Aseem trivedi, a cartoonist and an active supporter of India Against Corruption group was arrested day before yesterday for sedition for cartoons he put up in his website, cartoonsagainstcorruption.blogspot.in. The cartoons try to mock various symbols of Indian democracy.
Indians in general are very popular idol worshippers. With such a long history, the values represented in our religions have taken different shapes and symbols. It can be images of piligrimage places or different religious symbols or miniature idols itself, Indians tend to worship everything. However, in due course, we have conveniantely forgotten what those symbols or idols represent.
Arrest of Aseem Trivedi is also an example of how Indians are now worshipping the idols of democracy and not the values of democracy.
The parliament did not function for the whole of monsoon season with ruling and opposition parties not able to reach any consensus on the issue of debate in the parliament regarding various allegation of corruption on the Prime Minister in the allocation of coal blocks. Each passing day of the current government brings light to some new scandal or case of corruption by its ministers and still instead of cleaning the parliament of these corrupt politicians, we are trying to take action against those who are just trying to bring these issues of corruption into limelight.
On Dec 13th 2001, this very insitution and symbol of Indian democracy was attacked by terroriost groups and these politicians are still playing politics in name of religion instead of punishing those responsible. But no one seems to question this mockery.
The previous office bearer of First citizen Of India was alleged to have spent crores on foriegn trips with her family and still no one questioned this mockery of the post of First Citizen Of India.
I hope, we start respecting the values represented by these idols instead of the idols itself.