The day gone by was 14th April. There must have been scores of bloggers, essentially from higher stratas of our society, thinking, writing, talking about one Man who, they think, made their life miserable. Yes, you guessed it right. I am talking about Ambedkar Jayanti and the rituals asscociated with it. I must warn you that this is not commentory on his towering personality. I am too small a person to do that. This is just what I saw during an half hour journey from office to Hostel and which made my now-a-days-less-utilized brain to ponder upon some quetions.
So here it goes... I was driving my way back to Hostel from office, Traffic wale mama se bachte, struggling to find my way out through Mumbai's snarling traffic. Generally I don't think while I drive. This helps me not to miss any interesting two-legged creature which comes across. But it was a special day today. One thing that I noticed on the usually overcrowded Andheri-Seepz Road was the big Hoardings displaying typical folded-hands cut-outs of Soniaji (as every "loyal" Congressman would love to address her) and our-own Vilasrao. I think there was some function which was to be attended by these two. These are very familiar scenes to any Indian. But this time the difference was there was a middle sized portrait of Ambedkar also. Ah.. I got it..It is 14th April and Sonia and Vilasrao were "saluting" this great soul. Nothing wrong in that. As my bike made slow progress, I saw there were atleast hundread of such kind posters on a stretch of hardly 1-1.5 Kms. I did a quick calculation: Rs 500 per poster multiplied by 100 posters makes Rs 50000. There are hundreads of such streets in Mumbai. If we do the calcualtion for Mumbai alone, forget entire India, I think this amount will suffice for many a Dalit childern to complete their often-talked-about primary education. They are the same children before whose parents these Netas profess their committment to Ambedkarian Values. Why don't we understand this or Have we surrendered to the system which was essentially created by us only? God only knows the answer.
Just on the next turn, on Jogeshwari Vikroli link road, every big politician was lined up to pay their tributes to Babsaheb. From Mayawati to Ramdas Athawale, from Sharad Pawar to Uddhav Thackeray, From Raj Thackeray to Abu Azmi !!! What a joke!!! All bloody vote bank politics, commented my friend who was with me and who generally is not interested in politics. This is the state of our so called mature and world's largest democracy. Which once looked like a beautiful dream coming true, why it has turned into a hard-to-digest reality?
You might think I am being cynical. If you do then you are not wrong. Things are becoming worse. Just to give an example, the same Judiciary which gave the landmark verdict on Quota is reluctant to make it mandatory for the judges to disclose their assets and we say they are the last hope. Who is gonna bring our country out of this shit?? This thought worries me but at the same time it is my favourite pastime while I travel alone.
Having successfully dodged 2-3 pulice-mamas , we reached to our regularly-visited Vada-Pav ki Dukaan. The noise of loudspeakers was too much. It was playing the Ambedkari songs that we Maharashtrians are accustomed to. On every 14th April, the Maharashtrian Buddhist and Ambedkarian make it a point to play these songs in a volume that could easily irritate anybody. I do understand the rational behind this. But then every community in India follows the same path. Muslims want everybody to listen to their Azaans, Hindus want everybody to sing their Ganesh Aartis and den Dalits. Why do we try to assert our identity and that too in this ridiculous way? It only gives some vote-snatching techniques to vote-hungry politicos. Thats why we have every politician wishing us Happy Diwali, Eid Mubarak and Merry Christmas which turn our already ugly roads uglier.
And here I entered the calm, serene premises of NITIE which immediately made me forget, for a moment, what were going on outside and that's the beauty of this campus. But neverthless, that half-an-hour stretch was really a thought provoking one. It raised a hell lot of questions in my mind. Answers to these are the things which I will look for in the future.
2 comments:
Yes…Pravin you are right to some extent. The issues you have raised are really good.
But I would like to see little bit differently towards these issues.
1) About Hoardings , You are saying , instead of wasting money on these, that money should be utilized for education or some good purpose. But I think that is not waste of money, that is just circulation of money. Somebody is getting jobs from it …which is not at all bad.
2) Second thing about necessity of hoardings,..You are right, politicians are using it to show their attachment, sympathy (? ::--- Who are they to show sympathy towards anybody?) But it is obvious nature of power to retain power ( or gain power) and this attempt to woo public is part of that...So I dont see any surprise in it.
In History, I can see many examples of great and commited people , which failed because of misunderstanding of true nature of Power and system of Governance.They tried hard to achieve Utopia..or Ramrajya...but failed.
3) About the sound of loud speakers. Here also I agree with you, but partly. See the thing of Good Manners for one community may be Ill manners for another ( Here by Community word , I don’t want to speak only about any particular religion / caste but it includes people of similar mindset / attitude & it depends and differs from person to person)
But, then question arises, there must be some criteria to decide some manners as good and some are bad. Here comes ethics into picture….But the best view to look towards any thing ( this is my personal opinion) is Utilitarian.
Now coming again back to topic, So if majority of people are celebrating Ganapati Festival and if they are enjoying that Music, then even if I get annoyed by that sound….that must be tolerated…there is nothing wrong in that. Same case is with Muslim Azaans or these Ambedkari songs. To tell you another example , the songs (Povade) which played at the time of Shiv jayanti..I like those songs very much. Though they are played very loudly, I don’t feel annoyed by that..or I would say, they have become part of my memories of my past. When I listen to those songs now…I forget my present..and become nostalgic.
Many things , we do in our life are really unnecessary. But still we do those things…Because @ that time, in those circumstances they fit best…Do u remember last day of our hostel in SPCE….we were throwing that Steel Plate from one end of corridor to another end…What was the reason ?...there was no reason…but still we all enjoyed that moment.
We even burst crackers ....that is also infront of hostel..what was the reason ?...I don’t see any valid reason for that…but still we did that.,..and I don’t think, now anybody has regret for that.
Ok…so what is the conclusion. (again ..this is my personal opinion about the world)
All people have are driven by some kind of internal energy…. They just follow their gut…when Interests of one group / person clashes with another, We think something/ someone is good and something / someone is bad…
Now…What is correct in that position..obviously..what the thing, which my Gut is telling me. Then how to avoid clashes ( Because this is must for leading happy life)..One point is….Become so big..ki..You can tolerate others…and another option is…Become so strong to change others…afterall……World works on only one principal
Survival Of Fittest.
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