The veil between anger and hate

War on Mumbai. War on terror. Fight for India. Insensitive politicians. Hate Pakistan. Hate terror. Look at our heroes. Look at the police and army who laid down their lives. Let the human rights groups dare to talk against them now! Let's do something. Our channel is starting a movement. Join Us. Do your bit for the nation!

Spontaneous outbursts by the media perching itself on a moral high ground, or simply the design of elite-obsessed media honchos usurping the opportunity to brand their version of India's reforms. Of blazer-wearing handsome anchors daring the human rights brigade to talk. Agreed they dared the Sena with equal elan. It does not absolve them of influencing prejudiced rhetoric though. 

Ever since we Indians spent those three days and nights watching TV non-stop, these words have hounded the average Indian TV viewer with a never-seen-before urgency. 

We forget something when we fall prey to such powerful words in our moments of emotion - that the genesis of a terror attack is hate. That hate is taught, in varying degrees - in the form of prejudice when we are kids, through carefully chosen literature in textbooks, through the all powerful weapon called religion, in our homes.

Mumbai was attacked. By terrorists. By messengers of hate. They were schooled at it. They were taught to prejudice. But tell me, are we Indians not guilty of it too? Have we not been taught our own share of chauvinism in the name of religion, caste or class!

It is true we need to get Pakistan as a State to act against terrorists. But let's not forget those who spread terror on our very soil. Let us not forget that terrorism needs to viewed with a larger perspective. That hate breeds hate and the wheel of hate turns with no end.

The veil between anger which is a natural emotion at the moment, and hate, a destructive part of us, is very thin. Translucent. It is urgent that we do not direct our anger at the average Pakistani who is caught in the quagmire of an uncertain State on one side, the killer in the name of Islam on the other, and poverty on the other.

We need to weed out terror. From the neighbour's soil. From our soil. From our minds, to begin with. We need to use religion for our own righteousness, not the evil designs of anyone wanting to capitalise on it - be it the politician, the terrorist, or self-styled religious head.