SIKHS WANT JUSTICE – Does it mean that others don’t?

First things first, I am not getting into the merits or demerits of the case. You all know what has happened and I am sure you possess a fair sense of judgement yourself.  So, Let me just cut to the chase - The judgement reads Sajjan Kumar v. CBI – it does not read Sikhs v. The whole of India.  When justice isn’t delivered everybody gets equally disappointed- Hindu Muslims Sikhs alike. We are all angry.

Then am I or am I not justified to feel bad when the fellow Sikhs feel that they have been disappointed by the rest of us- where as the truth is that I may just be equally disappointed  with the said judgement as is the next Sikh on the line. Because, cliched as it may sound, I am an Indian first and it pains me to see innocent Indians suffer. Then why is it that I  feel my equation with my Sikh friends changing already? Is that it – with all the secularism and unity that we were made to mug in school? That’s it with all the friendships that we developed over the years? Snap! Were our bonds so weak?

How many times have we seen this movie? Where one community is exploited in the name of bias, while the truth remains that irrespective of our religion, faith or belief – WE ARE ALL SUFFERES. Then why is it that we get sucked into this horrific communal politics every time something like this happens? Has past taught us nothing?

Aren’t we all in this together?

Agreed that victims in this case belonged to a particular community but haven’t we all (and I am speaking strictly community wise) at one point or the other  suffered at the hands of governance or the judicial system?

Then why are we treading down the path with the same old cliché  that is communal politics.

My question, here is, that is it wise to inculcate our anger on communal lines? Do we want another 1984 rubbed in our face?

Ever since the Sajjan Kumar verdict came along – most of us took to the social media to voice our grievances – which is fine- however you can’t turn a blind eye to the Sikhs v rest scenario that had become your homepage.

From Ayodhya, to 1984 to Godhara we have come a long way. India has seen a lot and yet somehow emerged through all that with a unique oneness of a sort. I am not saying we are one big happy family – I am not even going to pretend like at times we don’t make someone from another community feel as if they landed straight from some bizzaro world into our perfect lives. We have all done that. But all that harmless humour comes within the bigger parameter that is India and which all in all is a happy place. Don’t let a bunch of morons ruin it for all of us because believe it or not they have only one religion and that is the greed for power and they will go to any extent to quench their thirst.

What happened in the past does not interest me – I am here to build a future. And I don’t want to tread down the same old path of radicalism and communalism mixed with politics. I don’t think that setting the same old examples with fresh victims is the answer.

The answer remains in all of us standing on the same footing minus our religion, faith or communal beliefs and fighting for what is just. Today it’s our Sikh friends seeking justice and tomorrow it will be us and till the time we keep bringing religion into the game – We will only end up wanting but not actually getting justice.