MONDAY MUSE (14 February 2011) LOVE?
Since last evening, many of us received messages by SMS, email and on networking sites that ‘on 14/02/1931, the legendary Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged to their deaths, but Indians forget them and celebrate Valentine Day!’ I replied to the messages I received with the poser: ‘so what happened on 23 March 1931?’ Obviously, when desperate to prove our love for our country, we forget to even examine fiction that flaunts as fact. In their haste to be hypocritical pious about their patriotism and an excessive self righteous condemnation of Valentine Day, my friends forgot to examine the integrity and intensity of their own feelings for the three martyrs! We must take a reality check about the sincerity of our own stated emotion. Genuine love need not pose as superficial pride. Of course, nor does it have to be superficially flaunted on days which have been only marketed for commercial reasons. But this cannot be justification to look down upon people who celebrate certain days, especially if we ourselves are standing on sanctimoniously shaky ground. How can we claim love for our motherland, if we are indifferent to the land grab that decimates lives and livelihoods? How can we profess our love for Nature, if our actions are actually harmful for the environment? How can we celebrate a day in the name of love, if our actions reflect intolerance and hatred for some human beings? Surely, it would be better if we connect to the real Bhagat Singh and the real St. Valentine! Love is neither a competitive nor an occasional emotion... Let’s BE BETTER at connecting with appropriate action! - Pravin K. Sabnis
