मेरा भारत महान हैं या महान था?

I used scream out in my childhood at every possibility that "Mera Bharath Mahan" (My India is Great). Today, when I am left to lament each and every day about the plight of various communities, especially hindus, I am but ashamed about my country and myself. My country because this is not the nation I thought India was. Myself because I am unable to do anything about it! My country is such a tolerant country that it likes to spend loads on minorities by depriving majority community of its righteous share. Reservations were opposed by a majority of people in the country but the government of India turned a deaf ear to their grievances just to appease minorities and secure their votes.

My country had given to this world greatest ever heritage in the world - the vedas. I am eligible brahmin to learn vedas. But I dont because my learning vedas dont feed me! What a pity! I look at my brothers and sisters around me and find that they being minority have been enjoying all the various provisions from the government of India which I dont and I wont, if thing go the same way! For example, all Muslims get aid from Govt of India to go to mecca every year! I was never helped by my Govt of India to go to any pilgrim center in India, leave alone in other countries!

They said Babri Masjid is a historical mistake and thus cant be corrected now in favour of you, the hindus. I was dissappointed but said "ok, there are still many other Ram temples around the country". They said, the existence of Ram is questionable. I was left dumbstruck. I still said "ok, i believe doesnt mean everybody should!". They said since existence of Ram is questionable, thus the Ramsethu might not have been built by Ram but it might be just another formation in ocean. So, we can destroy it for trade reasons. I was frustrated and cried for justice. They said "wait for justice". I am still waiting! I thought atleast I am still an Indian. Then they said that we want to sell the nation's sovereignty to another country called USA so that we can get power to serve six percent of our electricity needs by the year 2012. I shouted injustice. They still went ahead.

My friend Pavan Kumar tells me about Shree Sharada Peeth in Pakisthan. This is just one of the temples I cant even dream to visit because of the psuedo-secular government of india. If I strike back with force and bring down Babri Masjid, they say I am not secular. If I say, then grant me permissions and make provisions for me to visit hindu pilgrim centers, atleast few of them, they say they wont because this is against secularism. If I question this, I am called a fundamentalist.

I go to hindu pilgrim centers on my own expenses. I visit the places and contribute whatever I can in the form of money or other ways to keep the pilgrim centers active and healthy. The government sees a cash cow in these pilgrim centers. So, they take control of the temple boards and churn money. This doesnt stop here. They use the money thus got for developing pilgrim centers for minorities. What a sham the Govt of Andhra Pradesh is that it could steep to such lows that they dare say that out of 7 sacred hills in Tirupathi, only 2 belong to the Temple Board! And yet, both the government of state of Andhra Pradesh and the government of India get to see a renewed mandate. Bharat in the avatar of India has failed to hold my religious interests intact. Would there be a turn around in the state of affairs? मेरा भारत महान था या हैं?

PS: Who ever brought the phrase "Mera Bharat Mahan" into prominent use is a genious. He left the tense of the phrase open. I heard that it was Nehru who first used this phrase. Could be, and you know why he could be!