I don’t love this country anymore

I used to be a patriot when I was in school. One that would take offense if anyone badmouthed my country, one that would attentively participate in independence day and republic day, not for the toffee but to celebrate the memory of those who made the nation that it’s today. With time and as I aged, the country turned into something from what I loved. It got crude. The leaders have been notorious for a long time. However, the country progressed despite it and the public welfare has been the motto for long. The goal changed as the welfare was sidelined and the fake imagery took the centre stage. Who gets credit for what became the major focus . Hatred has intensified, and the country now feels devoid of justice and hope.

There has been hatred among communities but it was not a thing to be proud of. The people started taking pride in hating one another, be it another religion or other caste. The resentment grew so much that they would go to any lengths to save and prove they were correct or their clan is the best. Their subjugated dislike for one another became evident and the most horrible outcome of social media, the political parties became invincible in hate mongering. The fake news peddling over one another, the targeted attack to tarnish the names, has been an uphill battle against them that denies to give up. While the hostility has been increasing exponentially, the nation became unsafe as well. People get killed for silly reasons like they hurt my religious feelings. The roads became bad and the trains don’t run on the track. The brutal killings have become very normal, people don’t hesitate anymore to kill another person in broad daylight. We are evolving backwards as barbarians.

Amid the wretched law and order, the women’s safety is down low in the country at the moment. The rape and harassment of women and young children in the country has increased that would make a sane man puke reading certain news. At least with the increase in the crime, do the people question the rapists and give them a punishment that would make others hesitate before indulging in such activities? No, the country is busy questioning women for the crime to no fault of theirs. The sad reality is that the people have become tolerable to any news of rape or harrasment and have begun to pass it on as just another news.

The country is not safe but is it at least liveable? It is for now but it won't remain for long. The rich get richer while the poor get poorer and the majority in the middle class sustain for the sake of the family. They work their asses off to meet the needs, the country doesn't waver in kicking them down again.

It might feel like I am exaggerating and demonizing the country but no, the country is beyond redemption. This is not the nation that I loved. A country that took pride in being the largest democratic country, a country whose soul was unity in diversity, a country whose leaders didn’t drive the nation based on hate, a country whose leaders shed their blood to develop and reform the society. The country I love is lost in it somewhere. I doubt if we will find that lost glory again. Until then, I don’t love this country.