Our friend Ulhas has been complaining for few days of the rising euphoria that he is witnessing from the upcoming festivals starting from ShriKrishna Janmashtami through Diwali. (What a sentence having 5 present continuous verbs!) Unfortunately, he is not just left with witnessing, but suffering too. The so called religious fervor, effervescent youth, musical background, huge pandals, large processions with band and what not, but coupled with sound / air pollution, roadside digging, traffic hurdles and unavoidable crowd. Some sections of the society support the festive celebrations in grand scale in public with a point as this is Indian society way of living social life. Some other sections of the society oppose the public nuisance created by this kind of forceful celebrations with a view of sacrifice of individual life during this period. This debate has been going on and will continue forever. No debate, no law, nor any court order will end this social situation appearing every year.So, we tried to go to the roots of these peculiar phenomena that are characteristic of Indian society only. Although there are some celebrations - cultural or religious - in other societies of the world, nowhere else it seems to have reached this peak contradiction. There are huge gatherings in Mecca every year, but no one in or around Saudi Arabia seems to have complained about that. In England, we could see a complete frenzy in the crowd on the streets and pubs on a Friday night when Man U has a playoff with Chelsea. But the family men and women were taking all that lightly without any brawl. In US, although we have not seen large crowds in the streets on any occasion, but we have witnessed laughter riots and softball throws in office pulling serious workers out of their cabins without any curse. Of course, these incidents are not comparable to Indian celebrations in number and intensity. But still there are no words of protest or agony. Then what is the case with Indian celebrations?
Our analysis indicates that basically the problem is due to selective affinity towards the society. Everyone in India wants to live in society - be it a social neighborhood of a slum or be it a well knit affinity group of kulsamiti (ancestral brotherhood). This is irrespective of the caste, creed, education, economic status or geography. There are hardly any persons who live with individualism - i.e. with a total freedom of their own. Most of us are always with the society and think as per prevalent theme in the society. For example, if the theme in the society is to buy a LCD/LED TV dumping old box TV, everyone goes with this theme. So much that the TV companies stop manufacture of box TVs. Someone refusing to go in this direction in spite of affordability, is considered as outlaw in the society. In fact, everyone fears of being outlaw if he or she does not follow the theme in the society. With this fear of being left out of the society, everyone finds a comfortable affinity group around them - a kind of cocoon. Sometimes, the boundary of such an affinity group expands so large that it encompasses the entire society. The religious festivities fall under such expanded boundary due to common ethos of a very large community.
But then why does the conflict happen? Because of selective affinity. In old era, say till 1980's, there were not many choices available for affinity - only choices were religious or political, that's it. So, the friction between the affinity was limited to religions or politics. During those days, we could see very large religious gatherings and political gatherings. As also very dangerous riots. But with the modern life style ushering in since 1980's, new choices of affinity are coming into existence. These are based on caste, economic status, geography but many are going across these parameters with new parameters like shopping, entertainment (movies, TV soap, sports), alumni (education, place of origin), profession, hobby. Now that there are so many choices available, one can be part of multiple affinity groups of his or her own choice, thus giving richer experience of living together with like-minded. But this experience also reduces the space in one's mind to accommodate other affinity groups, to endure the choices of others. Thus one can tolerate the frenzy crowd on the streets at midnight celebrating India's win of Cricket World Cup even though not being part of them, but the same person cannot tolerate a smaller crowd dancing in a corner of a street on the occasion of Ganeshotsav. This is selective affinity.
Afterall, Indian mindset is still in very primitive state of herd. Everyone is programmed to think and act in large group with the ancient fear of unknown. Or ancient wisdom of 'together we are unbeatable'. Many great thinkers in the freedom fight of India tried to ignite minds, but failed. Only Mahatma Gandhi knew this herd mindset of the people and he succeeded in getting masses coming out on streets together without any weapons to protest the British regime. The individual freedom is not respected - rather the social themes take precedence over the individual freedom. With explosion of choices for diverse lifestyles, the conflict in the affinity groups is going to rise.
So, we suggest Ulhas to drop this battle of opinion against public festive celebrations because there are going to be many such conflicts thrown upon him.
