Dear India,
Remember those who said that you would not make it? That you were sure to break into fragments because you spoke different languages and belonged to different castes and religions? But guess what? Seventy years later this is a testimony to the fact that you are much more than a “geographical expression”. How different is Kashmir from Tamil Nadu and Punjab from West Bengal and yet, we identify ourselves as Indians. We cheer for the same cricket team and watch the same Bollywood films.
However, India, you were never as divided as you are today. You have nationalists and anti-nationals, beef-eaters and patriots, opinions and Internet trolls, journalists and jingoists, words and bullets, love and love jihad, history and propaganda. You have US and THEM and you have lynchings and #NotinMyName.
Remember when you were a refuge to Tibetans, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankan Tamils, Afghans and Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan? You were the symbol of inclusiveness. But today, I see that you want to become an exclusive nation. You refused to shelter the Rohingyas. You warned schools not to celebrate Christmas. You want to make everyone a vegetarian. You want to send us off to Pakistan.
Somewhere between the classifications of US and THEM, you have forgotten the WE! We, the people of India…
We, the people of India refuse, to be divided on the grounds of religion. We, the people of India, refuse to kill each other over a cow. We, the people of India, believe in India's long-standing history of diversity and tolerance.
India, you are a democracy, a constitutional democracy, a secular democracy, a progressive democracy. and in a democracy, you have the right to eat what you want, say what you want, see what you want, wear what you want and love who you want. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
India is not India because of one religion and one culture. India is India because of multiple religions and multiple cultures. And so, in the coming days, I hope you will not make Hindi your national language, and instead will embrace humanity as the common tongue.
You will move over the safety of cows and for once ensure the safety of women. You will not debate Taj Mahal or Padmaavat but health and education and you will use your Bharat Mata Ki Jai fervour to be in solidarity with our farmers.
Dear India, I know I am asking too much of you but I need you now more than ever to defend the very idea of you.
My country is a Sanyukt Bharat, it is a United India.
It is the Sanyukt Bharat of Diwali, Eid, Christmas and Gurpurab. It is the Sanyukt Bharat of those great men and women who fought for our country’s Independence and gave us our Constitution. They died so we could live. Do not let their sacrifices go in vain. Let us defend, revive and reclaim the values on which you were built: secularism, liberalism, pluralism, inclusiveness and tolerance.
Jai Hind,
Chirag Tulsiani.
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