Look, who's listening?


The ideology space in society is constantly shifting and changing. As we go global and create the Indian way of doing global things, the debate on what we are all about is hitting us, sometimes in a rather shallow manner. The idea that one can have multiple identities yet be an Indian, seems to put uncomfortable question marks on some faces, the numbers of these only increasing. Not to say that PLU (People like Us) have got it all right. Our ideology stems from conveniently shaping a world around us as we deem fit. So this might mean displacing farmers, getting rid of slums, marginalizing the poor and sanitizing the city. This might also mean thrusting upon society a model of progress that is marked by greater material gain, a wider global footprint and a more liberal outlook, as we see it.
Our acceptance of alternate spaces, lifestyles, points of view is limited, and is paid lip service to in debate forums. Real data if measured might reveal that our understanding, empathy and drive towards inclusiveness as an educated, truly evolved society have only declined. We are conveniently peddling what suits us but ignoring and deriding what questions our models. How many of us know the genesis of the Taliban, the Al Qaeda or closer home, even the Maoists or for that matter? Even if we do, what is that lens through which we view what they stand for?. The idea of the Sena or any of these right wing outfits to propagate Marathi is a noble one. The means might be wrong but the ideology is not. I have not seen anyone talk about the need for the local language to survive or for the local culture to be protected. Sensible middle ground is never available in most debates; the centrists are not welcome in most debates, just because they don’t spew forth vitriol.
The debate over MNIK might have been over shallow premises but then which debate nowadays isn’t? The support that Shahrukh received was probably based on the premise that most of what the Sena says or does is unlike ‘us’ hence let’s not even attempt to look at the issue. Of course, the Sena does itself no good by sending messages on hurled stones. But then it’s for the more sensible ones among us to understand the deeper meanings of what these trends mean. The movie’s fortunes rested on a Friday frenzy, wonder what lies ahead for all of us?

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