. You have a right to eat whatever you want? You have your freedom, my dear friend."
"Yes, sir. But, I... "
"Come with me, let me see who stops you from offering prayers there. They are intolerant, but I'm on your side. I'm never one sided. Come with me... "
"Sir, no one forced m... "
"Now come... " The baron dragged the net maker towards the rest of the men and spread the piece of cloth on the ground amidst them. 'Now, kneel down here and offer your prayers. Let me see who dares to disturb you... "
The baffled men eyed each other at first and then they looked at the net maker who tried to make sense of what was going on. Men started losing their nerve. Tension arose. And for a while, no one uttered a word, as people started choosing sides. Hindus sided with the first boatman, the net maker was alone and a few men formed a third group, which the second boatman headed.
Meanwhile, the baron kept rambling, "these intolerant bunch of illiterates, these idiots with backward thoughts, these stupid people who aren't open-minded, these mongrels lacking common sense..."
And a quarrel broke out.
"These people do not belong here. They should leave the village."
"Who are you to decide who I am? Who are you to decide what I eat? Who are you to decide where I live?"
The net maker and the first boatman were about to exchange blows.
"Your god lacks form, net maker."
"Your gods compensate for it, boatman."
"Calm down, guys. Jesus is coming."
"To convert us? As if the preachers aren't enough?"
As all hell broke lose, the rich man's servants separated from the rest of the men and watched the groups war against each other, joking about it as they did. The rich man himself hurried towards the baron and spoke with feigned innocence and concern. "We have to separate the groups."
"How?"
"Take the net maker and the second boatman with you. Ask the farmers to help you. Ask them to share their fishing rods with these people. Enlighten them about the joy of sharing."
"Ok..."
As the baron dragged away the net maker and second boatman, the rich man walked towards the first boatman. "I didn't think they would erupt like that. What a bunch of losers. But, hey, I see the positives here. The upper and the lower castes have finally come together to fight the common enemy."
The first boatman threw a strange look at the rich man. "What lower caste?"
"That fisherman over there, he comes from the lower caste. He used to be untouchable. But I see you've become friends now. That's a good thing."
"What friends, we aren't friends," the boatman declared and ran towards the fisherman from the lower caste.
And the rich man moved towards another pair of men. "I presume you men are from the same caste?
The men nodded their heads.
"Do you know one of you eats be...?"
"Be...?"
As the men began hitting each other, the rich man chose another pair.
"We don't eat beef. Or pork. Or chicken. Or mutton. Or any other meat. We don't even have rice often. In fact, we fast most of the days."
"But one of you wears the ash in vertical lines while the other wears it in horizontal lines."
"Holy ash... "
After a full fledged infighting broke out among the hindus, the rich man eyed the baron who was taking the fight of the muslims and the christians to the farmers. Seizing their fishing rods with his hands, he cried out to them. "Share, share. Why won't you share? Can't you see these people have nothing? Why won't you share? Is it their faith? You and your intolerance?"
Happy with what he had done, the rich man turned towards his servants. "Are you ready, men?' The signalled them to carry the nets the net maker had abandoned to the boats the boatmen had abandoned. "Let's go fool some real fish, shall we?"
Meanwhile, the baron was rambling again. "Intolerance in this village is rising at an alarming rate. I'm leaving this village. I'm doing it for my children. I'm definitely leaving this bloody village."
"But sir, you're unmarried?"
"You idiot, I will kill you, you intolerant bunch of fools."
The baron ran into the darkness, hoping to find tolerance wherever it had disappeared to.
God gave you the riches to share it with the society. When you stop sharing, there will be a bloody revolution - Mahatma Gandhi.
The only intolerance India suffers from is the Economic intolerance, the intolerance of the rich towards the poor. When a rich man voices his opinion, its freedom of speech. When a poor man does the same, its intolerance. When a rich man commits a crime, we show solidarity. When a poor man is suspected of it, we hang him. When a rich women sleeps with ten men, she is a cool chick. When a poor woman is suspected of it, she is a whore. It is this economic intolerance that gives way to the rest. Until this resolved, nothing else will be resolved.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and so are the characters in it. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any parallels to the ongoing intolerance debate in India is purely accidental. If you still think there are resembles anything all it, you are denying my right to an opinion and my freedom of speech. Therefore, I deny you, your dog and the cockroach that crawls under your bed every night.
Cast, in order of appearance: The politicians and the industrialists - Rich man. The upper middle class - BaronThe middle class - Boatmen and the net maker The lower middle class - FishermenThe poor - Farmers
Comments