Ram Rahim Rayan

Once there was an American named Ryan who married a dark Dalit Indian and their daughter was brown and they named her Sidhu. When Sindhu grew up, she married Lal Qalandar from Sindh in Pakistan and going by the name Qalandar wandered the world and when they settled adopted a boy who they named Ram Rahim Ryan. R cube as he was nick named had taken a great liking for the apostle Gandhi. He had read whatever was there to read about Gandhi by the time he had become a teenager.

He then came to India to see for himself how the India of the apostle was these days. He then landed in Ahmedabad. He soon realized Ahmedabad was divided into two zones along religious lines. He met a couple who were of mixed marriages. They were neither here nor there. The couple mentioned how they were a part of the 30+ club a wonderful group of all ilk and they got divided. IIMs and IRMA were no exceptions where in education comes up with a huge price tag. One alumnus said the case was the same in the alumni group as well. Not only that my extended family had got also divided he added.

His name itself provoked a strong discussion. Why not Rahim first and then Ram said, one group. The other group said it was okay as it was. Not only the order of his name but also how his name came about, was a matter of debate. He became smart at not letting his parent’s history known for fear of being lynched by one group or the other. He belonged to the universe he said. He was an orphan of war and was brought up by his parents as belonging to the universe and hence the name he often said.

The issue of the temple of the god after his first name was a ticking time bomb someone had mentioned. Mediation was going on he was told. He had hoped conciliation would prevail.

The division was what, that gets going in this country he thought. The nation got divided at the time of independence and further Pakistan got divided into Bangladesh. The states in India got divided along linguistic lines. Then there was the caste- based divisions and reservations. Divisions within religion were getting widened. Now rivers were dividing people further. The rich and poor division was getting wider like everywhere else. The PM himself was seen as the chief divider.

Where does the message of the apostle figure? Is there a case for unity at all? “Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.” Whatever has happened to such land which borne him? He ruminated.

One mother told him that children were always asked which division they passed by. He did not get it. She further explained that first division here means 60% plus and second division implied between 50 and 60% in subject marks. No wonder he thought children grow up to be dividers.

He thought of the parable of the monkey and the two cats and wondered if the cats will ever become smart. He had met the educated in the elite institutions, the moneyed people, the poor and the division were the only arithmetic people seemed to know. He thought of the debate “cauliflowers are nothing but cabbages with a college education” and in spite of education, the cabbages remain closed.

He had seen an Instagram post which was eloquent in the question “Ram and Rahim are one they say; will only Ram remain then?” 

He pondered why the education was not building bridges over the communal cauldron?

Quo Vadis India? He asked no one in particular