Just to note one incident of the apathy and disinterest: Movement for Peace and Justice, a people-politics organisation, held a rally at Indira Park on 15th January '09, protesting the Israel's barbarism in Gaza (which still continues). Hardly 500 people gathered and participated in a city with a majority of Muslim population. (Hope they remember what the Prophet, peace be on him, said about the Muslim Ummah or Community).
Compare this with number of people that got out onto the streets of London protesting Israel's terrorism: around 3500!
One of the very basic and important tool of state terrorism has attained great success, as it seems: Fear.
Fear has struck the Indian citizens (especially minorities), of the state authorities (Govt., military, police, etc). It has got so perfectly instilled, partly thanks to our ignorance, in our hearts - not just by the Governments after independence but also by the one before it - that we are afraid to even speak about the situation in Palestine (even our own problems), forget participating in a rally/protest. This one tool will eventually convert our democracy into a new form of autocracy or dictatorship, with no protest or even voice of concern or opposition against the Government's policies.
The people, especially in Hyderabad city (except a very small minority), have become so dull, so hopeless, so dead; it hurts and causes indignation.
I don't say that we don't have any feelings or conscience, or in the case of Gaza, we don't feel the pain of watching and hearing about the many innocents dying there. This was proven by the large amount that was collected for sending to Gaza as funds by the Students' Islamic Organization of India, only on a single day of Friday: reportedly around 5 Lakh Rupees only from Hyderabad.
We feel. But we also need to act. Need to speak out. This is a democracy. And in a democracy the burden is on the people to actively participate in government (not just vote once and forget for a whole term).
It seems as if we have come under an occupation again, colonialism. Only difference is that there aren't any foreign ruler or troops, but our own "country men" who found the apolitical attitude of the majority as an opportunity to rule over us, control us, albeit in a different form.
Let me quote what Pluto once said: "The price good people pay for their indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."
I write this because I hope.... I really hope that one day there will be awakening; and I know that one day there will be reckoning.
