My fragile attempt on identifing identities that have us bounded
Identities: How different and how separated are we?
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
and to the republic for which it stands
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
This is the pledge of allegiance in United States. In India we have similar pledge, which has been recited in some schools and colleges every day. Maharashtra is a notable example. When someone told me about it shocked. As small as kids of six year old are made to recite this pledge every morning. Indian pledge goes as following:
India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters.
I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it. I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders, respect, and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.
In their well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness.I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it. I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders, respect, and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.
I felt more surprised to know that above idea was coined by Vivekanand Saraswati, The man who is known for calling every one brother and sisters from the stage of Chicago.
We all started from a point. It exploded and we started to expand, separate in different identities. Thus planets, starts, galaxies, etc came into existence. Also came into existence plants and animals-thus came into existence human being with highly developed brain. It took over the role of nature in separating identities. As a human being we created different identities-colour based identity, cast based identity, sex based identity, sexual orientation based identity, origin based identity, religious based identity, etc. And we started to discriminate against each other. Individual started to confound themselves within these identities, individual started to become biased and narrow.
I remember once I came back from a movie which was called "The bad education" from Pedro Almodovar where every character in the film is gay. General comment after the movie was "oh! Shit, there was not a single "normal" person in the film". Heterosexuals being in majority has taken a status of normal and identity of homosexuals are subjected to deep discrimination, similar is the case for a person given transgender identity, similar is the case for a person given low cast identity, etc.
Based on different identities we separated in boundaries. Concept of nation surfaced and with that all kind of symbols and traditions arrived. The pledge above teaches exactly the same, be proud of the symbols with which an individual identify itself like origin, national flag, culture, etc. “You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” Malcolm X. I asked A, a French girl "How come in music and dance France has nothing to offer to the world. Italy, Spain, Latin America, North America, with salsa, flamenco, tango, samba, jive, rock and roll, etc has something to offer." In the response she attacked me back "India has nothing neither, Denmark, Sweden has nothing neither". That was a strange response, a response that seems from someone who has been blinded by origin based identity. National symbols and traditions have become everyone's pride and have taken the top stage in our life. Any remark on symbol or tradition is seen as an attack on individual even done in good spirit. One of the examples is burqua tradition amongst European Muslims which come under severe attack by European conservative. Christian identity within European identity doesnt stops questioning this Arab identity. And Arab identity within European identity doesnt stops defending this evil act that exists in the society.
“Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” wrote George Bernard Shaw. We are confiding in a cocoon, cocoon of all the identities that we have created all around us. Identities that we use to identify our self , the identities that people use to separate from each other. Worst of all we have mixed up different identities to create a situation which is very complicated in nature.
"You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state." spoke Mohammad Ali Jinnah to his constituent assembly on Aug 11 1947. But that very conception of state ended with the death of Jinnah. Pakistan has become a recent victim of mixed up identities. Pakistani identity got mixed up with Islamic identity and this mixed up identity is leading it to its doom. Europe has been victim of this mixed identity, and conservative have been using it successfully to manipulate people. Recently many right wing conservative of Italy felt angered by court orders, which banned cross (symbol of catholic identity) in the schools. According to Vatican spokesperson "It seems as if the court wanted to ignore the role of Christianity in forming Europe's identity, which was and remains essential." And one of Italian ministers "the crucifix was a symbol of our tradition, and not a mark of Catholicism." "One of you is ok but when it becomes many that creates a problem." said French interior minister from UMP to a young Arabic supporter. Mr Griffin during his Question time interview said "We should ensure that, if Muslims are staying in this country, they do so on the understanding that our country must remain fundamentally a British and Christian country." That will be a shame for Britain or for France or India or any other country if it would be reduced to such narrow identity.
It’s these separation and discrimination of identities; I believe which are becoming most harmful for the world. Inequality is on rise. Nationalist, Patriotic, and Radicals have use these symbols, and these identities as their means to propagate radical ideas. And mixing up of these identities have lead to rather chaos. People like Bal Thackeray in India, Le Pen in France, Griffin in United Kingdom have been using these identities to effectively manipulate people. In many European countries conservatives have mixed up Christianity with national identity as if others identities doesn’t really make part of the country. In India BJP has done the same, Hitler of Germany did the same, Whites identity within American identity did the same against Black identity within American identity, South Africa has gone through something similar. These conservative often raises questions towards the minority asking their adherence to these national identities with which they identify them self. In Africa this mixed identity has been a reason of constant problem. Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Chad, Sudan, etc have had or is still having taste of this mixed identity.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character." said Martin Luther King. We are all still waiting for this dream to come true. I have my personal dream to go over these identities. Identify myself as a person that belongs to this universe. And I have a dream that humanity rise over these identities. France has done some good by separating religion from state matters. For the better of the world other country should follow the same path. Not only state people should have to first separate themselves from these identities.
The thing that could be better for the world would be the erosion of inequality. I have a dream to see this world very open to all. One good example is European Union where border has been opened up. Any person born in European country can work, live, travel anywhere within the Europe. Though there still exists lot of different identities with in this union, Arab, Christian, Jews, Black, Whites, etc. I see that intolerance between the different identities is on rise. And to make a better world we need to remove this intolerance. Another example that I would like to take is of Tamil Naidu Government, which last year introduced a law, making it necessary to have three sex columns, male, female and others. An important step to stop discrimination against gender based identity. Indian court took ground breaking step by abolishing article 377 which aims to finish discrimination against sexual based identities. There is a need to make people aware towards all different identities that we have created. In Europe people should be taught about Arabic and Black identity. In countries like India people should be made aware about the religious based identities. The distance between different identities has to be finished. That’s when march forward to make world a better will take place.
