Let go the past

Living in the past is a psychological disease. Psychology has identified clear signs of the disease. If a person tends to speak about his past too much, about certain people who caused him pain in the past, and compares his present situation with previous ones, you can be pretty sure the guy has serious problems from the past that need be resolved in order for him to live a healthy present life. Such people tend to be attracted to or obsessed with the same type of people that caused them pain in the past. Their disagreements often surround past arguments. They are easily bored or frustrated. They indulge in self-sabotaging behaviour.

After Mr Modi became the Prime Minister, India behaves like the pathological patient described above. We as a nation keep talking about past glories and wounds. Our entire discourses are constructed around past events that should have been buried long ago. We are wreaking vengeance on today’s people for offences committed by their supposed ancestors centuries ago. Worst of all, we are becoming just like those enemies whom we are fighting.

There is no doubt that our past has much role in shaping our present. That happens to every citizen and every nation. So what? Do people and nations go around with cudgels seeking to beat up the ghosts of the past? There are people who were far more badly wounded in the past. The original inhabitants of America and Australia, for instance. They were almost wiped off the face of the earth by the invaders. India is much better off comparatively.

At any rate, invasions and conquests and violence were all integral parts of human existence in the past. Most people committed all those atrocities. Not only nations and historical conquerors, but also tribal warriors and caste leaders and princes of hundred-acre-kingdoms did the same: attack, plunder, and rape. Trying to wreak vengeance on today’s people for all those ancient crimes is as foolish as taking pride in the achievements of our forefathers.

The past is gone. Buried. We are condemned to live in the present. We are condemned to grapple with the problems of the present. We have no real choices otherwise. All that talk about the bygone past is just blah-blah that may sound nice and can rouse the rabble. Nothing good will come of it, however. We will end up sabotaging ourselves in the end if we fix our minds on crap from history. Look at how India is sinking low and lower as years go by in the various rankings like Poverty Index, Corruption Index, Freedom of the Press, and so on.

We need to reboot. Reset. Bury the past. Deal with the present.

PS. Written for Indispire Edition 348: Clinging to history and its supposed greatness is as foolish as maintaining that your bum has calluses because your great grandfather rode on an elephant. Real greatness lies in dealing successfully with the present. India should let the past go. #GrappleWithPresent

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