Why do not we hate them?

The recent hatred stirred up in Maharashtra against North Indians, mainly against migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh is not a sudden hostile reaction by some political groups based in Maharashtra. However it is a known symptom of regionalism. In view of regionalism, the hatred and hostile treatment against a group of people is similar to communalism and it is like other political violent movements in India.

India is a country with diverse culture. We boast our cultural diversity as our unique strength; however our history of political and social conflicts shows, our strength is also our weakness. Our weakness is our social disagreements, conflicts of various interests and fights between individuals, groups, or organizations.

In the last couple of weeks, once again there was a rise in reactions of hatred and violence in Maharashtra against Biharis and Uttar Pradesh migrants followed by Railway recruitment exams, MNS violence, arrest and release of Raj Thakare and police encounter of a Bihari youth who was brandishing a revolver in a Mumbai local bus.

News websites are the places to find and read out reactions across all readers of the country on such burning issues. For the last couple of weeks, I have been regularly reading comments posted by readers across the country on Rediff News. There are three groups of people who can be noticed while reading the posted comments. One group hates the North Indians; the other counter-attacks Maharashtrians and the rest stay neutral and appeal not to fall prey to politicians.

Reading through these comments and written attacks on "the other group", I have observed couple of significant truths. First truth is, the hatred expressed is a very general reaction in nature against the other group of people. I mean, when Maharshtrains expressed hate, they hated all unknown Biharis or say unknown Biharis residing in Maharashtra. I did not read a Maharashtrain hating a Bihari or North Indian who is his neighbor or colleague or one he knows well. Similarly, when North Indians expressing their anger in aggressive words, it is against general Maharshtrians; it is not against their acquainted Maharashtrians.

Those Maharashtrians who are expressing their annoyance with North Indians; have they stopped accepting daily needs and services from their concerned service providers who have been migrated from North India? Do they hate and get angry against their North Indian neighbor, or a North Indian friend or a colleague only because of he or she is North Indian?

Those Maharashtrians who are expressing their annoyance with North Indians; have they stopped accepting daily needs and services from their concerned service providers who have been migrated from North India? Do they hate and get angry against their North Indian neighbor, or a North Indian friend or a colleague only because of he or she is North Indian?

Those North Indians who are expressing extreme dislike for Maharashtrians in posted comments; have they expressed their disgust in an aggressive manner against a Maharashtrian friend or colleague only because they perceive an unknown insecurity in Maharashtra? Have they stopped inviting their Maharashtrian friends for festivals and cultural functions only because they hate Maharashtraians in general consequently by recent conflicts against North Indians in Maharashtra?

Neither the North Indians nor the Maharashtrians have hated their acquaintances from the other group. This is because, the hate is a political opinion formed in general against the other group; in fact, in reality the hate is against the unknowns from the other group.

A few months back, there were brutal attacks carried out on Bihari and UP migrants in Mumbai by MNS workers. Upon an inquiry, it came as no surprise that the workers attacked unknown Bihari and UP migrants. They did not beat Bihari and UP migrants who were residing in their locality or whom they were knowing and familiar with.

We hate only the unknowns from the other group based on perceived unknown and uncertain insecurity; many a times only as a result of a politically motivated opinion.

India will be remaining a culturally and economically diverse country. There will always be conflicts of social disagreement, clashes of opposing interests and fights between individuals, groups, or organizations. In democracy and in complex democracy as a political system in India, it is highly impossible to find solutions to inherent problems posed by diversity.

Ultimately, the point is, it is duty of every individual how one may want to react to such politically motivated debates and issues. It is duty of every individual to think, and react sensibly, and not to fall prey to political motivations.