Acceptance not tolerance..!

Parliamentary affairs minister of the present government in the wake of the Aamir Khan controversy is said to have exclaimed that the, “People of India are tolerant!”
Tolerance and intolerance sadly is the issue today.  What is tolerance? Tolerance is when in spite or despite something we don’t like, we still our anger and keep silent about it. But is that what the minority religious communities are asking from the majority religious communities? “Maybe you don’t like the way we worship. Maybe you don’t like who we worship, and you are angry about it, but you will tolerate us and keep silent!”
“Don’t irritate me anymore,” shouts the mother to her child, “I will not tolerate your behavior and will spank you!”
Tolerance is being irritated but not taking action about that irritation.
With that argument in mind, I want to tell the Parliamentary affairs minister, that I do not need his tolerance! What right have you to say you will tolerate me? I am as much a part of this country, maybe more so, than you Mr Minister! Who gave you the right to judge any different in what I do, to even talk about tolerance?
Does my walking into a church, while you walk into a temple and our brother walks into a mosque, make our stomachs react differently when the high cost of onions and potatoes in our country sees less on the table for each of us? We all suffer alike, what’s another word for ‘alike’ sir; ‘equally!’
So if I suffer equally to how you suffer, what makes you think you are superior to ‘tolerate’ some other facet of my life, like the way I worship? Oh no, it is not about tolerance but about acceptance. Our country is secular, our constitution says it is secular, so let’s not talk about one community tolerating the other, but each community accepting the other, because you and I are equal!”
Tolerance is a superior sigh and a stage managed shaking of the head. It is to endure another, to be lenient, to suffer something we don’t like. But in acceptance there is no question of tolerance! You recognize the other person has as much rights as you have.
Tolerance is an arm you put to lift somebody up, acceptance is the same arm you put round the shoulder of an equal: There is no lifting or pulling or such gestures of mercy!
I hear angry voices telling Aamir Khan to go to Pakistan, or Christians to America, why? Minister sahib whether the person is a Hindu, Muslim or a Christian, he is a fellow countryman. The matter ends there.
That is where acceptance begins: That we are all equal. That there is no majority or minority. That there is no question of one community tolerating another. That we accept each other as he or she is.
Now Mr Minister, we the people hope you understand..!

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Acceptance not tolerance..!

Parliamentary affairs minister of the present government in the wake of the Aamir Khan controversy is said to have exclaimed that the, People of India are tolerant! Tolerance and intolerance sadly is the issue today. What is tolerance? Tolerance is when in spite or despite something we dont like, we still our anger and keep silent about it. But is that what the minority religious communities are asking from the majority religious communities? Maybe you dont like the way we worship. Maybe you dont like who we worship, and you are angry about it, but you will tolerate us and keep silent! Dont irritate me anymore, shouts the mother to her child, I will not tolerate your behavior and will spank you! Tolerance is being irritated but not taking action about that irritation. With that argument in mind, I want to tell the Parliamentary affairs minister, that I do not need his tolerance! What right have you to say you will tolerate me? I am as much a part of this country, maybe more so, than you Mr Minister! Who gave you the right to judge any different in what I do, to even talk about tolerance? Does my walking into a church, while you walk into a temple and our brother walks into a mosque, make our stomachs react differently when the high cost of onions and potatoes in our country sees less on the table for each of us? We all suffer alike, whats another word for alike sir; equally! So if I suffer equally to how you suffer, what makes you think you are superior to tolerate some other facet of my life, like the way I worship? Oh no, it is not about tolerance but about acceptance. Our country is secular, our constitution says it is secular, so lets not talk about one community tolerating the other, but each community accepting the other, because you and I are equal! Tolerance is a superior sigh and a stage managed shaking of the head. It is to endure another, to be lenient, to suffer something we dont like. But in acceptance there is no question of tolerance! You recognize the other person has as much rights as you have. Tolerance is an arm you put to lift somebody up, acceptance is the same arm you put round the shoulder of an equal: There is no lifting or pulling or such gestures of mercy! I hear angry voices telling Aamir Khan to go to Pakistan, or Christians to America, why? Minister sahib whether the person is a Hindu, Muslim or a Christian, he is a fellow countryman. The matter ends there. That is where acceptance begins: That we are all equal. That there is no majority or minority. That there is no question of one community tolerating another. That we accept each other as he or she is. Now Mr Minister, we the people hope you understand..! [email protected]