We are told that a wise man prophesized that the meek shall inherit the earth. By the turn of events for as long as one cares to remember, one will be tempted to think that the wise man has perhaps slipped up on his predictions.
Amidst the hue and cry of desperations and unfulfilled promises, those who are at the helm of affairs of the state continues to wax eloquent on the trumped up achievements which are unfortunate far and few between. It would perhaps sound pessimistic for a lot of people as the media turns up page after another on the sordid state of affairs day in and day out, but the fact of the matter is that despite the small positives happening in between, they get crowded out by the sheer number and magnitude of the social maladies, caused either out of ignorance or as an effective distraction for other bigger deliberate blunders.
The state today is on the verge of yet another social turmoil, with various armed groups openly coming out in support of their communities and chasing out the rightful owners from their homes, just because the think-tank at the service of the state government either failed to counsel with the subject experts and knowledgeable historians or, more likely, ignored the suggestions and inputs of those in the know. The result, as we have witnessed, is an unnecessary and undesirable tension between communities that have been coexisting since time immemorial, giving rise to feelings of suspicion and ill-will. The present situation also presents an existing opportunity for certain individuals with vested interests to sip a wedge of hatred between the various communities. What is making the situation worse is not the admission of the blunder by the state government, but is rather the dithering and unnecessary delays in rectifying it. The festering tension, if allowed to continue unchecked will most likely turn violent and unstoppable with armed groups joining the fray.
The state government has so far handled communal issues with velvet gloves, and more often than not has acceded to unacceptable demands and conditions just to keep peace. The practice, on the face of it might seem judicious and acceptable, but it also breeds resentment and bad blood amongst the remaining groups. To be fair, it is an extremely sensitive exercise for the state government to address communal differences, and is often fraught with possibilities of the solution snowballing into another. But that cannot be an excuse for the lack of effort and enthusiasm, nor is the repeatedly backfired procedure of taking hasty and often uninformed decisions in an ill-adviced attempt to rush up such affairs.
At the end of the day, the best decision will be one where the history, customs, laws and regulations have been consulted, referred and incorporated. The state government should then be strong enough to enforce and stand by its decision rather than to give in to the arm twisting communal hooligans and opportunists.
