This is the strange bit of nationalism that it blinds one to international horror so long as it does not affect one's own country directly and with immediate effect. So, the Bengal Famine is not decried by the international community and the Holocaust still denied by many who are haters of the Jews. The Uighur Muslims continue to suffer and Anglo-American depredation continues with impunity as countries in the Commonwealth comply with it in passive acquiescence to conserve commercial and conjoined interests. Leaders of international stature raise a storm over specific issues concerning their national interests but fail to heavily condemn Hiroshima and Nagasaki while never failing to condemning fascism that brought in the Second World War. The victor is sided with while the vanquished is allowed the status of the Devil that brought in the evil of war.
But history is the resolution of multifarious forces in which the vanquished in war plays no more than a significant role and the victor is equally culpable, and often more so, in perpetrating horror. Thus, communism is painted as the shadow of the Anti Christ, fascism the Anti Christ itself ideologically incarnated while gluttonous capitalism wearing the garb of liberal democracy is deemed the epitome of civilisation and culture even as it inflicts horrific damage to civilisations that do not agree with its affirmed conclusions about humanity and human rights. It is fair enough to bomb countries out of existence, killing umpteen millions of Asians and Africans but the most horrendous heresy if several thousands of the white Euro-Americans should be wiped out in a terrible tower strike. All too bad on all sides for sure but terribly one-sided a game of numbers this is and the ideological game backing it.
Where is fair play and justice? Where is 'the strong man with the large heart' who dares oppose every human heresy of man against brother man? Indeed, in recent times there has been only one such, not entirely but quite close to being so even in such weakened circumstance of being the colonised, brutalised, enslaved Hindu -- the colossal monk, Vivekananda. None else came close to his epic affirmations on behalf of humanity save the Mahatma, perhaps, although, detractors would deem otherwise.
Written by Sugata Bose
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