Well written as usual Nishi! You have chosen good topic too. However, I do have a point or two about the conclusion. In principal, I agree that one should not choose to fight every battle however it is up to the individual as to which battle to pick and which other battles you should back out from. The battle you may choose may not be the one picked up by Ulhas. Also, there are some battles one must fight even if you are sure that you are going to lose if it is based on principal that you believe in. So I guess, one has to give that liberty of choosing which fight to pick up, to the individual.
ReplyDeleteRajan
Thanks Rajan for your valuable comment. It is one's choice to pick a battle, I agree. Even I had taken this battle a few years ago. Now, when I analyze the scenario in a third person view, I had some findings which I wanted to share. I mentioned Ulhas for a reference only and not as the main topic. I just want to draw attention to the selectiveness and contradiction within ourselves. But I fully agree that the conclusion statement sounds somewhat judgmental which should not have been. I have considered this our katta of discussion and request all to treat this in informal fashion. So, I am open to get adverse views also.
DeleteJust like all previous bogs I read this one also with interest.
ReplyDeleteBasically, the detailed & thoughtful analysis is good to explain the reasons for the nuisance. The blog seems to advice to give up or align with the social evil just because there are reasons for the same and probably because the creators of this nuisance will not find anything wrong in it. But unfortunately that doesn't make the incidences tolerable or acceptable.
Recently, an American freelancer has been beheaded and the video of the incidence is put up on social web sites. People like me will find this incidence barbaric but the people who did it have reasons to do it much the same like our festival terrorist have reasons to justify their hysteric public behavior. Here the comparison is only of the attitudes and not of the gravity of the incidences. Another simpler example is of Adharwadi dumping ground. It is established that using the dumping ground is 100% illegal. However, civic authorities have excellent reasons as to why it cannot be shifted elsewhere. The reasons may be perfect, understandable and tragic but then what? Those don't make the dumping ground either tolerable or legal to use hence it is absolutely perfect when people take-up battle against it.
Coming back to the public fervors, my expectations are "Live & let live" which comes from the same great religion that these festival terrorists claim to be followers of. I also expect a sense of proportion. One is expected to be accommodative to take road shows, celebrations & festivities on one’s stride. However, the hysteria and absolute lack of considerations for others is the point.
The real problem is total unavailability of social philosophers (समाज सुधारक) who can nurture the society. They were there in good number in past and helped in nurturing the society. Over last 20 years or so, we have learnt the knack of earning money. This is neither a crime nor sin but then the society at large has forgotten the concept of social behavior, civic sense etc. The trouble is that there is no one or very few who take up this job. There was a famous debate between गोपाल गणेश आगरकर & लोकमान्य टिळक. The former was of the opinion that the people must be nurtured first and character of society built so that the meaning of freedom is understood & it (the freedom) can be handled in sacrosanct manner. In modern terminology it means ‘deserve before you desire’. However, the latter was of the opinion that the aura of freedom will be so powerful that it will make everything all right. So he gave fight for freedom priority over social nurturing. By today’s standard I personally feel that the former was more correct.
Ulhas, I sighed with relief to read your detailed comment on the blog - because you have taken it sportily. Your views are very right and any insane logical minded person (which I am too) would agree with you. We tried to just do a third person analysis of why this happens only in India (based on my limited global experience). As explained in the beginning post of this blog, we try to dissect the mindset in the society and find out why. And I am suggesting anyone to drop this battle not from a cowardice nor sarcastic viewpoint. It is purely for the better feeling inside us (myself to be frank). As stated by you, the Indian society has tendencies for long since days of Agarkar and Tilak that cannot be changed. Just rising household income does change the basic attitudes and tendencies, as I have witnessed tobacco spit out a BMW!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks a lot for your detailed comments and I hope you got a medium to dump your frustrations through this. Looking at the details and your thought clarity, I think you can write a nice blog yourself! Try.
A minor change - 'does change' should be 'does not change' the basic attitudes....
ReplyDeleteNishi,
ReplyDeleteI ve written my comments in past, but could not publish, as the data connection was lost, and i had not saved the text.
