What is the biggest issue of national importance that is being incessantly covered on all English language media? Pink underwears. Heh.
As far as I know, the Vanar Sena (excuse me, the Rama Sena) apologised for the pub attack on the same day. And our oh-so-important V-day hasn't arrived yet, and they haven't done anything yet. So why this great big obsession? Why these "candle light vigils" and these "Bengaluru unites"?
Well the reason is not hard to find. For a certain political party, it is the best opportunity to embarrass the opposition which is in power here and for the media houses, what better opportunity than this to deflect attention from the tussle between a certain Ms. B.D. and a certain Mr. C.K. that was growing in its decibels and was threatening to seriously embarrass them?
Wag the dog anyone?
And where else lies the biggest pool of suckers for such "causes" than in the student pool of universities? Where else, but among people who have passionate, emotional and religious debates about Emacs versus vi or Linux versus Windows or Ruby versus Python?
But, not me and not my students please. It is difficult as it is to get anything done and any progress made at the workplace. To give an emotional endling line: If you really want to protest against moral policing, infringement on individual freedom, etc. then get back to work; build this country; create opportunities.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Rightly said. This thing is being blown out of proportion.
I wouldn't participate in these things because I don't get passionate about most of these things, but I don't see why people shouldn't. Ignoring, for a moment, the media and the political angle, if individuals or groups want to assert something, it should be okay as long as it is non-violent and non-coercive. After all, if banning pubs seems to be the biggest issue to certain sections of people, it is conceivable that preserving pubs is the biggest issue to certain other sections.
I am sure many of these activists too are reasonable people, who under normal circumstances would be ready for levelheaded discussions. But once in a while they too probably feel enough already and want to make a point their own way. And many do actually contribute to building the country and creating opportunities, and will get back to that once they've made their point.
@sanket, Ideologically there is no problem. Practically there is. Going by the amount of hoopla this inane thing is generating.
It is easy to say that "We'll get back to nation building after we're done shouting on the roads", but all I can say is "Yeah, right."
Come to think of it, after the Mangalore incident the public has almost stopped following important issues like the Satyam scandal or the Mumbai terror attacks ...
Having said that I agree with Sanket. If the vanar sena and their step-organizations are not put in their place or worse, if people give into their demands then there is no end to it ... as a democracy voicing our concerns is something we should all do. The problem is that some people are taking it way further than that ...
Post a Comment