WhatsApp - the new weapon of terror?!!

Hate worshipers are always quick to take to any new innovation to spread their agenda. The rise of the internet and digital era were thought to curb the irrationalists but they found heightened grounds in the form of cyber racism. Each forward giant step of humanity in the scientific realm was countered by retrograde phenomenon of utilising the same development for racism, bigotry and ethnic cleansing. Hate mails were the latest of the lot until the new avatars in the form of Facebook and the like took center stage. The new entrant in this league is WhatsApp, a very convenient application aiding in easy transference of text, audio and video across the globe. According to new data WhatsApp is considered as THE application revolutionizing communication and will soon replace Facebook in utility and popularity. It’s this very user friendliness that can result in detriment.

Recently I received a WhatsApp picture message of a man, with bricks wound around his waist, brandishing a machine gun. The text alongside explained him as a Palestinian who believes in protecting his scrotum above anything as he has to beget as many progeny as he can to counter the loss in the war zone! It’s soon identified as a deliberate hate message with the intention of maligning one section of the community through innuendos. Similarly the fanatic right wing alongside similar such groups is also engaged in churning out misleading and dangerous such messages and the gullible as usual is all ready to gulp it down without remorse. The instant tendency to forward the same to groups and pals is irresistible meeting with dire consequences and it’ll be too late by the time the rejoinder for the same is circulated. By then no one will be interested and a new ‘doctored’ message would have taken center stage.

Photoshop, a wonderful tool, becomes the villain in all these cases pointing to the abject misuse of technology to extremely abysmal and derogatory purposes. The so called educated lot are instant to take to such messages without any forethought of the consequences as they merely want to ‘break news’. Then the plight of the uninitiated can be guessed! WhatsApp emerges as a weapon powerful than a nuclear bomb to decimate a population. Using the simple options of ‘choose and forward’ it unleashes consequences with unfathomable results.

The new cyberlaw might address this problem but there’s no point in taking action once the damage is done. A better option is to upgrade the existing app with an option to screen the contents for doctoring prior its posting. The same picture/video can be then posted with a script alongside that the above data is Photoshopped/doctored with a particular software/tool. This can instantly take the wind out of such hate sails and at the same time the question of freedom of expression is also saved. Communication and fun have higher purposes than causing war!

Life in the blare of loudspeakers

It’s sheer coincidence that my house ( in fact many houses) happened to be in the vicinity of a triumvirate – a temple, a mosque and a Sayi bhajan centre. And come the myriad festive seasons we are deafened to oblivion in a competitive spirit by all three with their ubiquitous loud speakers pouring out song after song until we attain nirvana.  Before the Ayyappa season was over the Nabi day came and the bhajan group was untiring throughout whether it’s rain or shine. Once when the innumerous Ramayana recitals, during one of those Ramayana months, sans tala or laya were done with in the utmost cacophonic way I decided to call it a day and rang-up the temple authorities for a breath of sanity! They sure gave me an ear and without fail confirmed my ‘credentials’ in a disarming way. The melancholy in their response was palpable echoing something like ‘you too....’, but they dimmed the volume for a couple of hours until the euphoria of the festive mood outran the promises, and by that time I had re-attained my auditory immunity for the week.

Episode two had to follow within a few months as the religious fervor spiralled them to an another season of boisterous revelry.  As usual when the ear drums stopped drumming I resorted to my second frantic call. Never-the-less I had contemplated filing a police complaint despite the protest of my god (men) fearing father, and the support of my ‘religio-phobe’ wife. Promptly I was answered and this time too they confirmed my ‘standing’ through casual and brief personal questions.  This time they gave some minor arguments like it’s temporary and stuff but never resorted to intimidation. Again they sounded like talking to a renegade wishing fiercely to get me back in to the clan. The din ofcourse didn’t come down for that bhakti season but I presume it made them think as at times (I felt) it came down a note or two. And I, to gear-up for the onslaught of festivals come February, donned the traditional oracle attire and rocked feverish to the ‘loud screamers’ like a true fanatic seeking hyper tolerance in a deafening world!

WHEN WILL I DO A MATT AND TUSHAR?!!

To walk the talk is no easy task especially when it comes to social commitment than trivial day to day matters. I think and dream a lot on what all ways I can be of some use to the society rather than just eat, drink and die off. But except for some occasional spurts of community work till date Iam unable to produce anything worthwhile. And there comes the eminent sunday columnist of The Hindu, Harsh Mander, among the myriad heart wrenching tales he narrates fortnightly, with the eye popping acts of Matt and Tushar.

Ah, Matt and Tushar are two young swashbucklers who dared to live on Rs. 26 a day, the income of the officially poor in rural India as fixed by the Planning Commission of India for ex-urban areas. They restricted their diet to parboiled rice, a tuber, banana and black tea, finding it almost impossible to have a balanced or decent diet a day within this amount, leave aside other necessities of daily life.  They resorted to walking, saved money on soap and avoided all means of communication, mobile and internet. They struggled to keep themselves healthy as falling ill will leave them with no choice at all. They found that it’s the ordeal of feeding oneself the biggest hurdle and no other ethereal thought will occupy our minds unless this is met. 

