The tolerance as the word implies, is the endurance or the power that helps in tolerating the unfavorable situations of the life. More precisely, tolerance implies patience or perseverance, the ability to endure anything without losing control of mind. All of us aspire for a tolerant society. Various religions regularly impress upon their followers to practice tolerance in their day to day lives. However, we are sadly witnessing contrary spectacle of ever diminishing tolerance in our society. Around the globe, numerous media of every day bring into our homes the innumerable alarming incidents of human retaliation and mindless acts of violence, which are based on intolerance due to man-made differences of race, color, language, caste and nationality, etc.
A rich and influential man reached his office in his expensive car. After some time, his assistant informed that some unknown person had driven away with his new car. He requested the rich man to ring up his closed friend, who was a senior police officer and seek the latter’s help to trace the stolen vehicle. The rich man contacted the senior police officer accordingly. Apart from seeking recovery of his brand new expensive car, he lambasted the city police for their gross incompetence and poor law and order situation. He also sought stringent punishment for the offenders, after some time the senior police officer informed that concerned person that his car has been recovered and the thief who had also injured a scooter driver due to his drunken driving had been arrested and charged with offences of theft, drunken driving and causing a grave injury.
The rich man felt relieved and complimented the police for booking the offender. He pleaded with the police officer to ensure deterrent punishment to the offender. At this the police officer informed the rich man that the arrested thief was none other than the son of that same person himself! Hearing this, the tone and tenor of the man underwent a sea change. Now he started pleaded with the police officer to release his son and he was willing to monetarily compensate the injured scooter driver and to spend any amount of money to ensure that his son escaped the due punishment. The moment he realized that the offender was his own son, forgot all his misdeeds. Why this change of heart on the part of the rich man did come about? What made him to become so completely tolerant? Because of his kinship.
