Belligerent Identities

Hutus and tutsi .. Jews and Arabs, ...belligerent identities have been in fashion for time immemorial. Why is it so easy to attach oneself to such an identity. Most of the people that fought for the last few days in Rajasthan might not have even know the reason for their fighting. Why did the Hindus massacred the Muslims and vice-versa at a time when the country had freed itself from the alien power. If we step back for a moment and try and think what have we done for our association with the identity that we seem so proud to fight for. What have i done to be a Hindu, other than attending the rituals and visiting temples. Have i read some Hindu scriptures, have i tried to imbibe any of the qualities that would have made me a true Hindu. if we try and back track the history of these so called rigid identities that an individual is labeled with as soon as he is born. We would easily find a time when these differences had not surfaced when there were no such boundaries to restrict and restrain the sharing of ideas, knowledge and cultures.. imagine a time when there were no religions! When there were no states when there were no differences in development in any part of the globe... lets face it most of us do not know why do we follow the religion that we do, why do we belong to a particular caste, why should such identities exist in the first place, or what should one do to prove worthy of such identities. This bankruptcy of annexing any conclusive answers to such fundamental questions is, according to me, the reason for such violent protests. Through these retributions we tend to feel that we have done justice to these identities. These fightings give a false sense of unity and oneness with other comrades of the same class, religion. Is this the only way left in which we can experience and appreciate this sense of unity? Is fighting together, for what so ever cause, the only way out of this association crisis. Is fighting with a Muslim the only way in which one can prove his Hinduism. Gandhiji had said, " I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Jew ... and so are all of you.", test of integrity and character is not to broaden the boundaries but to shrink them, To try and be a resilient individual rather than being a rigid and stubborn follower.