I would finish my article with following quote from Bob Dylan:
“I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be.”
We all started from a point. It exploded and we started to expand, separate in different identities. Thus planets, starts, galaxies, etc came into existence. Also came into existence plants and animals-thus came into existence human being with highly developed brain. It took over the role of nature in separating identities. As a human being we created different identities-colour based identity, cast based identity, sex based identity, sexual orientation based identity, origin based identity, religious based identity, etc. And we started to discriminate against each other. Individual started to confound themselves within these identities, individual started to become biased and narrow.
I remember once I came back from a movie which was called "The bad education" from Pedro Almodovar where every character in the film is gay. General comment after the movie was "oh! Shit, there was not a single "normal" person in the film". Heterosexuals being in majority has taken a status of normal and identity of homosexuals are subjected to deep discrimination, similar is the case for a person given transgender identity, similar is the case for a person given low cast identity, etc.
Based on different identities we separated in boundaries. Concept of nation surfaced and with that all kind of symbols and traditions arrived. The pledge above teaches exactly the same, be proud of the symbols with which an individual identify itself like origin, national flag, culture, etc. “You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” Malcolm X. I asked A, a French girl "How come in music and dance France has nothing to offer to the world. Italy, Spain, Latin America, North America, with salsa, flamenco, tango, samba, jive, rock and roll, etc has something to offer." In the response she attacked me back "India has nothing neither, Denmark, Sweden has nothing neither". That was a strange response, a response that seems from someone who has been blinded by origin based identity. National symbols and traditions have become everyone's pride and have taken the top stage in our life. Any remark on symbol or tradition is seen as an attack on individual even done in good spirit. One of the examples is burqua tradition amongst European Muslims which come under severe attack by European conservative. Christian identity within European identity doesnt stops questioning this Arab identity. And Arab identity within European identity doesnt stops defending this evil act that exists in the society.
“Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” wrote George Bernard Shaw. We are confiding in a cocoon, cocoon of all the identities that we have created all around us. Identities that we use to identify our self , the identities that people use to separate from each other. Worst of all we have mixed up different identities to create a situation which is very complicated in nature.
"You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state." spoke Mohammad Ali Jinnah to his constituent assembly on Aug 11 1947. But that very conception of state ended with the death of Jinnah. Pakistan has become a recent victim of mixed up identities. Pakistani identity got mixed up with Islamic identity and this mixed up identity is leading it to its doom. Europe has been victim of this mixed identity, and conservative have been using it successfully to manipulate people. Recently many right wing conservative of Italy felt angered by court orders, which banned cross (symbol of catholic identity) in the schools. According to Vatican spokesperson "It seems as if the court wanted to ignore the role of Christianity in forming Europe's identity, which was and remains essential." And one of Italian ministers "the crucifix was a symbol of our tradition, and not a mark of Catholicism." "One of you is ok but when it becomes many that creates a problem." said French interior minister from UMP to a young Arabic supporter. Mr Griffin during his Question time interview said "We should ensure that, if Muslims are staying in this country, they do so on the understanding that our country must remain fundamentally a British and Christian country." That will be a shame for Britain or for France or India or any other country if it would be reduced to such narrow identity.
It’s these separation and discrimination of identities; I believe which are becoming most harmful for the world. Inequality is on rise. Nationalist, Patriotic, and Radicals have use these symbols, and these identities as their means to propagate radical ideas. And mixing up of these identities have lead to rather chaos. People like Bal Thackeray in India, Le Pen in France, Griffin in United Kingdom have been using these identities to effectively manipulate people. In many European countries conservatives have mixed up Christianity with national identity as if others identities doesn’t really make part of the country. In India BJP has done the same, Hitler of Germany did the same, Whites identity within American identity did the same against Black identity within American identity, South Africa has gone through something similar. These conservative often raises questions towards the minority asking their adherence to these national identities with which they identify them self. In Africa this mixed identity has been a reason of constant problem. Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Chad, Sudan, etc have had or is still having taste of this mixed identity.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character." said Martin Luther King. We are all still waiting for this dream to come true. I have my personal dream to go over these identities. Identify myself as a person that belongs to this universe. And I have a dream that humanity rise over these identities. France has done some good by separating religion from state matters. For the better of the world other country should follow the same path. Not only state people should have to first separate themselves from these identities.
The thing that could be better for the world would be the erosion of inequality. I have a dream to see this world very open to all. One good example is European Union where border has been opened up. Any person born in European country can work, live, travel anywhere within the Europe. Though there still exists lot of different identities with in this union, Arab, Christian, Jews, Black, Whites, etc. I see that intolerance between the different identities is on rise. And to make a better world we need to remove this intolerance. Another example that I would like to take is of Tamil Naidu Government, which last year introduced a law, making it necessary to have three sex columns, male, female and others. An important step to stop discrimination against gender based identity. Indian court took ground breaking step by abolishing article 377 which aims to finish discrimination against sexual based identities. There is a need to make people aware towards all different identities that we have created. In Europe people should be taught about Arabic and Black identity. In countries like India people should be made aware about the religious based identities. The distance between different identities has to be finished. That’s when march forward to make world a better will take place.
I would finish my article with following quote from Bob Dylan:
“I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be.”
