Its fashionable to be confused in our generation. Its like cloths. Everyone wants to wear the Dhoom2 range, and Pepe is selling it. The entire generation wants to follow people with no ideology. Its hep to be confused and our film industry is selling it. There are scores of Indian mainstream Films that portray the central character playing a son of a rich father clueless of what he wants from life and falling in love as a major pass-time.
Let me say what I mean more clearly (lest you confuse yourself). If I have an ideology ( a thought process) that says that certain people are wrong in what they do, I run the risk of being treated as an extremist with an added classification as a Hindu extremist, Muslim extremist etc. A large chunk of my generation has no opinion on matters of politics, national security, policy matters or agricultural reforms. rather than going into the depths, these issues are dealt on some blanket statements like "Politics is a dirty game", "Politicians are bloody chors", "Humanity" etc.
How many in my generation have an opinion on the Godhra incidence? It is more easily brushed off as a humanitarian issue. Not at least people around me.
I am under a threat of being converted into an insensitive citizen.
Is ideology dead?
Let me say what I mean more clearly (lest you confuse yourself). If I have an ideology ( a thought process) that says that certain people are wrong in what they do, I run the risk of being treated as an extremist with an added classification as a Hindu extremist, Muslim extremist etc. A large chunk of my generation has no opinion on matters of politics, national security, policy matters or agricultural reforms. rather than going into the depths, these issues are dealt on some blanket statements like "Politics is a dirty game", "Politicians are bloody chors", "Humanity" etc.
How many in my generation have an opinion on the Godhra incidence? It is more easily brushed off as a humanitarian issue. Not at least people around me.
I am under a threat of being converted into an insensitive citizen.
Is ideology dead?
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Is ideology dead?"
well said. you are not alone in being frustrated with the nonchalance of peers. People are more worried (and knowledgeable) about F1, LOTR, Britney Spears and her romps, and geography of US; than they are about Godhra, quotas, Nithari, dowry deaths or suicides by cotton farmers.
Where are we headed??
but then i think, its nice to be concerned and be BOTHERED,,,
but can we do something,,,,???
can we ?
how ?
tera dost Kalpesh
Yes there is definitely a slump in social awareness and personal responsibility in general.
One big constraint for all of us is our limited time. Ofcourse this has never changed throughout human history, but what has changed and changed exponentially are our options to choose. We are bombarded with heaps of information through increasing number of media avenues. Everyone one of them are equally vociferous in getting a piece of our mindshare. Everyone is bidding for our attention!
Since we need to allocate our limited resources of time and mindspace and since not many of us are socially conscious naturally, or even if we are it comes way down on the priority list, we exhaust all our energies by the time we get to it.
The most abused commodity in India is our 'emotions'! From films to politicians to ads every damn thing is planned, pitched and programmed to manipulate are emotions to behave or not behave in a certain way. Look at the way millions of people of all ages marry their emotions to the indian cricket team. 'Emotions and Extremes!' that is the unfortunate summary of us Indians. Emotions is the means and Extremes is the outcome. We swing from excitement and elation to anger and sense of betrayal. All you need to do is watch one cricket match.
My point is, even if we titillate our emotions with movies like Rang de Basanti and feel patriotic, aware and responsible, we do so only for those passing moments until we are idiotized by Britney, booze and greenbills. My assesment is that we are too weak and self obsessed to clothe those emotions with actions that will ultimately benefit the needy...
You may rate this as a very pessimistic and an entirely negative view but whenever there have been positive roles and results they have been exceptions to the rule and authored and executed by people who have believed and held onto honourable ideas and acted against the status quo.
History testifies to it!
Those who forget their past are 'condemned' to repeat it! goes the harsh cliche...