Better not to have a Name, than be called Names.....

Is religion all in the name? The recent violence in Kandhmahal, Orissa set me thinking. Kand tribals predominantly Hindu and enjoying Scheduled Tribe status went on the warpath, against the Panas/Panus who are neo-Christians, who are ex-Hindus from the Harijan sub-caste, supposedly the lowest strata of Hindu society.

The system of governance that rewards, some call it affirmative action, a sub-group of society because they were born with different surnames to start with, is inherently faulty - it opens up avenues for the deprived to clammer for inclusion. The modern state instead of building up the pillars of democracy - inclusiveness being one, instead follows the footsteps of the collonial powers - the Policy of Divide and Rule; divisiveness, being effective to create votebanks and ensure continuity of votes in the ballot box.

Being a Bong, sentimentalism and illogic sometimes comes easy. Kandmahal and its percussors, the earlier communal riots, does have an easy solution; let people have names that are generic in nature OR just open up the dictionary and start naming starting with aardvark (the African ant bear) and ending with zythum, the Egyptian beer.

Considering that even the voluminous Chambers English Dictionary might fall short, one can even use the adjective, the noun, the adverbial form of the same word to name different people. While, I can be called Random, the venerable Chief Minister of my state can be aptly named Randomizer (the way randomly land was given to the TATAs in Singur) and the Leader of the Opposition, be named Random-wise (she got wise to ways of the Randomizer).

Jokes apart, have recently penned down some more lines in rhyme...

"Amaar aaj kono naam nei,
Onek agey chilo ekta shei,
Jokhon tomar motoi sadharan chilam ami,
Aaro paanchjoner motoi kinchit, kintu noi onaami;

Tomar motoi ekshomoy chilo amar shonsar,
Choto ghor chotto swapno aro chotto poribar,
Bouta morey giyechey onek bochor agey,
Koler cheleta bukey pithey korechi boro onek abegey;

Aar bochorey poschimey gelo amaar cheleta,
Bollo abba jirow tumi - boro hoechey tomar beta,
Koek maash elo phone r money order a taaka,
Tar porey purlo train-bosoti- Hai khodha, shontaner jaanaza ei tomar bhagyo lekha?

Cheleta amaar chilo boroi norom,
Shomo boyoshider thekey onyo rokom,
Dukhi hoto kotu katha shuney,
Parichiter truti dhakto - nijer shanto guney;

Jehaadi chilo na O Islaamer,
Bolto abba - lorai a pet vorey na kono Musalmaner,
Tobuo keno morlo purey amaar baachha,
Morlo amaar mon -vanglo buker khaancha;

Tai aaj ami hoechi onaami,,
Keno naamey chinnito dharma - naamei bodnaami,
Naamei Allah hoi Hindur Bhagaban,
Naamei Rahim naamei Ram - kokhono Bhagaban kokhono Shaitan......