Waiting for a line

Instant history applied to modern times, available for perusal here: A man from Gujarat was thrown out of a train in South Africa. Let us pledge to work for such a day when an American will have to stand in line for entry into Gujarat.

Hmm, let's see. To start with, what an interesting comparison! Throwing a man from a train, compared to denying a man a visa. Yes of course, pretty much identical situations there.

Understand, it was the visa-denied man who made the comparison. You think he did it because to this day, around the world, for better or worse, the train-ejected man is revered as "Mahatma"? Because to this day, around the world, for better or worse, he is perceived as having stood for principles such as courage and truth and justice?

Of course not! Who would be so cynical and manipulative?

Also, I have two niggling thoughts about this comparison.

One, when the train-ejected man was ... well, ejected, I don't remember him getting up, dusting off his clothes and announcing publicly: "Let us pledge to work for such a day when a South African will have to stand in line for entry into Gujarat." Do you? He didn't say that, because his idea of swabhimaan, of self-respect, was founded on more substantial things than the idea of making people stand in lines. That's one reason he remains revered.

Two, if some day such a line does come to be, it will be heavily populated by members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, among others. I certainly hope those hotel owners enjoy standing in line.