I HATE YOU. The words come easily, sometimes spat out like a glob of phlegm, at other times like a trickle mixed with tears, often at the end of a bitter fight between people who were once close to each other. The three words are comparatively harmless when spelt out. It is the silent variety that we have to fear. Deeply.
Adolf Hitler did not openly display his racial hatred till he became active in the German Workers’ Party, precursor to the Nazi Party. Today, he is a case study in the most destructive emotion known to mankind. Josef Stalin, who killed more Russians than the two World Wars combined, studied to be a priest. Obviously, he did not learn to forgive people whom he thought sinned against him. The barrel of the gun was his response, not the way of the cross.
The wheel of time has turned and the season of anger is once again upon us, as it did in the 1930s and 40s when the likes of Hitler and Stalin fed on hate and became synonymous with cruelty and destruction. Most modern-day preachers of hate appear polished, and there is a method to their madness. In other words, they manipulate hate to serve their ends.
The year 2017 saw many of them hyperactive. Some did it for a reason, some for no reason. Motiveless malignity, if you like. Some hated in the name of religion, others spread hate in the name of caste and colour. Some did it to appease those in power, others to disturb those in power. Some hung on to their beliefs blindly, unwilling to open their eyes to a world of opportunities. And, in personal space, people found new ways to vent their anger.
In its anniversary issue, THE WEEK takes a look at some of those whose level of tolerance is much lower than many of us. From Donald Trump to Pahlaj Nihalani, they have dominated headlines and our lives in 2017. If anything, the following pages will help you better understand them.
