Race and Religion

I write this with heavy eyes, and a heavy heart. After watching the news today I was completely disappointed in the world. The Paris terrorist attacks were nothing like the way that I wanted my Friday night to go. But after a bit of a personal discussion (the details will not be revealed) with my new BFF who gets weirdly philosophical past 11:30 (his bedtime), I came to see a connection between the conflict of race in The Bluest Eye and religion in India.

Now I would go back and just discuss the effect of racism in the past but I kind of already did that. (See here if you missed it and are slightly curious). So I decided to take it back to my homeland. Back when those Brits ruled us over for spices I cannot seem to find in their food (sorry, but seriously I went to Scotland and the only thing on their fish was salt). (I just realized salt can be used as a pun and now I'm laughing alone in my room at 2 a.m.). Anyway, so once India gained its independence, the British-apparently knowing best how to govern people-decided to split the country up based on religion.

A Train From Punjab During
The Partition

See that would have been all fine and dandy, if it weren't for the fact that IT RUINED INDIA. Before the Par
tition, Muslims and Hindus may have gotten into a few fights, but it is nothing compared to what has happened since August of 1947. Every Hindu living in now-Pakistan was required by law to move to current day India, and vice versa. As is imaginable, this was met with some resistance and anger, but the anger lives on today. The same disgust I feel with the racism in Toni Morrison's novel is what I feel when I think about the divide between Hindus and Muslims. Each side carries its own stories, however I can only represent those of a Hindu's.

Both of my grandparents were born into wealthy families, but that was before they were forced to move. In fear of being killed, they left everything behind and travelled to India. Here, they were poor. They had nothing. And when my father and aunt were born, they could only afford to live in a small shack that was meant as a servant's quarters. In Pakistan, Muslims would sometimes find Hindus and kill them. The same went for Hindus in India, they killed Muslims out of pure... (I cannot find a word to justify this violence, because no justification exists.)

In some instances, there was only a little bit of road between the two paths in the Partition. People crossed these paths only to kill.

The Gandhi Movie

There was a great man living during the Partition, his name may sound familiar. Gandhi? Have you heard of him? Well whether you have or haven't I would say you should watch the British-made film "Gandhi" because it makes even the strongest men in my family cry. Here's a clip. (Fun fact: my grandma met Gandhi on his salt march!)

The divide between Muslims and Hindus still survives to this day. Sometimes people are burned alive for their religion, or shunned, or even considered as off-limits to date or marry. It seems quite like the racism that is present in Morrison's novel. The effects of it last to the present, as do the effects of the Partition. In both instances, violence is always apparent. Whether it be the beating of slaves, or the murder of children in India, there is no excuse for this blackness on the history books of the world.

A Riot During The Partition

Both the racism and the divides between Muslims and Hindus have both been carried to America. And here, if you look closely, you will find them "festering" (Morrison 34) in a wound that should have been disinfected long ago.

I, myself, cannot understand why people can't just get along. I know it is harder than it seems, but it is the one thing that I want most in this world. At least I wish we could get over race and religion, which would probably solve almost every problem in the world. Race and religion do not determine a person's character.

This probably should be a lot more emotional, but for now I am tired and thinking about all of the bad parts of the world are making my soul feel heavy.

"How are we going to change the world if all we do is distance ourselves more?" -Amun Mehta, texted at 12:03 a.m. (That's right, the aforementioned new BFF. See Ms. Valentino? I don't hate him! We get along!)

Lyrics of the week: "So may the sunrise bring hope where it once was forgotten... mother I lost it, all of the fear of the Lord I was given" from Upward Over the Mountain by Iron & Wine.

Because all of the goodness instilled by the Lord was lost in both of these atrocious cycles of hatred. And may there be a sunrise where it is all gone.