I remember the counting of votes for 2014 general elections vividly, like you remember traumatic events in your life; or happy ones; events that stir your emotion. I was up in the night in Chicago and within a couple of hours the mandate was out. There were proud, happy, optimistic messages flowing into group chats amidst one empathy message which said "don't worry Gufran, we're just as scared". It was from a Christian friend.
I was younger, passionate about the country still, hopeful even. "This won't last long", I said to myself, "people will see his true colours soon". I knew my (non-Muslim) friends who never made me feel in the slightest way uncomfortable because of my religion. I knew they were blinded by the dislike towards party in power more than the likeness towards him.
The first big step the new government took was Demonitisation. Some of my friends were the hardest hit. A few days in - one of them told me, "business is hit quite bad, we don't mind though; we will vote for him even if he burnt a steel rod and put it up our ass". It was an unwarranted comment because I said nothing against Modi for rather this was the first thing he did I liked. The friend, however, wanted to make sure I don't underestimate the power Modi has over them. This ironic comment reminded me of grossly uneducated Muslims of the old city who, come what may, supported MIM, a party based on religion, hardly developing the areas they hold. All my friends however are highly educated, or should I say highly qualified because education might mean a different thing altogether.
This was the start of a different view of my friends I get over the next few years. Clear messages against minorities kept coming out, clear support for the party kept pouring through. It was disturbing at first, then it became a norm. It took me a fair while to realise there is a deep rooted hatred in their hearts, the hatred that comes to them naturally because of the system they live in. They love me because they know me personally - but of the general Muslim, they have a degrading opinion. Once I made peace with this information, I found back the love I had for them.
Not all that is is darkness though. Some of the friends who strongly believed that Modi was here for development, saw it right through. One of them, a loveliest man, made me wonder how one can be so blinded when I saw him arguing with people about how great Modi is going to be for India. This was before the general elections in 2014. He is currently actively protesting against the government.
I am by nature a positive person. Though I rant quite often to those closest to me, I have a gift of ignoring negative things in the long run. I'd like to believe I got it from my father. Before the counting for 2014 general elections had begun, my father believed that Modi needs to win and rule for a long time. "Modi needs to win", said he, "if he doesn't, he will end up a hero for only he has the ability to show the world what he is; and surely his end will be akin to the end of Firaun".
Firaun and his army has seen the miracle, how the sea had parted, but being the pretender that he was, Pharaoh turned to his men and proclaimed: "Look! The sea has opened at my command so that I may follow those rebels and arrest them!" They rushed across the parted waters, and when they were midway, God commanded the sea to return to its former state."
I was younger, passionate about the country still, hopeful even. "This won't last long", I said to myself, "people will see his true colours soon". I knew my (non-Muslim) friends who never made me feel in the slightest way uncomfortable because of my religion. I knew they were blinded by the dislike towards party in power more than the likeness towards him.
The first big step the new government took was Demonitisation. Some of my friends were the hardest hit. A few days in - one of them told me, "business is hit quite bad, we don't mind though; we will vote for him even if he burnt a steel rod and put it up our ass". It was an unwarranted comment because I said nothing against Modi for rather this was the first thing he did I liked. The friend, however, wanted to make sure I don't underestimate the power Modi has over them. This ironic comment reminded me of grossly uneducated Muslims of the old city who, come what may, supported MIM, a party based on religion, hardly developing the areas they hold. All my friends however are highly educated, or should I say highly qualified because education might mean a different thing altogether.
This was the start of a different view of my friends I get over the next few years. Clear messages against minorities kept coming out, clear support for the party kept pouring through. It was disturbing at first, then it became a norm. It took me a fair while to realise there is a deep rooted hatred in their hearts, the hatred that comes to them naturally because of the system they live in. They love me because they know me personally - but of the general Muslim, they have a degrading opinion. Once I made peace with this information, I found back the love I had for them.
Not all that is is darkness though. Some of the friends who strongly believed that Modi was here for development, saw it right through. One of them, a loveliest man, made me wonder how one can be so blinded when I saw him arguing with people about how great Modi is going to be for India. This was before the general elections in 2014. He is currently actively protesting against the government.
I am by nature a positive person. Though I rant quite often to those closest to me, I have a gift of ignoring negative things in the long run. I'd like to believe I got it from my father. Before the counting for 2014 general elections had begun, my father believed that Modi needs to win and rule for a long time. "Modi needs to win", said he, "if he doesn't, he will end up a hero for only he has the ability to show the world what he is; and surely his end will be akin to the end of Firaun".
Firaun and his army has seen the miracle, how the sea had parted, but being the pretender that he was, Pharaoh turned to his men and proclaimed: "Look! The sea has opened at my command so that I may follow those rebels and arrest them!" They rushed across the parted waters, and when they were midway, God commanded the sea to return to its former state."
