Pages

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

the glasses of ignorance

read times of India- especially pune times and mirror. you will gain fabulous insights about the recent trends in clothing, belly dancing, PYTs wearing chic dresses, relationship's mantra, who's who present at a movie premiere and big fat Indian weddings. you will be happy to know that somebody or the other is launching collection of your own choice, u can get flat 20% off on some designer accessories(3400 only you know..), there is new noodle and salad bar opened at hot spot in the city, which you always wanted to taste, and Katrina-salman relationship may still be unaffected.
now read special issues of weeklies, which deal with super successful and most paying careers. then read advertisements and brochures of various B-schools. get yourself enrolled and you can sleep in dreams of a handsome pay, world tours, chic parties, trendiest clothes, and a 'happy' life.
if you are bored to read this(the chances are rare) scan through the other newspapers, news channels, other weeklies, and some articles by "they think they are intellectuals". do you see some other world existing? now if you please remove those ultra modern and trendy and 'chic' glasses, a world is dying there to get noticed. welcome to the other world.

do you see how many blasts happened in last six months in India? do you see Indian economy suffering from double digit inflation? do you see increasing rates of petrol, gold, Euro and other household goods? did you notice that every transport has increased the tickets including the airways? do you notice the frequent power and water cuts in the city? do you notice the level of water in dams? have you ever thought how would the life be for a man who earns not more than 12 thousand rs per month? or you really cant see? or rather..don't want to?
go to a B-school, talk to the students, and all the concern they have is whether they will get a package of 11 per annum or 12. access the electronic media, and at least 9 hours in a day they talk about the pairings, break ups and parties in bollywood and Hollywood. or about the corruptions and accidents. open the sunday supplements of national dailies and you will find absolutely nothing other than the topics mentioned above. does nobody, really nobody wants to have a look at some of the very depressing realities around?
let the poverty, population, unemployment, poor std of living, debt on economy and politics be. everyone is now dead bored by chewing these topics over and over. but shouldn't recent happenings around us have some kind of cognizance in minds and thoughts (and media).?
i perfectly accept that society is always unequal and functions on various levels. the function of social processes is in fact to maintain the power equilibrium and that's how it happens. but has our every element of society gone so ignorant about the reality around? media is supposed to be the mirror of society-which society is really getting reflected?
i do not have any grudges about issues mentioned above. lifestyles, fashions, entertainments, all are very important aspects of life. they provide you innovation, change and relaxation. but their role in life should be limited somewhere. and it should keep our mind open and receptive enough to grasp the realities as well. it is very clear that everyone can't take the action about it. but let the thought and the awareness, the realization not die.
ignore the surroundings. be in your own world. who wants that bugging thought behind you? if that is the strategy and philosophy of the social elements and social processes, it needs a radical change. and for collective good. youth and media should be aware and active in such situation, but frankly chances of creation of this awareness are still dim.
readers, please let the tiniest thought enter your mind from the back door and shake you. don't take any immediate action as nobody of us can, but at least you will be a well aware citizen. be clear about your environment, and where are we heading to.
else, i see all of us limited to talks in drawing rooms and saying: "
ignorance is bliss. how very true."

5 comments:

Hrushi said...

Was that 12K intentional :P

Hrushi said...

On a serious note... true it is that only something like a possibility of a bomb explosion near our doorstep, has left our senses completely rattled! True it is that only after facing the frequent power-cuts, do we realize the amount of electricity we daily waste!
I guess, this situation had to come some day, where one is forced to remove his 'glasses of ignorance' and face the bare truth. Choice, is still ours...and will always be.

DEFUNCT said...

:)
You do write excellent.
About News, I was completely astounded when I reached here in Los Angeles to find breaking news on CNN that a Coyote was caught on camera trying to attack a cat on Tree. I mean it at least explains where the Indian newscasters get their idea of news entertainment. The media has definitely screwed up our perceptions of the world.

Kavi DV said...

i couldnt agree with u more ga but then again taking a revolutionary stand ( which gets u to where i am)which i dunno whether u want to take ?
but being aware of ur surrounding is the most basic thing u can aim at, wht the next step essentially u should take is doin something abt it.
which i dunno whether we are n whether we can ?
can we ?

The rustic said...

All the things that u said are very true .No one is interested in knowing the bleak realities of the world.People r so much engrossed in their shells that any type of interference from the external world seems to be a havoc to them. youth,the hope of the nation,r so busy wid their fascinations that they neither have the time nor interest in their surroundings.We seem to wake only when some misfortune knocks our own very door.
Its the high tym ppl realise their responsibilities n become more aware citizens.