They got the valuable insight that starvation is the biggest foe and hunger can make you angry not allowing you to be human enough. For a man to have ulterior thoughts and deeds the basic food rights should be met first. Only then the next levels of individual development can be mooted and planned. In a country where thousands go hungry the focus should be first on feeding them before implementing anything further-on. A hungry man will hear the echo of his empty stomach only and no logic or ethic is going to work there. We need rigorous policies keeping this in mind as nothing else is going to work ignoring the basic tenet of food.

Another paradoxical finding (already known but now reinforced) is that the marginalised lot harbour lot more love and generosity than the ones with the wherewithal in spite of their indigence. A spark of consideration can go miles sometimes changing the life of an unfortunate for the better forever. A momentary act of spite is enough to make an outlaw out of an ordinary.

Matt and Tushar turn me green with envy with this act of bravado. They chucked their elite corporate jobs in MNCs abroad to fulfil this make me go black. Even without any experimentation the Indian truth is evident to all. Still we are reluctant to leave the coziness of our couch to take that plunge. Iam still waiting for that invisible hand to push me in to the deep as I truly believe in their dictum that empathy is the essence of democracy as endearingly showed by these lovely boys! 

WHITE COAT MANIA

Right from the times the modern white coat was introduced by Dr. George Armstrong in the early 20^th C it has been the insignia of the status conscious clinician. Wikipedia claims that the white coat emphasized the transition to the more scientific approach to modern medicine contrasting the quack and the mystic from the scientific physicians. The influence of the coat and its impact on our social stature goads thousands to land in their ‘dream profession’ of medicine and allied subjects at any cost. The euphoria of elitism coupled with the conceit of superiority has made this protective barrier a ‘dress for all seasons’ that can be flaunted in civilian domains without any forethought. The lady doctors have literally made this their ‘third skin’ claiming protection from prospective voyeurs.

 The primary and sole purpose of this noble wear (or apron as it’s fondly called in the Indian context) is to function as a shield against contagion, clearly indicating its wear only in a clinical room and not anywhere else (other than a laboratory to save from spills and other contaminants). The proponents also claim that the white coat can effectively differentiate a medic from a civilian in a hospital setting thus aiding the uninitiated to approach one. But this is no justification for the ubiquitous presence of the apron- clad lot milling around in public spaces including cafes, malls (!) and cinemas (!). The glamour associated with it is short changed for the umpteen types of microbes dissipated in these public places putting many people at stake and even favouring the outbreak of an epidemic in dire circumstances! 

It’s routine for authorities of medical academic institutions to decree constant wear of apron even in theory classes and the like which is sometimes supported by the faculty too. This springs from a psyche that still cling-on to the ‘pride and prejudice’ that phantom the profession. The white coat is mandatory in an active clinical and laboratory setting but it should be kept completely out of all non-clinical domains as there are better ways now to contrast the quack from the scientific.    

Rote has not yet rot!!!

A recent WIPRO-EI study had some shock waves in store for the initiated and the scholastic. The shot in the arm was the finding that even the so called elite schools opt for rote learning. If this is the status of the high brow schools then the image is sure going to be bleak for the lesser schools where our country’s majority study.

The study also highlighted that some children showed a disturbing insensitivity to social issues such as gender equality and religious/cultural diversity. This clearly shows that the hedonistic youth of today alone cannot be blamed for their stoicism towards social and environmental causes. The cradle of their development, the school, has totally failed to seed the much needed social sensitivity and responsibility in to the child’s psyche.  Who should be blamed for this decadence in quality education? Are the present day parents able to fill the gap? The insouciance seen all around gives a nay.

Some of the other findings of the ‘Quality educational study’ by Wipro and Educational Initiatives (EI) point towards the lack of critical thinking, creativity and application in such a system. This can have a toll on their rational thinking and discrimination capacity to differentiate between good or bad in social and ecological issues. Signs of bias were also noticed among the students that may grow over time into dangerous prejudices.

In a county where hierarchy rules and youth and women are subdued entrenchment of social sensitivity can lead to fatalities. If the child is denied of a source from where he/she can tap social consciousness the future of such a state is in quagmire. It’s high time we root the rote out of our school/college curriculum.

What women want?

The release of ‘Saat khoon maaf’ is timely with the commencement of World Women’s Day or probably Vishal Bhardwaj wanted it that way. The movie, an adaptation of Ruskin Bond’s novel, explores the mind of a woman through its protagonist Suzanna and throws us the query, ’what a woman wants from any relationship?’. Suzanna goes through seven relationships and yet ends as a vapid soul yearning for more. It’s that poignant and perennial dilemma that many Suzannas face in life and if they end up bloodying their hands who’s to be blamed?

