The statement by a simple, good man who is a friend of mine, caught me by surprise, “All the problems in West Bengal is because of a particular community!”
In my writing class I tell my students something that surprises many of them. Before learning grammar, style, structure, or vocabulary, they need to first empty themselves. Empty their minds of the baggage they carry.
The baggage of unforgiveness, hate, bitterness, jealousy, and anger. Because no person can write beautifully while carrying garbage inside. And I have realised the same truth applies not just to writers, but to nations too.
Today we are a country walking around with overloaded emotional suitcases. We are carrying stories told to us by angry uncles, frightened grandparents, shouting television channels, manipulative politicians, and poisonous social media forwards. We are told whom to fear, whom to hate, whom not to trust. We are handed suspicion as though it were patriotism.
And slowly the baggage becomes our identity.
A man who has never dealt with someone from another community hates him already. A young woman who has never spoken to somebody from another religion fears them deeply. Young boys are taught anger before they are taught understanding. We are no longer raising citizens.
We are raising emotional soldiers carrying invisible weapons.
And then we wonder why the country feels tense.
Political leaders must understand something dangerous. Once you burden people with hatred, you cannot control where that hatred goes. Once anger is released into society, it does not politely remain inside election rallies. It spills onto roads, into homes, schools, offices, and public spaces.
That is exactly what we are seeing today.
Road rage has become frightening. One small scratch on a car and men jump out ready to kill. Public bullying has become entertainment. Women harassment is increasing with terrifying boldness.
Ordinary disagreements suddenly turn violent. Everybody seems permanently angry. Permanently offended. Permanently ready for battle.
And when leaders constantly feed followers with stories of enemies everywhere, those followers eventually begin acting like foot soldiers at war.
Even the language of democracy has changed. Today we hear leaders casually speaking about bulldozers and police encounters as though instant punishment without trial is something to celebrate. In a democracy this should terrify us. Because the moment a nation starts enjoying shortcuts to justice, it slowly stops respecting justice itself.
A nation cannot move forward carrying emotional garbage on its back.
The same way I ask my students to empty themselves before they write, I believe we as citizens must empty ourselves before we build this country. Empty the lies. Empty the suspicion. Empty the inherited hatred. Empty the anger handed down to us by politics, propaganda and parents.
And leaders too must stop loading citizens with baggage for votes.
Because hatred may win elections. But only peace builds nations. So, empty this inherited baggage of anger and hate...!
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
