26 May, 2009

The Great Indian Self-Destructive Syndrome

Funny bunch of people we have in this country. A shoot-out in a gurudwara in Vienna is enough to get them burning buses, hurting their own neighbors, stopping trains and destroying public property. This is not the first time when Indians have retorted with destruction to events taking place in random places on the globe.Only this time, I happen to be at the midst of it - the city is under curfew and all my favorite hang-out places are probably seeing fire and blood. I can't help but wonder about the origins of these self-destructive tendencies.At times (more often than not), the protesters/mobbers/rioters have little clue about what they are trying to express. Who are they exactly protesting against? Aren't they totally missing the point?

I guess the "great Indian self-destruction syndrome" (it should officially be a disease) dates back to the time when freedom fighters protested against the colonial rulers by damaging the government property and public facilities as a sign of rejection. If it is so, will someone go tell these simpletons that the Brits left more than half a century ago and the property they are damaging now is very much their own? In fact, they even pay taxes for its maintenance! Such events are just examples of how we as a nation are driven by a herd mentality. The masses are for all practical purposes, incapable of independent thinking, logical reasoning and good social sense. We do what others do (follow religion), like what others like (Shahrukh Khan) and are crazy about what others are crazy about (cricket).A very minuscule section of our national population actually use what they have in their top shelves and think for themselves (and are we grateful for that!).

Does it ultimately boil down to education (not literacy, education)?

5 comments:

  1. Now I would not go as far as bashing Shahrukh or Cricket, as long as anyones liking to them is hurting anyone else.

    Even literate people like SRK and cricket. Its a matter of choice.

    But yes, the people participating in riots haven't got the faintest clue as to what are they doing and why? The corrupt politicians and so called social reformers are pulling their strings. And no education can clear what bullshit the society puts into their minds. As long as these politicinas keep exploiting people on name of religion, caste, sect, language, etc. this will keep on happening.

    Take care and be safe.

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  2. Exactly my sentiments. I was wondering how a shootout thousands of miles away can affect our people as much it is.

    ReplyDelete
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  4. Well,the disease is a national epidemic now. Not long ago I was on my way to my ancestral village when I saw a minor accident, in which a motorist was trying to be too smart and he brought upon his own peril by getting himself struck in front of a truck.
    People gathered in no time and a lot of them actually wanted to set the truck on fire before even trying to find out whose fault it was! This was a village, where you don't expect much literacy(leave alone education!)

    Even on a street in Delhi, whenever a pedestrian is hurt by a car,we assume that it is the car driver's fault and are ready to bash him.

    Sadly, that's the way public mentality has been and looks like it will be forever. The recent so called "protests" for the incidents in Vienna presents a larger picture of the same.
    We are not ready to think about what good/bad our action is expected to do.

    About other couple of things you mentioned, I hate SRK because of his "I am the best" attitude but Cricket.. please...people might follow it because others do but I love the game genuinely and you have to play it seriously,get left out of the college team knowing that someone non deserving has been picked ahead of you and fight your way back into a side to know what romance this game provides..

    Anyways, the last paragraph doesn't hold much importance here..I guess I made my point before I wrote it.

    Loved to see someone picking up these issues..
    would surely come back.
    Cheers!

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  5. I am writing a comment to a post that is almost about to celebrate its 1st birthday soon. But the subject it covers is like a huge burning edifice that smolders in time.

    The people in the state of Andhra Pradesh, are fighting out a battle for dividing the state on the basis of region, dialect or culture, burning effigies of the leaders, the state owned busses, property etc.

    What really irks is the students of the Osmania University have joined the 'hooligan' politicians in running against the police and the common people. They are seen very frequently carrying dangerous weapons (stones, huge batons etc) and destroying the public property, not even for a moment thinking how it is effects the status of a student of the university going for a selection. Who ever would think of engaging them would almost think twice before offering them a position in their organization.

    Who is going to educate them those that already are meant to learn by this time.

    I pity those parents who watch their children live on their TV sets masquerading a bloody rampage.

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