My recent experience on intolerance
All the intellectuals have spoken about the recent growth of intolerance in India and how India has suddenly become Taliban country. I have had my share of moaning and groaning till I had the following experience which taught me what is real intolerance.
I had the opportunity to deliver a training programme on Communication to professionals working with a corporate client in a country in Middle east. i was asked to submit the draft of all the materials which I will be showing including the exercises and the supplementary notes for clearance. This itself was unusual as no client asks for the material to be presented for approval if the trainer is approved.
After going through the presentation, the following remarks were received by me.
1. In a slide, it is written that in Mahabharatha, Rukmini writes to Lord Krishna and this reference to letter establishes that people wrote to each other in 5 BC. This reference is considered hurting to the sentiments of people and so it should be removed.
2. In another slide, it is written that the Holy Bible mentions about the tower of Babel. The word Bible should not be shown and it should be removed.
3. In another slide, it is mentioned that King Solomon encouraged sharing thoughts with others. This reference should be deleted.
4. In another slide, it was mentioned that people get emotional when they share certain things for example " last evening, Some one tried to pick pocket the purse when I walked through the Souk". As Souk in arabic means market, the people may get insulted that their country had become unsafe and so this example should be removed.
With many more such remarks, the presentation was cleared for the course.
I would like to leave the matter to be decided by the people who say that intolerance has grown in India to decide for themselves the truth from the true incident I have related.
All the intellectuals have spoken about the recent growth of intolerance in India and how India has suddenly become Taliban country. I have had my share of moaning and groaning till I had the following experience which taught me what is real intolerance.
I had the opportunity to deliver a training programme on Communication to professionals working with a corporate client in a country in Middle east. i was asked to submit the draft of all the materials which I will be showing including the exercises and the supplementary notes for clearance. This itself was unusual as no client asks for the material to be presented for approval if the trainer is approved.
After going through the presentation, the following remarks were received by me.
1. In a slide, it is written that in Mahabharatha, Rukmini writes to Lord Krishna and this reference to letter establishes that people wrote to each other in 5 BC. This reference is considered hurting to the sentiments of people and so it should be removed.
2. In another slide, it is written that the Holy Bible mentions about the tower of Babel. The word Bible should not be shown and it should be removed.
3. In another slide, it is mentioned that King Solomon encouraged sharing thoughts with others. This reference should be deleted.
4. In another slide, it was mentioned that people get emotional when they share certain things for example " last evening, Some one tried to pick pocket the purse when I walked through the Souk". As Souk in arabic means market, the people may get insulted that their country had become unsafe and so this example should be removed.
With many more such remarks, the presentation was cleared for the course.
I would like to leave the matter to be decided by the people who say that intolerance has grown in India to decide for themselves the truth from the true incident I have related.
