The batch of 1978 continued...
How did this change happen? Freedom
to celebrate each other diverse as we are?
This did not happen overnight or
naturally nor is complete. It is an ongoing journey. But many played key roles in this transition. (I,
for most times was a silent observer!)
We started off as being forcibly put
together due to circumstances, as a batch of 1978. We had to live together come
what may for the next 5 years at least. And so we were forced to “tolerate each
other”. We formed our cliques and groups where we were more comfortable within
the batch itself. For that matter, there were multiple groups and group allegiances.
The dissection group was the first. That was outside our control. The rest were
within our control. The political groups out of political leanings, the day scholars,
the hostellers, the local paying guest groups, the Young Turks (Pre degree
group), the seniors (Achayans) etc. We even had an apolitical group named as “Moofens”
– not sure how this word originated! In the initial months “Tolerance” was expected
in the larger group, but “Acceptance” was within these sub groups. As we lived
and grew together, we started enlarging our boundaries of “Acceptance”.
Let me clarify these terms a bit.
Tolerance is – out of compulsion of living together though internally we do not
want to like each other. There might even be “negative emotions” internally but
we mask it for the sake of living together. Let me do a personal confession here
– there were times I despised some of the behaviours of friends, holding on to
a “Holier than though attitude” in my heart! That was tolerance! But acceptance
is “Unconditional”. Whatever the other person might believe or do, I still accept
him or her who he or she is, because she and he also are created by God in His
image (or as others might want to see – chances of nature, but unique). This took
time for some of us, for people like me (to be specific). But there was a time by
which we were a group which accepted each other with all the differences. By
the time we left – we had taken steps towards this unconditional acceptance.
But then life separated us.
But that is where we had to build
the next level of friendship – by being a community. A community which is
united by the foundation of “unconditional acceptance”. But a community which
has to be kept together (even if distances separate us) by a common purpose. There
were these champions who wanted to build this ‘distant but together community’,
by yearly get-togethers, E group, Web page and finally the WhatsApp group for
the purpose of being a supportive caring community. And now we observe how we have started to celebrate each other. Each
other’s accomplishments, family and children’s accomplishments and each other’s
differences!
It is this transition; our nation
has to go through in this 70th year of independence. Diverse as we
are, we need these transitions if we need to move ahead. From Being a “Tolerant
Nation” to being an “Accepting Nation”. From being an “Accepting Nation” to a “Community
with a Common Purpose” a purpose of building our nation. And finally becoming a
Nation that celebrates the diversity and differences in our midst, because we
are part of one family….
How can I be facilitator of such
a movement and transition in our nation?
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