I personally feel that that it is the "PRIORITY" of a society which has supremacy. The issues like noise, environment, serenity, media freedom, freedom to express and so on are the issues of the people like us who have reached beyond the "BASIC STRUGGLES". Without saying that one should "GIVE UP" against such menace, one must fight against the basic issues like poverty, unemployment, water availabilty, food for all and the like. The FIGHT or STREET MARCH and efforts should be for these issues. Our PM has therefore give correct PRIORITY for GANGA CLEANING and not for "MINOR" issues like noise pollution.
In west, they build walls along highway passing through a residential area, to reduce noise effects from highway. We simply can not afford that and must go with the noise issues till all other important issues are settled. So, Nishi I agree with your views and also agree that "SAMAJ SUDHARANA" was really required before we got independance. Too much freedom has made us " like a small child who doesnt know how to react when he gets plenty of play items"..........Ajay
Ajay, kya baat hain! You always come across with a pragmatic view and here also you have given a completely different turn to the discussion. I welcome your views and like your conclusion of small child (dirty but pampered) with plenty of toys. Just one clarification - it is not that we cannot afford to build walls around highway (money is wasted in building walls around Mithi river), it is our ATTITUDE that chaos, noise, uncertainty, mishaps, filth is part and parcel of our culture. Manodharana is the apt Marathi word for this.
ReplyDeleteIf independence was to wait for Samaj Sudharana then we would be still dependent.Expected Samaj Sudharana will not happen for next 100 years at least, given the present situation.
ReplyDeleteTo call Ganesh Utsav celebrators as religious terrorist is little injustice to them. This is not to justify their act, but if you compare them to terrorist of other religion I think they are very mild.They disturb your peace alright, but they don't force anything on you......sanjay K
I read the posts with interest and thank them for enriching my thinking process. I just have a couple of following thoughts for your finest judgment,
ReplyDelete1) PRIORITIES.
The point of priorities is the most basic. However, when an establishment / company / country are run, the priorities are not supposed to be attended in sequence. They have to be attended parallel or simultaneously. In our office (or any other office) the priority is our software, engineering staff, computers, printers, networking facilities etc. The support functions as low as toilets may be last priority. But it only means that the first priority gets more budget / more engineers etc and the cleaners would be few having not more than 4 digit salaries. But all priorities get simultaneous attention. In a hospital, let critically ill patients get priority in terms of specialist doctors, ICUs, medicines etc. But not so critically ill patients should get simultaneous attention albeit from RMOs / nurses and may be in 'general ward'. The point is, the resource allocation may differ based on priorities but ALL priorities are to be “attended” simultaneously. As long as that is happening, ordinary people like me are satisfied. Ajay’s post gave me an impression that GANGA cleaning must be done “first”. Other (apparently) less important priorities like Social nuisance can prevail till they get attention. This is not acceptable.
2) Timing of Independence vis-à-vis समाज सुधारणा
If we agree in principal that the society should first develop to become capable of holding शिवधनुष्य of Independence then the urge to become of independent must wait. If it is accepted that a girl is not capable to conceive before the age of 18 then she has to wait till 18 before she is married. I may desire to become CMD of Jacobs. But then there are some prerequisites for that to happen. There is no point in me cribbing that, ”Oh, then by that norm I’ll never become CMD”. If that is the case then it is good for Jacobs that I don’t ever become CMD. The desire alone does not equate to reward.
3) OK, Utsav celebrators.
The reference to ‘other’ terrorists is probably made to those who force to follow their religion at gun / sword point. Well, if the bench mark for these so called celebrators is ‘those’ terrorists then that itself speaks for the level of these celebrators. On another note, these celebrators do force a lot of things like forceful collection of money (affordability is not the point) and nuisance emanating from their method of celebrations. As long as a simple & basic principal of “Live & let live” (word peacefully is hidden) is followed I have no problem. Yet, terrorist can be replaced with extremists if found offensive.
Sanjay K and Ulhas, good that you kept this topic alive. The whole society agreed that we needed independence before social reforms. The same was the case regarding reservation quota for backward, downtrodden castes after independence. A simple reason for this is - one must be satisfied with basics of life to talk about high moral values and social discipline.
ReplyDeleteUlhas' point by point response is very clear (as his thinking). His points about priority are perfect. But one important point put forward by Gopal is still undebated - we are like spoilt child who doesn't know how to react with so many toys.