SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Joseph Lewis D’Silva
Men want power to have respect from others and to prove their worth. Different men take different methods in controlling people.
In the Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar, bullied his people into worshiping a golden statue and those who would not heed him, he threatened to throw them into the burning furnace. (Dan.3).
Authorities as dictators. One has to respect authority without supporting their wrong doings. There have been people suggesting what food others should eat and we hear Muslim women in some States are not allowed to wear the hijab in educational institution; if some wise men oppose certain govt policies, a few authorities, subdue protest; suppress freedom of speech by arresting them.
Ideal democracy, gently struggles to give equal status to each religious, cultural groups residing in the country; respect their philosophy, their feeling, emotion, attitude, opinion and their way of dressing and food habits. Best democracy flourishes where there is respect for diversity and freedom of expression. The real meaning of democracy is not to kill diversity. But some democratic dictators, for the sake of unity, force local language of one State, as official language on other States who speak in different tongues. The script of writing of the majority is imposed on the minority group.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely --- this is a popular saying which has an element of truth. In diverse, democratic country having various religious beliefs, some aggressively work for forcing on minority; a religion of the majority. Majority forces believe in larger society; and ignore the minority community; thus they make a mockery of diversity. Some politicians are confused about the meaning of democracy. They equate democracy with an electoral majority.
Majority-ism, often leads to an abuse of the State system; democratic rule becomes a paradise of crimes, murders, rapes, etc. The criminals are protected and released on bail without any severe punishment and democracy is dragged down to communal political system. Then one wonders whether: “Police porjeche, kai montreache?”
Even in our homes we may see such ‘dadagiri’. mothers-in-law (MIL), torment their daughters-in-law (DIL). Yes, women in our land have been worshiped and enjoy high respect. We worship women, as Durga, Saraswati and what not. The ‘bahu’ is called, ‘ghar ki Lakshmi’. But some MILs have no fears, in overpowering DILs; beating them for failing to bring dowry or for not giving birth to a boy child and other reasons.
In some school, headmasters bully the teachers, the teachers bully weaker teachers, the weaker teachers bully the students and so on.
All humans need drinking water. In the fable, “The Lamb and the Wolf” where the lamb and a wolf came to drink water from the same rivulet and the wolf started dominating the lamb. Stretching this to Mhadei there seems to show some similarity. Mhadei is a gift from God to Goa and no one has the right to gift it to others with the excuse of providing drinking water to other States by destroying the environment.
Lord deliver us from the fury of dictators who make the voter irrelevant by bringing political leaders to change side and join the ruling party.
