Differences in viewpoints must be respected. – Guest Column by Tapas Bharadwaj

From bullock carts to bullet trains, today diverse modes of transport exist to help man overcome physical distances. But has the distance between hearts only grown? In a though provoking piece, law student Tapas Bharadwaj puts aside his legal hat to talk about more broader national issues. Tapas, who is visually impaired, is a student of Amity Law School in New Delhi and an award winning National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholar.

Man has been in constant search of ways to make transport and communication easier. An individual’s capacity to think rationally, act purposefully, and deal effectively with his/ her environment has given him the ability to devise new means of communication, transport, and technology.

My grandfather recalls a time when it took several days to cover distances of 100-120km by means of a bullock cart from his home in Delhi. He also says it gave us an excuse to stay at a relative’s house for a day or so longer People often shared their problems and the emotional bond was stronger.

As different transport modes developed, it reduced distances, but people also started meeting for shorter periods of time. There was a positive aspect to this as one could focus on work more. However, this also led to greater seclusion. Work does not imply that one must totally set aside the angle of humanity from one’s heart.

People are always looking for ways to travel quickly in search of work and that’s one of the main reasons why air travel has become cheaper and have bullet train services starting soon. But what about the sense of humanity? The recent incident at Sonbhadra in uttar Pradesh where police opened fire on protestors shows that there is greater reliance on bullets than words.

Accepting differences

Humanity is an integral part of any living being’s life. It is this characteristic which has given birth to communities of people. Incidents of mob lynching show a dangerous trend of groups seeking to promote a certain agenda and killing those who differ. The need of the hour is to accept the other person. Viewpoints can be different. Agendas can vary.

Unity in diversity has been the strength of the Indian people. One of the primary reasons why our forefathers were able to drive the British out of India was because we came together. Why do we want to take away the diversity and then promote unity? On the one hand, we are moving towards alternative dispute resolution mechanisms so differences can be resolved effectively. But on the other, we are aiming to regulate what we eat, wear, and with whom we want to live our lives.

Differences in viewpoints must be respected. These differences will grow even more as India becomes a nation of educated individuals who want to live a life of dignity and pride. Viewpoints should not be imposed. Rather discussions between community members over different agendas should take place so there’s no miscommunication.

Let us all strive towards a new India where new thoughts and aspirations are allowed to flower, flourish and adapt as people are capable of making decisions as per the law.