Liberalization of Thoughts

Closed minds breed narrow mindset. A well thought anecdote to this statement is the existence of customs & traditions which try to infringe upon the fundamental rights of the citizens & which are ultra vires with the constitution of India. Basically it's about the existence of extremist organizations like khaps & taliban. Existence of divergent view points is a pleasant reality which we must proudly accept. As a growing nation & a maturing democracy, we're yet to arrive at the most relevant interpretation of Article 19 & Article 25 (Freedom of Speech, Religion, Conscience, Thought, etc.). While the Honourable Supreme Court of India has strived to protect the rights of the individuals pertaining to freedom of speech, thoughts, etc. but what we must bear in mind is that it is ultimately we who're responsible for our conduct & it is we who build & create social conscience & morality.
My point of discussing this is not about the legality or what the law should be. But my conviction is that when we're bound by the shackles of self-righteousness we conveniently forget that there's nothing like absolute truth in this world. We can happily disagree with a view point. My firm belief is that we're sometimes too rigid in our outlook that we do away with the opposing viewpoint without giving it a proper thought & a reasonable consideration. In this era of economic liberalization & privatization, it's also necessary that we liberalize our thoughts. By no means I intend to say that we must liberalize our ideology. But we must liberalize our thoughts to the extent that we give opposing thoughts a proper consideration.
I believe that in a pluralistic society such as India, no person can afford to claim of being absolutely true by himself. A relative truth is a creation of prevalent socio-economic & political condition. So it's in the ultimate interest of our society that we build an attitude which serves purpose of the society as a whole & not few rigid minded individuals.

The Forgotten Art of Disagreeing

Either a person will disagree or he has ceased to think. Two human beings having exactly the same opinions on every issue is something very rare, almost impossible. Differences of opinion is a proof that we still have a functional brain.
We often face a situation wherein we disagree on a certain issue. Divergent opinion always gives us an opportunity to revaluate our opinion. It gives us an insight as to where we may have erred. I firmly believe that respecting a divergent opinion compounds your respect in your opponent's mind. Changing your opinion after re-examining it will not hurt your ego but will compound your respect.
Having said all that, a fact cannot be denied that disagreement on certain issues is a reality. Disagreeing with someone is not an issue but the method of conveying it is a major issue. Just to blindly disagree with someone reduces the authenticity of your opinion. Your worst ever disagreement can be conveyed in the best possible language. It is this eloquence that makes the difference. To refuse a request is not wrong but to display your ego while refusing it is something wrong. To disagree on certain issue & to take it at a personal level are two different things. We may disagree with certain views of a person but atleast respect him.
Blindly opposing something without examining it can only create damage at both the ends. To all my friends & foes, I may disagree with your thoughts & opinions but I very much respect you as a person. I expect this respect to be mutual.
An opinion can be criticised but a person cannot be criticised for just a divergent opinion. Think over it!

A THOUGHT ON OUR THINKING

Birds flying in the sky & thoughts flowing in the brain are often directionless. While travelling through the mystic land of thoughts, I have realised that ultimately our mind rules us. I believe that thinking is manifestation of the subtle inputs which our subconscious mind receives. We never create a thought but we generate it. The effects of any event can be gradual or spontaneous. Thoughts of unknown origin are nothing but the gradual effect of any event which our mind has witnessed. Subconsciously our brain witnesses many events which our conscious brain refuses to acknowledge.
Subconscious exposure to any evil event is the input for an evil thought. As Swami Vivekananda puts it "Be careful about what you think because your thoughts become your action". The greatest test of mental strength is the resistance which our brain can apply to such an evil exposure. While exposure to any event may not be in voluntary control but the thought generation thereafter is definitely the indicator of our mental strength. The development of any ideology is nothing but consolidation of particular set of thoughts in our mind. When the ideology is consolidated beyond a point, the rational approach to any thought takes a backseat. Thinking is a two sided sword. While thinking with open mind can act as auto-correction mechanism, similarly, vice versa can create an havoc. Closed minded ideologies have often created bloodsheds & pogroms.
To consolidate any set of thoughts without questioning its bonafides can often create irrational events. At the same time, being swayed away by any thought can make one indecisive & incompetent. The main thing is to strike a balance between both & ultimately act in accordance with the society. The ultimate goal of human race is to be HUMANS 1st.
I rest my opinion for people to decide their thoughts & act accordingly.