Those leaders who instill fear, can catalyze pain, tragedy, and suffering; while those who espouse inclusiveness and integrity, can influence young minds to stop pain, tragedy and suffering.
sprouts from the same seed as these comments we hear daily. “Othering” a community to achieve some sort of fol- lowing is a tactic as old as Hitler. And many politicians employ the same tactic, using hate as their currency. Our everyday frustrations, often originating from things like irregular water supplies, inadequate provision of electrici- ty, criminally low pay scales, lack of attention or love, and other similar issues can end up accumulating in the same corner of our hearts. It brews hate. That very hate burns down houses and lives while politicians use it to blame at the “OTHER.” Such politicians may win temporary gains, but it’s the common man that will bear the brunt of that power strug- gle. That is why I hope and pray that, in the manufactured struggle between “morality” fueled by terrorism and prej- udice, and basic compassion for each other, we do not lose ourselves. We stand together. Otherwise, all minorities will grow to hate each other, forgetting the common threads that tie us, and our religions: our desire to be good for each other, for whatever God we believe in, and for our families. A utopian society is an impossibility, but in its pursuit, we must establish truth as the source of every human endeavor, instead of letting humanity slide further into a Trumpian and Modian white supremacist and majoritarian post-truth world. And we must choose the right people to be in power to help us get there. Someone like Ardern has shown the way by rejecting the message of hate and championing a diverse, multicultural, accepting society. If there's one thing about our world we most need to protect right now, it is each other. Freedom is not the right to do what you want, but an opportunity to do what is right. Coming to America gave us the freedom to do what we wanted to in a democracy, so let’s not close our minds to others’ independence and right to live the way they desire.
eral other tragedies to express his sympathy. In the midst of such leaders who measure their leader- ship and power in terms of how many votes they can gar- ner in the next general election, a young female leader of a relatively small country stands out as a solid symbol of equality, justice, strength and inclusivity. And by doing so she has become the face of comfort and justice within a mayhem of tragedy and denial. In one single bold move she refused to acknowledge even the name of the terrorist and denied him the notoriety that they thrive on. "He is a terrorist, he is a criminal, he is an extremist, but he will, when I speak, be nameless, and to others I implore you: Speak the names of those who were lost rather than the name of the man who took them. He may have sought notoriety but we in New Zealand will give him nothing -- not even his name," she told the Parliament. She made sure that she would be standing on the right side of the history, and be a hero for the children of her nation. The reason I highlight the disparity of these leaders is because of the true impact they have had. Those who instill fear, can catalyze pain, tragedy, and suffering; while those who espouse truth and integrity, can influence young minds to stop pain, tragedy and suffering. Positive radical- ization and negative radicalization are tangible conse- quences of our leadership. Take this incident, for example. While the terrorist behind this crime initially lived a nor- mal life, the Internet radicalized his views. Powerful lead- ers spewing venom on minority communities gave him a purpose: to eradicate that very problem and bring justice to white supremacy. Majoritarian victimhood and othering “aliens” is not just visible in the context of white supremacy. In my quo- tidian life as a Hindu, I have encountered many relatives who would casually say, “Anybody but a Muslim, I hope our kids will not chose Muslims as their partners!” I cannot express how anguished I feel about such words. Modi and Trump’s inability to support the Islamic community
24 www.indiaparentmagazine.org April 2019
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