“Mumma, Shivam (name changed) said that if we are Muslims, we need to go to Pakistan.”, said my son who is just a few months older than 5 years. I was angry! Not as a parent and not as a Muslim but as a human!!
I think I was more saddened than angry because of what the world is eventually coming to! I was sad not just because there was an attack on our brave soldiers or because Abhinandan was held back in Pakistan. I was sad because the citizen of every country that offered its support to the current situation in our country, including the citizens of the country that attacked our soldiers, knew that this was not just an unforeseen attack. This was something that the custodians of the land and law had probably planned. This was something that had an agenda that was beyond the comprehension of a common man.
I’m sure while we were growing up, we had limited resources in terms of food, technology, education and finances. All of these things and many more things prospered and developed gradually. Today we have information available about anything and everything at the tip of our fingers!
Our worlds practically revolve around Wi-Fi. Even when we move to places that restrict the use of Wi-Fi and technology and focus on mental peace, we still need modern ways of travelling to get there, we need the moolah that we are able to earn through our well-paid jobs.
For all those people, who want an eye for an eye, or who insist on war, have you realized what the outcome of a war will be? Both these nations are equipped with nuclear power. Do you even know what happens when a country decided to use its nuclear power? There are a zillion things to consider before we plan a war or something similar to it.
Yes, as a common citizen we will never be able to pay enough gratitude and respect to what our soldiers are doing. Yes, it takes more than guts to leave your family behind to serve millions of families. It is because of them our country is secure but it is they who will have to fight the war if ever there is one!!
What can I do to show I am patriotic? Well, utilize your basic rights responsibly and fulfil your duties of being a good citizen. It would definitely help if we didn’t just randomly share WhatsApp forwards without really verifying their authenticity.
As far as handling the situation with my son is concerned, I explained to him that just like a football club has players from all religions, similarly, a country has people of all religions. Just the way a player moves to another football club at his own wish, similarly, people move to another country, only as per their wish and not as per the wish of someone else!!
Parenting will never be easy, neither will be the process of becoming a good human! You, however, have to do both!!
Image Source: Caravan Daily
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