L – Liberal | #AtoZChallenge

L – Liberal | #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z

Liberal in its definition means being generous, being open to others’ opinions and views. It is a state of mind where you are concerned with the broadness of thinking along with and about the lives of other humans. To a liberal, it is about humanity, where everyone is equal.
Today I am disappointed to say, especially as a writer, that the words like, ‘Liberal’ and ‘intellectual’ have become an abuse under the current regime. It is often accompanied by words like pseudo and grossly misunderstood.
Being liberal is relative. The older generation feels that they were more liberal than their forefathers. The current feels that their parents were conservative compared to them.
It is often associated with youth and modern thinking. But of late, with the use of misguided youth, society has started taking a backward step. In India, it is also associated with wealth. The so-called rich are considered to be more liberal as compared to the rest, though it might not be factual reality.
It all started with the returning of awards by people of the literature fraternity. M M Kalburgi was murdered for his beliefs and opinions. The ‘Sahitya Academy’ didn’t issue a letter of condolence regarding his death. It didn’t go down well with the rest of renowned authors and they started returning their awards. Now, that suited the current government’s narrative and they tagged everyone as a gang. Can you believe it authors, writers and thinkers being tagged as a ‘gang’?
Have you ever gone through the works of Rabindra Nath Tagore? If he hadn’t been liberal in his thinking he wouldn’t have written most of his work. Many of his contributions circled around and spoke about women liberation.
Today how the country’s current regime is working, it is converging on narrowing the mindsets rather than broadening it. Anybody who depicts liberalism in his thinking or actions is looked down upon.
Most of the countries grew and became developed because they were open for newer ideas. A black became the president of the world’s largest economy because the majority population that voted was liberal in its thinking. But we all know what followed after that.
This constant constricting of opinions has never helped any nation and I am sure in the future will not help any. Even the Saudis are beginning to realize that if they don’t broaden their mental horizon sooner or later people will go against it.
In our country we are still fighting on the name of religion, what a girl should wear, what a person should eat and this thought process is being forced upon those who don’t agree with the rest. The moment a woman begins to assert herself they will try to chain her on the name of ‘Indian values’.
There is a new trend. Every time wrongdoing happens with a Hindu, the right wing starts calling out people that why aren’t they condemning. A murder…a rape…any crime is equally despicable and condemnable irrespective of who did it. Every time someone from their side is wrong instead of speaking against that they begin their ‘what abouts’. Bringing references from the past doesn’t deteriorate the heinousness of any crime.
What has a liberal to do with mob lynching or murder or an attack on security forces or a rape? A liberal might not have all the answers but still, it doesn’t mean that on every opportunity one starts mudslinging. The non-liberals aren’t concerned with the issues – all they are concerned with is scavenging on the souls of liberals.

It is not necessary that since something is a majoritarian view it ought to be right.

It will be really sad for the country if all the right voices begin to go quiet just for the fear of name shaming. Sometimes the good has to raise its voice against the bad, no matter how big their number is. There have always been thinkers and writers who have spoken out against the establishment. During every revolution, it was them who toppled the mightiest of governments and dictators without even firing a bullet. Even people like Copernicus and Galileo were jailed for saying that Sun is the center of the solar system and not Earth.

I am sorry to say but with the current state of things at the helm; the quote would go like this, “Pen WAS mightier than the sword.”

With a country, as diverse and huge as ours, we can only survive and become developed in a true sense if we support and encourage every point of view and not one.

For all those who hate name shaming,
For all those who are intellectuals,
For all those who think for all humanity,
And
For all those who call themselves Liberals…
It’s not a goodbye
But it’s a GOOD BYE.
Manas ‘Sameer’ Mukul
This is the 12th post for the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme in Politics Category is ‘IPL – Indian Parliamentary League’, where I would be covering some relevant issues with the General Elections 2019 through the course of 26 posts.
Read the previous post here: IPL – Indian Parliamentary League
Please do visit on Monday for the next post with letter ‘M’
I am also taking part in the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z using another theme –‘Dubai – City of Gold‘. If you love travel head over to the Travel Theme and share your feedback.