Kingdom of Far Far Away

Is your dreamland very different from mine?
Or do you too believe that a universe sans terrorism, hatred, economic meltdowns, religious wars, rape, child abuse and the like can exist?
When we were younger our mystical wonderlands had fountains of our favourite ice-cream sodas and houses made out of cheesecake. The inhabitants were talking animals and elves and pixies, thanks to a healthy overdose of Enid Blyton's books.
My dreamland now is not nearly as imaginative as it used to be and not half as colourful.
All I want now is to wake up in the morning, reach for the newspaper and quickly get to Calvin & Hobbes without stories of mass killings staring at me from the front page.
We were always taught that "India is a secular country."
I'm not too sure.
There are minorities in our country that have been economically deprived for too long, politically marginalised for decades, emotionally thrashed till the time weak-minded individuals resorted to terrorizing their own countrymen. And we want to believe that we are secular, democratic and progressing?
I don't know much, I agree.
But I do know that no-one, absolutely NO-ONE is inherently ruthless and mean. No child is a born murderer. If our people have lost their way, maybe somewhere we are at fault too. Why else would they listen to someone who believes that terrorizing innocent citizens is the only way to get closer to "God".
I don't know anything about what they call "Jihad." I don't know anything about what they call "Hinduism."
But yes, I do have faith in the men who continue to guard our borders witheir lives. I have faith in the people who come together after a tragedy irrespective of each other's religion to lend a helping hand.
And I have faith that someday we'll see the Kingdom of Far Far Away in the distance.
And if donkey asks ,"Are we there yet?":
Maybe someday I'll be able to say yes.