As always, I was listening to Ilayaraja songs one fine morning and this time was listening to "swargame endralum". As much as I enjoy this song for the music, lyrics and everything else, this time the lyrics made me sad. Why? Because, while geographically India is the same, there are still bullock carts and all the rural landscape laid out in the song is still present (though pushed to margins), but is India great?
What makes a country great? Is it the geography or is it the people? To me it is the latter. And the people now are ruining this country. It makes me sad that the innocence I hold of my image of India is being eroded. The political climate is being so polarized that I don' recognize India anymore.
There is one group who wants to rewrite history - wants Savarkar in the text books, wants Mughals out of it. They seem to be "redressing" an imbalance that pandered to the minority in India. This same group, deifies one person, maybe two, as the savior of India. Modi and Yogi. Where is the critical thinking? Whatever Modi does, this group argues, has some superb, brilliant motive that mere mortals do not see. They identify with Modi. And what does Modi do? Mouth inane nonsense, talks in Mann ki Baath, does not front up to the journalists who should be asking the tough questions, but instead is doing his bidding. The ruling party maybe has done some good, built up on the laws that the UPA government started, but instead of talking of how they are transforming lives, and what their plans are for the next cycle, they devolve themselves into slandering, mud-slinging, deflecting and all the bull-shit they can think about.
Coming to the other part(ies)y, they too focus all their energy on one man - Modi. They do not offer any alternatives. At least them, I can excuse. They are in the opposition and their mandate is to make sure the government doesn't run amok. But they too selectively pick-up issues, amplify them. They do not get a pass - all the so called liberals, are petty, mock, humiliate anyone with an opposing view. Now all these parties are now banded together and call themselves, wait for it, I.N.D.I.A! and when they tweet, it is "INDIA wants to know". I mean, are you for real? So the Indian citizens does not want to know, it is INDIA? A complete non-entity like me, living so far away from India can see through this bull-shit. But, still this passes on as de rigueur way of politics in India.
And finally coming to the citizens - how much lower can we go? Politicians loot us, yes. they convert lakes into apartments, they don't do due diligence in protecting the environment, they don't protect citizens, they don't protect nature. They are busy filling their coffers. They, the legislators, should be doing their job writing, striking down laws but instead fan the flames. The judiciary is clogged. But we citizens? we enjoy mud-slinging, we enjoy being vigilantes, we enjoy violence. Where is our sense of decorum? Empathy? I know in the daily hustle, we are pushed to the edge - no clean air, no free space to unwind, no smooth flowing traffic, no connectivity for the metros - but this is the citizens should come together and not be frayed and splitting at the seams. The happenings at Manipur and all other places are a stark reminder of where we are as a civilization. And it is not a great place to be. and that makes me sad! Incredibly sad.
I always go back to the opening scene from Aaron Sorkin's Newsroom. One student asks Jeff Daniels' character "what makes America the greatest country in the world" And his response is just perfect! and No India is and never was the greatest country in the world and the outlook is bleak! but do I hold out for hope? You bet! The link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2HKbygLjJs
Will I ever feel the same way about "Swaragame endralum"? I hope I do!
No comments:
Post a Comment