Humanity has reached unprecedented heights in scientific progress. In our ambition and arrogance we aspired for the moon. We did succeed. Next is Mars. And other planets too are on our hit list. Technology has greatly transformed the world. The web world has opened up enormous opportunities for us. What happens behind doors or in the other half of the globe is on our finger tips with the click of the mouse.
But, all this, to what end? We are caught in the web of intolerance. Our era of rising extremism, widening gulf between races, cultures and people, and our utter disregard for human life have thrown us back into the carnivorous world.
Already two decades ago, on the day of its 50th anniversary, on Nov.16, 1995, UNESCO adopted a declaration of Principles of Tolerance. It defined tolerance as ‘neither indulgence nor indifference,’ . . . but ‘respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures.’ Tolerance has to do with allowing space to others to live and conduct their affairs in peace. It has to do with a positive appreciation of all that is good and valuable in other cultures, religions, traditions and manner of living. Genuine tolerance goes beyond ‘live and let live’ principle and adopts a positive approach to other people or groups who do not belong to our fraternity in terms of life style or cultural practices. Universal human rights and fundamental freedoms cannot be sacrificed on the altar of intolerance and hatred.
Our generation has read in history books how kings and their armies fought against other kings or principalities. But, today, we have graduated to the threat of nuclear arsenal, suicide bombing, terrorist attacks, intra-country and inter-country fights, racial discriminations, religious fundamentalism, and the like which make a mockery of the principles of tolerance. We are scattering to the four winds tolerance for opinions and views of other people or groups. Freedom of expression, a fundamental human right, is being suppressed by legal and illegal means. Fundamentalist patriarchy denies women their human rights, deny them access to places of worship, divorce or burn them as witches or as unwanted brides.
Today, more than ever, we pride ourselves as more clever, more intelligent, and wiser than all previous generations. We proudly claim to discover newer and greater forms of technology to control human life and human behaviour. But, in the midst of all this, there is a bleak scenario of violence, hatred, rape, murder, ill will, honour killing, marginalisation of people, rising poverty, increasing migration, and blocking migrants from entering the ‘precincts’ of other races or nations. In a progressive era we display our regressive mentality.
But, should we remain victims of this bleak scenario. We are all called upon to say no to the evil of intolerance in all its forms and shapes. We need to begin with our private lives by questioning and weighing honestly our principles and attitudes. We need to give space to all in our family circle to grow in maturity and freedom. Our children in our schools need to be inspired with good attitudes of tolerance and appreciation of their class and schoolmates. Coming from multi-cultural and multi-religious communities, they may carry with them certain questionable value systems or biased attitudes which they may have picked up from their elders. That is where the students need guidance, counselling and inspiration to break all barriers of malice and ill-will and to learn to build bridges. Our schools and colleges need to create such atmosphere rather than allow them to indulge in politics of hatred and violence or to become fundamentalist fanatics or terrorists.
The citizens of every nation need to respect one another fundamentally as human beings and then go beyond that to respect one another, allow others to function in freedom in their religious, cultural and social milieu. Genuine tolerance will not dictate to others what to eat or what not to eat, or to adopt cultures of manners or lifestyle of a particular community or class.
‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.’ (Rabindranath Tagore)