Let’s not press the hate button

Rama Kashyap

THANKFULLY, this year’s Nuh Shobha Yatra concluded peacefully amid an Internet ban and tight security. Last year, when communal clashes took place during the procession, I was in Gurugram with my son. Tension spread through several districts of south Haryana, impacting the lives of people belonging to various communities. Living in a gated residential society, we were under no threat, but fear of another kind gripped us. As the tension spread, shops closed down. Home delivery was suspended, educational institutions were shut and most officegoers worked from home. Residents stayed within the safe environs of the society; nevertheless, there was an upheaval as maids and domestic help belonging to both communities, living in shanties nearby, remained absent.

When the news of riots broke out, my daughter-in-law got a phone call from Noor, our domestic help, seeking permission to stay overnight at our place. There was fear and anxiety writ large over her face when Noor came carrying nothing but a few important documents. She was in a state of shock. While her husband stayed back at his place of work, Noor spent the night with us but could barely have a wink of sleep. However, she was not the only one to have a sleepless night; there were many belonging to her community living in the slums facing extreme fear and uncertainty.

In the tense atmosphere, Noor’s husband and many others headed home. Those who stayed back were in a dilemma whether to stay put or return to their native place. While the poor domestic help was mulling over the idea of going back, the middle-class dependent upon the maids was feeling jittery about the prospect of losing their help. In this atmosphere of uncertainty, we were worried that our little one’s nanny would go back to her native place.

Thankfully, the situation was brought under control within a few days. However, so long as it lasted, it kept everyone on their tenterhooks. The epicentre of the trouble might have been elsewhere but the tremors were felt far and wide. In fact, disturbance anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere. Of course, the poor are the most vulnerable in any conflict, but the fact is no one remains unaffected in a disturbed scenario.

The leaders who whip up communal sentiments don’t realise the harm they cause to the community they claim to represent. The situation worsens as anti-social elements fish in troubled waters. Social media adds fuel to the fire by spreading negative news, authentic or fake. The emotional impact of the spiralling negative messages and images is dangerous. As responsible citizens, we must act wisely, pause and think before forwarding any message. Sitting in our comfort zone, when we share a hate message, we don’t realise we are playing with fire, jeopardising the lives and livelihood of people, not only causing untold misery to others but also harming our own interests.