I will start this article with an unrelated and provocative couple of statements.
The British – the Victorian British that is – kept their women in their place, stayed off sex for most part and conquered half the world.
Then they gave their women the vote and promptly lost all their colonial possessions after that.
Your comments.
The topic of this blog is – Am I dangerous?
Recently a casual acquaintance hinted to me that he thought I was dangerous. That is how I got the topic for this blog.
My answer is Yes. A qualified yes. I am dangerous.
I am also thought to be wanting to be a hero and thought to be dangerous because of that.
What do you think of the following quote by Voltaire?
When I am attacked I fight like the devil; I yield to no one; but at bottom I am a good devil and I end by laughing.
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This is not the highest ethical standard, The Sermon of the Mount is a much higher teaching. But I am not trying to be a saint. Or at least I am not trying to get the reputation of being a saint.
Tim Robbins, an American author, described Osho as the most dangerous person since Jesus Christ.
As you may have guessed from the above I see nothing wrong in being dangerous. It may be necessary at times. Fire is dangerous. But we cannot do without it. So also for a knife.
Another of my role models, Julius Caesar, used to think of himself as dangerous. Just read Shakespeare’s play – Julius Caesar.
If you challenge vested interests or the established order you will be thought of as dangerous. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact it can be taken as a compliment.
But I think my acquaintance meant something else when he hinted to me that I am dangerous. He may have included Voltaire’s teaching but what he really meant was:
- I cannot be trusted not to hit back if I am attacked. Damn right I can’t. I do try to follow higher teachings but there is no fixed rule for me. If my nature demands that I should hit back I will do so. I will try to fight fair and use minimum of force but I will hit back.
- The acquaintance had a guilty conscience as regards me and was suspicious of my motives for that reason. He probably thinks I will do something to harm him if I give him the chance.
I cannot fault his logic. At least he is thinking clearly.
It is because of the fact that India is a feudal society (with a deeply ingrained caste system) and the threat of communal violence that high spirited and pugnacious people like me are viewed with suspicion and treated more harshly than they deserve. Otherwise what could be more natural than wanting to hit back when you are treated badly? To condemn such feelings is to do violence to your own nature.
The country is paying a price for these flawed standards. Idealistic youngsters with potential and a sense of fair play and who may be somewhat westernised in their worldview (believing in equality and not caste) are forced to leave the country because of cultural differences. And we need well educated and idealistic people to stay in India.
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