While we are inculcating ourselves with our Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' mantra, we need to understand and
imbibe some other qualities too.
These are qualities about living in harmony... as one
people, one mission, one nation.
India is a country with many religions, languages and
cultures. We all need to respect each other more and more to grow and prosper
as a people. And for that, among many other things, we also need to stop making
fun of communities and have mutual respect.
We need to stop making comments about other cultures and
communities in a taunting way. Because what is funny light-hearted humour to
one, may be a strong emotional connect to another.
It's not cool to call a Sardar a "Sardar" with a
connotation of "baarah bajj gaye," or calling a Maharashtrian a
"ghaati" with a degrading meaning, or calling a Marwadi a
"Marwadi" with a "kanjoos" connotation, or a Gujarati with
a "baniya" mentality slant, or calling Haryanvis "stupid", or making fun of
Sindhi community.
Yes, some of these may be accepted taunts. Nevertheless,
they are communal taunts and may sound insulting to others. Not everyone can
take such humour on the chin. And we need to remember and respect people and
cultures. Because that is our glorious past and every community is proud of its
heritage and traits. #JustSaying #HugsToAll :):)
About the Author:
Dale Bhagwagar is a PR
specialist with branding, image consultancy, strategizing, media manipulation,
crisis management and mentorship for media students. He has handled the
publicity for more than 150 Bollywood actors and 30 movies, apart from being a
spokesperson and publicist to 20 Bigg Boss contestants.
