Two topics have been ubiquitous in the Dailies. 'The Ayodhaya Verdict' and the 'Common Wealth Games'(popularly/infamously CWG). The Ayodhaya verdict was deferred but the effect the proposed day of the verdict had on people was astounding. People were afraid to continue business as usual. Office goers were ready to take a leave, shops were ready to be closed for the day, kids were ready to give school a miss, movie releases were ready to be postponed and what not. All this for what. For the fear that some misguided group might cause havoc if the verdict didn't go their way.

There can be two reasons why the verdict has such an overpowering effect and is capable of injecting such passions in people. Either religion is taken extremely seriously in our country or suddenly the citizens of this "resilient" nation have learned the importance of human lives(as those lost in 1992).

If we consider reason one above i.e Religion, it means people are passionate for what they believe in. An interesting inference that should be noted.

Drawing parallels between the Ayodhaya case and the CWG would be atrocious but forgive me for I will be attempting just that. Both have inflicted our integrity, our national pride or in other words, something that we all believe in. Lives have been lost in both. May be not in equal numbers(but hopefully I have a Quorum that number is insignificant when it comes to lives lost). In both cases there is indignation in the hearts of people and they feel the need to see the ones responsible brought to law. If this is the case then I dare say that on the Day of the CWG verdict our country will come to a stand still.

So its save to assume that with the exception of the few "educated"(or so to say) people most Indians will stand for what they believe in or at least revere and support a demagogue who markets such agenda. So will we confine ourselves on the Day of the CWG verdict. Will it inspire the same passion. We all know that it will never happen. What will happen is we all will watch the news, shrug and go to work next morning.

There is no solution to this as such. The only solution that comes to my inexperient mind is "Self Change". I feel that if we start by changing little things like ourselves, our family, our neighbourhood things MIGHT change. As simplistic and inefficacious as it may sound it is all each of us is capable of. And if nothing else it is at least a start. But again being capable and willing are two different things.

It pains me to say this but India has always been a land of thieves(read politicians), beggars(read common man) and snake charmers and it will forever be so altough the strength of the third kind has considerable reduced. May be that is what they refer to when they say "Progress".

Disclaimer: I do not mean to undermine our collective loss during the 1992 riots but just insinuate the need to raise your voice against the corruption of the CWG.