Who's side are you on?

Conflicts are inherent in our society, leaving two antagonistic camps on opposite sides of the fault line. And fence-sitters are not very comfortable people. So how do you decide which side to take?

The rising foothold of the Naxals is leaving many among us with this dilemma. This internal conflict revolves around choosing between being a perceived snobbish, pro-government elite who couldn’t care less for the peripheral lot and a ruthless, red-flag-waving slayer of the innocent.

For a long time now a lot of us have opted for the easier route of staying aloof or dropping sporadic hints of sympathy for those unfortunate have-nots. Government policies haven’t intrigued many either. So whether the state decides to go ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ on the enemy isn’t what we really talk about over a cup of tea. But the apathy has gone too far, probably doing enough harm of its own.

This is not a call for a war. But yes, taking an overdue, well-thought side will help quell that growing conflict within you, and a clear head is always far more useful than a confused one.

Having said that, hasty conclusions will lead us no where. In fact, it is criminal to point fingers without getting the facts right. Giving a thought, however, is the need of the hour.

Beyond the bloodshed and the mayhem, the greatest tragedy lies in why it takes so much blood to spill before a conflict comes to light. Quite frankly, the Naxals aren’t being unreasonable. No one deserves to be left in the dark even as the rest of us celebrate India’s ‘shining’. Why a government would deliberately alienate a section of its own people to the point that only gunshots can serve as their voice is unfathomable. And inexcusable.

                           

The presence of conflict keeps alive the need to make a choice. When a conflict arises between your principles and interests, it stirs a thought, a spark, and the necessity to choose.

Somehow, conflict is a glaring outcome of the system that we have set in place for ourselves. 

In an ironic and unsettling way, the birth of conflict can be traced to the idea of peace. But as utopian as it sounds, it is the prospect of peace that can really keep conflict at bay.

But there is a need to adopt another approach, take another route. The old idea of conflict resolution offers nothing but disillusionment.

Taking sides is not about abandoning the other’s perspective. It’s about finally shedding inhibitions and moving toward a solution.