Not Again!!!

I abhor violence! Violence in any form totally puts me off. I guess that's the case for most people. Why, then, do we have so much violence all around us? Domestic, communal, racial, social, political; all areas of life seem to be harbouring their own share of violence and prejudices.

Last Friday evening, while at work, news of some stray violence in some parts of the city, began trickling in. I didn't pay much heed to it, thinking it to likely be the work of nothing-else-to-do hooligans. Although, there were reports that a mob protesting the hanging of Saddam Hussein had become unruly and run out of control. Nevertheless, Saturday passed quite peacefully, what with me cramming truckloads of marketing management information into my head, furiously preparing for my exam on Sunday.

Once back from my exam on Sunday, I was content to lazing around, with no pressing matters to be taken care of immediately. As luck would have it, the entire area was faced with a massive power cut just as I was bringing my lazing around plans to fruition! Plunged in darkness for almost six, painfully long hours, I was blissfully unaware of the acts of violence that had erupted in some other parts of the city. Soon after the electricity board finally decided to smile down on us poor residents living in the dark ages, I switched on the television, only to be greeted by gruesome reports of mob violence in some areas of the city! Buses had been torched down, auto rickshaws damaged, policemen had had to resort to firing rounds when teargas explosions failed to do the trick, several had been injured, and a poor, unidentified twelve year old boy had lost his life in the bargain!!! It seemed as though an entire mob of unruly and ruthless people had suddenly run fearfully amok! The acts of violence had apparently been started by groups of people who had gathered for a Hindu rally of some sort.

What propelled the groups to turn so violent, I don't know. Many link it to what took place on Friday; some say everything is politically motivated. Whatever may be the causes and motives of such violent acts, what almost always remains are only the charred remnants, not only of the torched vehicles and the like, but also of lives; lives that are unfortunate enough to become the victims and at the receiving ends of such meaningless acts.

As for the violence that erupted, it was quelled and a curfew was imposed on the sensitive areas where it took place. In fact, though the curfew has now been relaxed, the educational institutions in that area have remained closed today. The students have got an unexpected holiday, and they are glad. The people who managed to get away with causing all the damage they did, are also glad. The police, having managed to quell the tension for now, are doubly glad. The news channels that now have this hot, burning issue to talk about for the rest of the week are brimming, nay, overflowing with happiness!!! I mean, what is it with harping on and on about how a celebrity was made subject to racial discrimination on a high profile show!?! What about the other numerous and more serious acts of racial discrimination and prejudice that we turn a blind eye to, almost on a daily basis?!?

When so many in the circle usually benefit by such acts of violence, how does it matter if a few buses get torched down to their very remains, or if even a little boy or girl loses his or her life, because of apparently no fault of the child!?! Aren't they all just news items till another celebrity is made the butt of racial taunts, or another riot, communal or otherwise, rears its ugly head?!?