Nothing unites us like a common enemy. Think about it, and a great deal of truth about human existence comes forward. Two individuals, who may hardly be in good terms often come together once they get a common enemy. Long ago it was the Britishers on our soil which united the much divided people of this country against them. Much before than, in times of monarchy it was the enemies of the kingdom which kept the flock together. Thousands of years ago, it was the nature and the wildlife which kept the humans together.
Why only humans? Take the case of animals like deer in the forest that often stay together for there is a fear of being hunted by some bigger enemy like a lion or a tiger. There might be some cohesiveness because of similarities among themselves but it becomes secondary given the fear of something bigger, something that threatens the basic existence.
This common enemy factor may be of different magnitudes, in different shapes and sizes. It might be a big movement or something or something small in day to day lives. It might just be about that annoying neighbor, the big boss in the office or that person in the society who is a big time hypocrite and even, some elements in the system or something much larger - of the likes that can trigger political movements! In social circles, in tea parties, over a coffee table, over a few drinks, in a chit chat over a phone call most of the casual conversation often veers towards one topic - it is about people, and often about the things they don't like about them. It is talk about people and bitching about them that gives immense satisfaction and at times purpose and direction to life. For many, purpose of life is to be happy, and it is cribbing and bitching that gives this supreme sense of satisfaction. Maybe, this sense of loving to be against something is one of the fundamental human emotion, without which they will cease to exist
Take the case of politics. An age old principle of Divide & Rule has always been exploited to maximum by the political parties. When there are not any issues, then they have been created. If the issues were not that big, they have been made big so that it becomes easy to pull people together against some issue. One of the recent incidents can be the case of Varun Gandhi attempting to create a common 'enemy' to unite people. 'Uniting' people is in this case a euphemism for garnering votes. Same has been used in 2002 (Gujarat), 1992(Barbri Masjid), 1984 (general Elections). Similar rhetoric (but in much larger magnitude is being used by likes of Osama Bin Laden against western world and western world against Osama.
And this continues, and we stay divided, yet united against a set of common enemies.
If this is the case, will we ever be able to stand up together? Will we ever imagine that the world will be as one, as John Lennon said? Maybe, we would need some extra terrestrial attack to unify us! Or maybe, it can be nature which has been so much used and abused! Who knows! Let us just wait and watch and till then ... fight among ourselves!
The Toyota Qualis and the Chvrolet Tavera stopped after a long journey. It was almost 9 in the night and it was pitch-dark. Night times in a forest are always pitch-dark. Adding to that it was a good `thirteen days since the last full moon day. Adding to this, the cloudy weather made visibility close to zero. Later in the night the forest would be engulfed in a fog making it nearly impossible to see. The only noise audible was that of silence, few random insects and that of a train going at a distance. After a long journey they all were quite weary and all they wanted was some rest so that the next day morning they can head for tiger and rhino spotting among many other species of flora and fauna in the wildlife sanctuary. Right now it was time for some parathas, maggi and booze. All fifteen of them headed for the cottage which they had booked, sat near the fire place relishing food, chit chatting about college life, universe and everything. But chit chatting wasn’t what they came ...
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