‘Those who live in glass houses , should not throw stones’

In the wake of the recent racial attacks on Indians in Australia which struck a deep blow to the Indian pride and shattered visions of the ‘ Global Bharatiya’, we were actually haunted once again by the visual images of colonial times , when such instances might have been rampant.

The Indian government has taken a tough stand on the issue and has brought not only Indians but also members of the humanist world community into condemning the attacks. The government has done all it takes to levy pressure on the Australian government. This includes issuing an advisory to Indian students in Australia, or the PM making it clear at international stages that securing Indians abroad was the top priority for the government.

However during the same time there is enough excitement on the domestic scene as well. The reason is Raj Thackeray’s latest statement which prohibits non-Marathi taxi drivers in Mumbai. The funny part is that this is not the first time Raj Thackeray has made such vicious comments. In the last one year he has done it numerous times, and our government has continuously harped upon promises of ‘taking action soon’.

The common man actually wonders that who has given this man the authority to declare such unruly things. Things that actually undermine our constitutional pride. All fundamental rights of all individuals remain suspended when he speaks, and the government promises to act soon.

Now looking at both cases together , the one in Australia and the one in Mumbai, the commonality is that in both, the ‘racial attacks’ in the former and the ‘linguistic attacks’ in the latter , it is not a country against another or a state against others. What does an Australian have against the Indian race or what does the Marathi Manoos have against the north Indian taxi driver. it’s just the malicious, selfish temperament of a few egotist men that instills animosity and makes people judgmental.

Another issue that comes to my mind as I really try to take a holistic view is that as the Indian government has taken a tough stand against Australia , but subterfuges allegations of weakness in its internal security issues, namely Mumbai. So is it fair for those who live in glass houses to throw stones.