There's yet another thought which just keeps making me feel guilty. Its a collective guilt.
As a country, we have been bleeding for decades together, never as a whole but always in parts and bits and pieces. We never cared if Assam was burning; we claim ownership on Kashmir but never feel for the agonies or atrocities being committed there; did we ever start a movement when Ahmedabad was up in flames or Lucknow or Hyderabad or Jaipur. Did we ever react to the Orissa or Karnataka violence. Never, because we never feel ourselves to be an integral part of this land in its entirety. We always reacted regionally and not nationally. We have always treated parts of our country as a distant relative not even a close one, forget about thinking of India as a family. We just know that we belong to this large country called India, but have never behaved or reacted in that fashion. We all have created mini-Indias wherever we live and we think India is nothing but that. Our concerns get limited to that region alone. So much of a difference in the notional and the real Indias that we live in.
If and only if we matured long back n did not have this narrow outlook, may b things would have been different today. (Have we actually matured even now??!!!)
This time, the educated and effluent class got hit, so they have come in front of the media to express their rage. The aam aadmi would never be able to even express if something happened to him. He just immerses himself in his suffering with noone hearing or ready to hear what he wants to say. If the Assamese had high profile people who could capture media attention or if Orissa had dozens of Shobha Deys who could use the media to express their wrath, then the case would have been different.
The aam aadmi has noone to go to, noone to listen to and noone ready to listen to him. The media may create a story but he will never choose to wage an intellectual battle as the one we are fighting today. Its just that the speaking class got hit this time, n so is this wrath out in the open.
Thats the blunt truth.
Sadly, we are a party to this indifference and disregard in this heterogeneous and regional society.
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6 comments:
Nicely put, the blog rightly points out the disconnect between the reality and perceived reality. It was great to see media coverage of Mumbai terror attack which left many gasping and remorseful.But, sadly the truth that entire country is experiencing a slow death is hardly captured. The aam aadmi keeps on suffering and I just wonder if the "So called AAM AADMI is in some way responsible for their own plight". Immediately Mumbai attack was put as "Attack on India" but, what about attacks on Kashmir, Assam etc.. Are they too regional or are they just too trivial for the elite class and aam aadmi to maul over. Hoping the sorry state of affairs ends and i guess this time around I have to do more than just hoping; I need to ACT.
Ya Jaggu, I very well agree to your concern.
I have also recently felt it when people and media were not that attentive and concerned it seems about flood situation in Bihar as much as that was during Tsunami.
But, I have a different perspective to look into this 'regionalism' or rather 'nationalism'.
Its been media or people who are very aggressive and showing concern even on the minute things. I see its 'late' better than 'never'.
In all the issues you have mentioned, we have seen mixed reaction of people. Actually, mixed reaction of politician which were controlling psyche and thoughts of people.
But this time, I have seen no one who is supporting any politician, any political party or bureaucracy.
Even Marathis are angry on Raj Thakre. Whether its BJP, Congress or Left..... no one is left. Its media effect or the anger of people coming out, but its coming in true sense.
People are now asking the questions that they should have been asking for ages. Today, its not regionalism but nationalism coming out in true sense that may continue and should...... I would say Its better to be 'late' than 'never'.........
I guess you are mentioning two different things here:
a) Regionalism and
b) Aam Admi
I would rather put it as, the Aam Admi regions and the Non-aam admi regions of India. In this context, Mumbai would well fall into the second category 'cos, it, after all constitutes 65% of India's total revenue. So, anything that happens in a city like Mumbai or Delhi keeps news channels hooked for all of 24 hours and more. But, violence in a place like Orissa, as you mentioned, gets a little bit of coverage and nothing mroe. After all, its jus another ordinary state. What kind of significance does it hold for the GDP of the country? How would it affect the Sensex?
In that sense, we are truly a very divided country.
idle for more than an year! write something.
You have been tagged ! To please write seven random truths about yourself...
http://www.lazeyblogger.wordpress.com
its time you woke up and update your blog. even kumbhakaran did not sleep this long
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