Vishal/Bond took to surrealism to essay his character but it’s not tad unrealistic for in reality many will gladly opt for it if given a chance. So what did Suzanna want? She goes on a killing spree every time she finds out that her choice is wrong. Her picks ranged from the mundane to the cavalier to the artistic to the poetic to the nerd to the puerile. Yet she couldn’t come up with one that can balm her soul. She ends her quest in the Holy Son in who she hopes to find the solace that evaded her six times.

Suzanna is not a metaphor but the real woman amongst us who is in a never ending quest for unconditional love. She is used and abused every day and yet left wanting by a misogynist society who is still at a loss when it comes to giving. The callous patriarch has invented ways to wallow in kitsch while he conveniently relegates all trouble to her. Working woman is expected to run the house and office with a panache that can put a CEO to shame.

The patriarchs are given the unique privilege of ogling her without the risks of chastise and shame as she is state property and of public use. They are followed, visually undressed and raped many a time before being abused in person. The ‘haven’ of family is no exception wherein she is tormented conveniently and expected to perform even in the oddest of situations. Her plight deepens in a joint family where she is ‘worshipped’ as the many armed devi.

A tacit moral code follows her from childhood saving her from any derailments keeping her chaste and pure for the denouement called marriage. Even after watchful eyes follow her lifelong policing her in and out. The winner is the one who passes all these fire tests and end a loving and giving martyr. No wonder that we still worship a legendary Rama and earn for a Sita in every woman and dream a Ayodhya. The indelible tattoo of Ramayan is proof that it’s a genetic defect that will haunt our posterity for aeons to come. The untethered love of Krishna holds only less water in our daily lives as we want less of Radhas than Sitas.

So Suzanna you have no other choice but to fight it tooth and nail until you get what you want. You have to draw blood to be heard. Should we shift your celeb day from March 8^th to Friday the 13^th?

   

Sub texts in Suzanna’s tale

Saat Khoon Maaf is a poignant tale of humanism as seen through the eyes of a love lorn woman. The story probes the psyche of six males strategically placed in different parts of the globe yet connected in a unique chauvinistic way transcending the differences. It takes us in to the dark bleak world of the human behaviour and the extend of selfishness that the human (male) mind can come up with.

 Major Edwin Rodriques (Niel Mukesh), her first hubby, is cavalier and an achiever, winning even the ‘Paramveer Chakra’, but at the expense of his complex riddled mind. He personifies the mundane male with all his insecurities who is juxtaposed to his achievements paradoxically. He is unable to tackle the ghosts of his mind and easily falls prey to it. The portrayal subtly reminds us that the real achiever is the one who conquers himself before he sets forth for the outside conquests. No accolades can replace the victory on your self.

Jamshed Singh Rathod a.k.a jimmy (John Abraham) is the hedonist who incinerates his life in illusion and delusion. He is the escapist who eludes reality and tend to submerge all in a chimerical world. Relations are volatile here and to inject reality in to him takes some true grit than put him to sleep as Suzanna does. Jimmy showcases the abysmal levels dependence can take you to.  Suzanna contemplates his redemption briefly before taking the final step, as she sees the futility of such a human being.

Wasiullah Khan (Irrfan Khan) is her third muse whose intellectualism is juxtaposed with his sadomasochism. The sublime romanticism of the poet masterly hides his revulsive side giving an insight into the alter ego of creative writers and how it contradicts our very beliefs. It will not be subversive if I accuse that this portrayal has a shade of Islamophobia which has crept in knowingly or unknowingly and only Ruskin Bond can answer that. The hideous face of our many a writer can be as blasphemous as this but the narrow subtext of religious bigotry make it knave.

Nicolai Vronsky (Aleksandr Dyachenko) parodies the intercontinental truces which are cleverly scuttled by vested political interests. His tryst with Suzanna embodies similar inescapable ambivalence that has become one with his real self. He is neither faithful to his family in Russia nor to his new found interest in India making him as ludicrous as the fragile international friendships.

 Keemat Lal (Annu Kapoor) is that repugnant worm of our society feeding on its ethics and morale. He is that commoner we encounter every day in the corridors of bureaucracy waiting for an opportunity to feed on the hapless.

 Dr. Modhusudhon Tarafdar (Naseeruddin Shah) is the only character that appears bit contrived in the whole drama. His brainy endeavours could have been used to scan a psyche revealing some hither to unknown innards of the male mind. This character falls flat for want of more innovation and less haste in his making.

Wading from one relation to the other Suzanna’s odyssey makes it obvious that attaining unconditional love is near to impossible in a woman’s life time. Her seventh choice is also a trial that hopefully might materialise in to a fruitful one as the final waltz with the Holy Son symbolizes. The story demands a sequel essaying her tryst with holiness and its trappings and whether the holy institution is really equipped to deliver.