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Us versus them

I am reading Mohammed Yunus - the Grameen bank fame and Nobel peace prize winner. His book "Banker to poor" is inspiring and thought provoking.

Second chapter I think is about his childhood. He talks about pre-independence days. He says his family and all relatives were pro-partition. That made me prejudiced about him. He was pro-pakistan. That means he was against India. And why am I reading his book?

Of course I am not reading the book for his political views. That is of no concern to me. I am really happy about the way he helped the people of his country overcome their poverty without losing their dignity.

All these feelings of us vs them are really irrational. I used to feel offended when somebody scolded Brahmins, Kannadigas, Indians. OK, the person who generalizes and blames or makes fun of a community are really ill-mannered to say the least. But I am stupid to feel offended by it. 

No matter who we are, we are all human beings. And are descended by common ancestors in Africa. Does it really matter, which branch we have come from?

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