*) - Indian Society
(# 12 - Shivam Pandya)
Before
embarking on the adventurous exploration of a multi-hued entity such as the
Indian society, let us see what a ‘society’ constitutes. The word is bandied
about so freely that it can mean virtually anything, right from our immediate neighbors
to some unknown person sitting thousands of miles away. It is supposed to be a
group of people who are so concerned about us that our every step is supposed
to elicit a reaction from them. We all think, before doing anything, “What will
the society think?” So, a society is our invisible censor, our unseen reviewer
and an indiscernible rewarder.
Our own
society, remember, is much more than that. It is the way we think, our psyche,
a mirror to our own selves. Our society is a reflection of who we really are.
And that might not always be a pretty picture. From what we have observed
recently, there is a lot of pervasive negativism. Our list of celebrities
includes a porn star, an ex-moll of a gangster, a neurotic and a stripper.
Soon, probably a match-fixer will join in. We accept anyone, as far as they do
not affect us directly. So, watching Sunny Leone gyrate on vulgar songs is
acceptable, but talking about sex education is a taboo. We are a society that
bans young girls from wearing jeans because it entices men to rape, but
gleefully ogle at the latest Poonam pandey video. We are a society that has the
cleanest homes and the dirtiest streets. Metaphorical? Probably.
But, there
must be something good about our society, right? Otherwise, how would anyone
explain its massive stature, its power to dictate our actions and its
ruthlessness in ostracizing those who do not toe its line? The ‘good’ here refers to the comfort of the
majority. The Indian society functions on the perceived majority opinion. So, anyone
who obeys the conventional, the traditional is a part of the society, and
anyone who doesn’t is a rebel, a rotten apple or a bad fish. But, as Henrik
Ibsen would tell you in An enemy of
people, “The majority is never right.
Never, I tell you. That’s one of these lies in society that no free and
intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the
biggest proportion of the population- the intelligent ones or the foolish?”
Probably he is right. Perhaps not. But, in order to understand the psyche of
Indian society, one must try to decode how it functions.
A lot of
people say that India is a cultural melting pot. This is where they are wrong.
In a melting pot, all the ingredients lose their flavor to become one, to taste
the same. And that taste might be absolutely delicious, but nobody will know
which ingredient contributed what. India, actually, is like a salad bowl. Its
every ingredient retains its distinct flavor and yet the taste of the full dish
is equally delicious. So, a society that accepts Sunny Leone is also the same
that accepts two great contemporary Pakistani singers- Atif Aslam and Adnan
Sami! For now, let us observe some of the quirks that set us apart from the
rest of the world.
An
interesting mirror to any society in the world, and including our own, is its
cinema. Over the decades, our cinema, and more importantly, the antagonist of
our movies has been a mirror to our societal trends. So, from 50s to 90s, the
archetypical villain ranged from a greedy landlord to wealthy industrialist to
a mafia don to ‘rich’ parents. All through, one thread was common- the villain
was never poor. It indicates a general mistrust of us Indians towards the rich.
We felt so angry and disillusioned when the recent match fixing scandal came
up. Most of us said that the ‘money’ was the root of all evils, no matter how
clichéd it sounded. But the same people never hesitate to offer or receive a
bribe. But it’s acceptable as the amount exchanged is relatively paltry. When
people are doing scams of hundreds of millions, where does a hundred rupee
bribe hurt? So, we explore another side- our society can accept evil, depending
upon the magnitude.
While we are
exploring foundations, let’s explore another fascinating facet- religion. The
word tends to evoke extreme reactions from all quarters. The atheists will be
condemned by the believers who will condemn each other for believing in a God
different from theirs. Yes, we all Indians have our own Gods. And we all have
our own rituals to appease our Gods. And no matter how much we hold Them in reverence,
They are also our favorite punching bag when things go wrong. Why do we tend to
accuse the same One whom we pray fervently? Is it because we need someone to
blame for our failures? If it’s true, then who better than God, whom nobody has
seen, at least physically? But, there is something about religion that attracts
us all. And that is something we all crave for- peace of mind. And that is the
biggest strength of our society. We have Someone to turn to in the times of
distress. We know there is Someone who will hold our hands and guide us, should
we fall wayward. And that is the biggest strength of our society, perhaps the
superglue that holds us all. A belief in the power that is beyond us. In India,
our religion decides our name. Our religion decides our marriage. And our
religion decides what will happen to us after we die. The very identity of most
Indians is their religion, and that gives a distinct flavor to every Indian.
From the
highs of heaven to a mystifying malady that we all suffer from- Akinetic
mutism. No, not the actual medical syndrome, but just a curious variant of the
same. In the original disease, a person can hear, see everything, but lacks the
ability to mount a response. In the variant, people drive by someone who is injured
on the road, and don’t do anything about it. People who didn’t rush to help a
rape victim suffered from it. People who don’t raise their voice when subject
to injustice suffer from it. And our society is full of such silent sufferers.
The reason afforded is often that one should ‘adjust’ and move on. This curious
case of every Indian is the reason that we have crimes against women, corrupt
leaders and arrogant administrators. Because everyone who commits a crime, knows
he can get away scot-free, since the people will be too busy being busy.
Napoleon was right on target when he said that “The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people. But
because of the silence of the good.” And, the values of non-violence being
instilled in our veins, we always remain ‘good’, and let the evil rear its ugly
head, praying that we be spared.
Our society
needs change. And that change will not come from a superhero, but from within.
We need to accept that our society, while being great, is far from perfect, and
as its future components, we have to make sure it changes for the better.
George Bernard Shaw echoes a similar sentiment when he says, “We must reform society before we can reform
ourselves.”
*) - No entry submitted by # 53 Dhruv Jain
Judging not apllicable.
Result - Shivam Pandya is the winner of the match by walkover win and Dhruv Jain is assigned to parallel league.
*This is third walk-over victory of this round.
No comments:
Post a Comment