The Perception

Oh it feels so good!! My quiescent coefficient has been reset. After being dormant for about 2 weeks, I am back and active on my blog. I wasn’t on a self-induced hibernation but was at my new hometown, Jaipur. My family moved to a new house and this kept me away from my beloved blogging world. Packed computer, no broadband, well I didn’t have much options. But now I am back in Bangalore so resuscitation wouldn’t be a bad idea at all, isn’t it?

Ok but before I start I have to admit something. I have fallen in love with Sandy’s blog – ‘The Village Idiot’. Well it really sets me thinking. It’s like the more I read it, the more I get besotted to it. And this infatuation has been very well endorsed by the mountains of similar thoughts that transcend through my mind. The impact is such that his post –‘The divine question’ has now urged me to write something on the same line. I feel that ‘The concept of right or wrong’ can be elucidated with an even broader exegesis (in fact a confusing exegesis) of ‘Perception’.

Let’s take an example of the two arch rivals. If you are an Indian then I bet you know whom I am talking about. Of course, it’s gotta be India and Pakistan. In 1947, the Great Britain (as one stand-out comedian said- “The only country that puts an adjective before its name, so why not call it ‘The Fucking awesome Britain’???”) concluded its honeymoon (which was an orgy full of continuous ‘Rapes’ of India’s affluence and harmony) in the subcontinent that lasted for some 300yrs. Of course there were some unintentional rapists mixed with the Englishmen in the longest orgy in the world’s history, most of which were Indian maharajas who were later left hapless by their naivety in understanding the sly Britishers. Also, the brainy Englishmen made full use of a diversified India with their ‘Divide and Rule’ policy to exploit our resources. But when it came to let go everything, the magnanimous British administration as a goodwill gesture before leaving, gifted us (oops, to the world) Pakistan. Now unlike many people I don’t believe in hating Pakistan. Yah, I know I am being sacrilegious. But a saga of empathy drove me to this anti-belief.

Pakistan since its existence has been paranoid of being eaten up by its very own neighbour, India. This has been the base of all the problems b/w the two countries. Since the 60yrs of existence, its perception about India hasn’t changed. The cynic army of Pakistan has always viewed India as a sniper ready to take pot-shots on her ass. “India is our first and foremost enemy”, their army believes. But why?? Cause according to them, Indian majority i.e Hindus hate Muslims (the seed of hatred planted by Britishers during their rule). The few now and then communal riots in India induce reverberations across the border deepening the hatred between the two countries. Secondly, they think that like China, India also dreams of being a super power and to show its dominance in the region, it may abash Pakistan commercially or may also invade her to grow its influence. India is more threatening than China because the hate that spawned during the partition in 1947 is still very much alive in people’s heart. So, if you ask 1000 Pakistanis about their view on India, then 995 of them will admit that they take India as a threat and only 0.5% of them would be sacrilegious like me. Hence, the Pakistani army in the very interest of securing her country designed a policy for countering the illusive Indian threat. Insurgency in Kashmir and support to radicals like Maoist in the east is a part of their foreign doctrine. The aim is to disintegrate India into smaller and weak states, thereby, eliminating any threat to Pakistan’s survival. ’ Smaller and divided India is also in the benefit of China’; it’s a typical Chinese communist party’s perception. They think it’s good for their nation’s supremacy in the region.

So, my question is that if your country is paranoid about such a threat from any of your neighbours then what will you do?? After all we all are living to live. We want to survive. Well we will do exactly the same things that Pakistan does to India (believe me, I am right). Thus we should understand that Pakistan is doing the right thing in the quest of saving its sovereignty. Pakistan’s perception is right.

Now if you ask me about India’s perception about Pakistan, then I will keep it short. I don’t know why a nation so small, so trivial is busy in keeping my nation busy with all the unwanted stuff. I don’t know why it is always scared of us when we have never attacked them first. Communal rights in my country are my problem, not Pakistan’s, so why it has to always interfere. The more number of Muslims die every day in Iraq bombings and Northern African civil wars, so why is it only concerned with the few unfortunates in my country? Majority of Muslims in India are better off than from any other part of the world. Well all I think is that Pakistan is just a paranoid nation and I am right (yah believe me, I am right).

You see, it’s impossible to figure out who is absolutely right in the two points of views presented above. The reason lies in our Physics books. It’s the ‘Theory of relativity’ again. Deciding on what is right or wrong is a subjective matter, it is relative. What’s wrong for some is right for others and vice-versa. The same people for some are the ‘Mujaheedins’ (the strugglers) and ‘terrorists’ to others. Those who like metal genre can’t appreciate classical sitars for guitars and vice-versa again though both are pieces of art. Those who like Shahrukh khan cannot accept Aamir Khan as the king of bollywood and vice versa though both are excellent entertainers.

Sandy wrote that when two incompatible custom-tailored value systems collide, there are conflicts. And he is right. Well India and Pakistan themselves are such custom-tailored value systems, and unfortunately the geographies of the two make the collision between the two inevitable. We will never agree with Pakistani perception and they will never agree with us.

Sandy's conclusion that ‘Might is always Right’ is also very apt. Perceptions that have perpetuated through the generations for past 60 yrs. in the two quarrelling neighbourhoods have been continuously nurtured by their governments and armies. It’s they who have kept them prevailing. The news, the media, the government (the powerhouse of information), has kept this distrust between the two countries prevailing through their dubious propagandas. And that’s why we believe that what we think is right and what they believe is wrong. No doubt Sandy got everything correct on this topic :).

Now before I sign off, I will like to reiterate - “There is nothing called absolutely right or absolutely wrong. It’s all relativity, it’s all perception”.

And this is what I perceive and I know I am rightJ.