Today I felt the need to express my opinion sincerely about what I felt when Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was arrested for a possible break-in. It is the same emotion that every black-american and oppressed human being would have felt around the world. I think all the talk about ensuring human equality and foiling discrimination is a farce on the face of humankind. I repeatedly see such events happen in the lives of people who are from the exploited sections of the society. Such discriminatory tactics are not restricted to the western society but it is practiced in different ways in various countries. As history reveals, any human being lacking heritage, knowledge acquisition, physical beauty or economic status has always suffered at the hands of the rich, mighty and the learned ones. If you retrofit Gates in a similar situation in India, it may not be the criminal justice system but the vested high caste interests which would have resorted to such defamatory actions. I, hailing from India with an oppressed background is reminded everyday of what my origins are and what I am entitled for in life. No matter whatever heights of academic excellence one achieves, you are always at the mercy of the rich, wealthy and the so called “well learned” ones. Sometimes I feel God has to be blamed for this discrimination. Why did he create humans with such diversity? Why are some born fairer while others suffer for being darker in color? Why do humans have this fascination for fair color? Why are the weaker (in most cases the ugly looking and deprived communities) ones always exploited? Why can’t God endow such exploited with good virtues and wisdom? Unless there is a dramatic shift in how people perceive each other, there will never be any social justice rendered. We need to stop glamorizing the fair sex in every aspect of life. Humans should be respected irrespective of how, where, when and under circumstances they are born. I always have this dream when any child born black, brown or white is embraced without any consideration for color. I am hopeful of my dream becoming a reality because of the rude awakening happening among masses worldwide. The election of Mr.Obama as the president of America has shown that given the will and courage, anything is possible in this world. We can shatter the age old discriminatory practices and customs and make this world a better place to live where every individual is endowed with all rights irrespective of any race, color, creed, religion and caste. I Hope this dream of mine will turn true!!!
