Desperate Times Call for Sanguine Measures

Over the last three weeks, a series of incidents have happened which may seem unconnected to each other but they still have a common and central question or rather questions to all of us Indians. As a progressive nation and as an age-old civilisation, a rhetorical idea that we proudly proclaim, it is high time we ask questions and that we introspect whether we are living up to the expectations of this Great Nation or for that matter whether we are living up to the expectations as Human Beings.

            As social beings, it is necessary for us, that we ponder about the happenings around us, that we question and fight to correct if something indeed has gone wrong with our society. It's time we ask ourselves if we have become ‘Insensitive’ to our fellow beings, our neighbours, to their pain and distress. Has our Education system and the Society, with its Core value system, failed our children and youth alike? Has Materialistic tendencies and Consumerism eaten away the much needed values and morality for the healthy progress of our society? Are we moving One step ahead and two steps backwards?

            It is with these questions that I point out four incidents that shook my conscience in varied ways and impelled me to speak out.

            The first incident is that of the Death, wait ? No .., A Public Suicide of a distressed farmer in broad daylight while the Chief Minister of the State watched the fiasco from a decorated stage. Nobody would have expected what Gajendra Singh, the farmer, was up to, when he climbed the tree during a political rally to publicly hang himself, as such scenes are common across India where people climb roof tops and trees to get a glimpse of their beloved leaders. However, it is the sheer audacity of a man to take his life in broad daylight while vast sections of People, Politicians, Media and Police watched the episode unfold as mute spectators , which forces one to question whether we have lost our Moral Conscience which is pained when a fellow human being is in pain. The continuation of the political rally in spite of the Public Suicide of a farmer and the political mudslinging that followed is indeed shocking and depressing. One is not singling out the political fraternity alone rather the question goes to the people of this country. Has our Conscience become numb?

            The Second Incident that followed came from a neighbouring country that is reeling under a devastating earthquake and its after effects. The dramatics and the rush for the tag “ First On Your Channel “ that made the Indian broadcast media cross every line of ethical journalism, culminating in an outrage by the Nepalese citizens to ask the Indian Media to Go Back, who, otherwise were grateful to the tireless efforts of Indian Government’s agencies in helping out Nepal in the hour of distress and chaos.

            The broadcast media’s jingoistic attitude complemented by the most unwarranted and unethical questions to the victims and in the process pushing them to break down who were already broken from inside makes one feel ashamed of an otherwise respectable Social Institution called Media. Have we forgotten our professional ethics and Institutional values, or in broader terms our social morality, which teaches us to help selflessly and not expect anything in return. One asks if a journalist should cover a disaster in the interests of an organization for which he/she works or in the interests of the profession to which he/she belongs whose aims are much broader than the narrow interests of a commercial organisation, or in the interests of Humanity, in general, which subsumes all other interests. Should we not behave as Human Beings first when the situation demands?

            The Third incident that created a furore is the conviction of actor Salman Khan and the reactions that followed on the various media platforms from a vast section of society. The remarks of a renowned singer about the people sleeping on pavements and his implied assertion that such people do not have the right to justice when harmed by a celebrity driving under the influence of alcohol as they were sleeping at the wrong place, makes one feel, if the aspects of Pain and Happiness are a Universal phenomenon or if they are privileged rights of a few. Thus implying, while Pain and Suffering are the privilege of The Have Nots, Happiness is a privilege of a selected few Haves.

The remarks of the singer categorically suggest that the value and dignity of life varies from person to person and that it is determined by the achievements of the person and not for being a Human Being in the First place. Although the remarks generated an outcry in social media, one is saddened to acknowledge that we are living in times where “ the value for a Human being for being Human “ is degrading and that the achievements and social status matter more than “ Being Human”.

The Fourth Incident and the one, which disturbed and provoked me to write this piece comes from my Home state and from the city of Hyderabad. A friendly fistfight, which sounds utterly oxymoronic, took place between two college students involving placing of bets had led to the death, correction Instant Death of one Nabeel Ahmed who was just 17 years old. The appallingly shocking video, which was taken during the fight, which lasted just over a minute, showed how the youngster collapsed in a matter of seconds. The video broke me and I kept on thinking, how could two grown-ups indulge in such a brutal and seemingly stupid and mindless act that led to the loss of a precious life. One is deeply hurt and disappointed with the values that our children and youth are being brought up with. The values that they learn from family, school, college, friends, society, Television, Bollywood, Internet and so on and so forth.

Although this may be a one off incident, I am particular about it and I for once, want to ask why even a single death should occur in the manner it occurred. I am not for generalising this trend but the four incidents had one question in common. With a direct or an indirect reference, all the four incidents question our "Growing Insensitivity" towards fellow human beings.This gross insensitivity will multiply when a New Generation takes a cue from us and applies in its own life and in its own era.

We have to stop this Evil within us before it corrupts our body and soul. Before we claim of being a SuperPower , and an economic and military Giant, we have to reclaim our status as a “Peace Loving Nation”  both internal and external. I have used the term Peace in its broadest sense to mean the well being of myself and my fellow beings. What good can be such an education and economic prosperity to a person, who fails to respect life of his and of others and who values Lives Unequally.

Before we move ahead on such a path of progress we must stop, think and introspect if we really want to move ahead and create a society which does not Value Equally, its Organic Entities i.e., Human Beings.

Our Education system may only be a formal victim of the charges for not providing moral and value-based education, but it is to be remembered that we and our children are not products of our schools and colleges rather the products of our society , of our families and hence the Course Correction has to begin with me and my family. The inculcation of values has to start from our Homes for a better society and for a better tomorrow.

We may not adhere to the biblical principle “ Love thy neighbour as thyself “ in word and spirit, but we could at least show concern and courtesy to our fellow beings for their “being human”.