India Behind The Lens (News Centre)

Some catchy line sung by someone onscreen with whom I share the very common 1^st name but having worldly famous last name – Abhishek Bachchan in some flick released sometime ago. Crooning to his self glory, adding dash of his own stardom and tapping steering wheels when aired on FM, perhaps he leaves  the message much more sharply communicated on the state of this country & its nobler “civic” citizens, then the ever  verbose, articulate Karan Thapar’s or Arnab Goswami’s of the world attempt to do. A situation best described which has caught us unaware between the two horns of dilemma presented to us every day, which side of the battle do I pick to identify my own simpleton existence, bhai..??

Two horns or multiple bulls with two each stunted or sharp am not sure and this will be as confusing to me today as perhaps to someone who will be as brave to follow this till the end. From past 14 months or so the country has never been so active and in an agitation mode than perhaps could have been remembered by me. Off all the people I interact, the last they relate is to the period circa 1975-77 and are as stern or as agitated in their response as imagined. The only rebel reason for me personally is that I was born somewhere between and perhaps thankfully carry the gene of an event which forces me to sway my head whenever this philharmonic orchestra performs!

Citizens (more civic – than to be referred as people) are the “in thing” now. The issues of black money, corruption, money stashed abroad, string of scams, politico brouhaha, upcoming legislative fights, bills draft’s and their august committees, protest marches, candle light dinners replaced by candle light walk’s – rang the basanti factor, power to the youth, new revolution, 2^nd effort for freedom struggle, each district getting 110 Crores once money is back, No Confidence motion to topple the government, Save Democracy Front, Fight for reforms, Judicial activism, Convergence of social politico factors, National Human Rights Commissions, Anna Hazare Ji, Swami Ramdev Ji, Anna’s – Lokpal, Sibal’s – Lokpal (now completely Sibal’s Lokapal or whatever he might want to call him whilst he nurtures the kid to bravely fight corruption, once he grows up to be a super hero)...Power obsessed center, Opportune Opposition and more and more and more as issues – which we as citizens of this country need to understand, pick our sides, agitate, support and bring it up to its logical conclusion.

Issues are being propagated; support galvanized, protests and agitation’s planned with selective leaders emerging from these amorphous crowds yet with no direction and related understanding with the masses for which this all is being fought. The elite, educated are passionate – Twitter, Facebook, Mails – proving sides, debating, arguing, pestering but all sincere, trying to usher in the change which perhaps has been shy to visit us post Independence. But I beg to say, that by no means this seem to be touching the very chords of awareness as perhaps is wanted in this “change” and is not reflective to meet them in person even in their aspirations as the common Janata.

Aam admi..?? - No , well, quick witted female activist friends of mine do not acknowledge this term – is there an Aam aurat..?, they ask. This might be a gender slur, so Janata it is. I kneel.
So, the last person on the ladder to whom “pragati & vikas” has been served with regular doses of “ su-shashan” is all but ignorant about these collective efforts. For him it simply lies in promise and hope of a day better than lived. For few of us it changes the discussions in our living rooms, for him, it’s been all there, all the while, all the time and perhaps would never go away.

“Vyavastha Parivartan” (Alternative Governance or Alternative System) is not yet defined. Social dimensions stitched on the fabric of reforms, with Constitutional label & by the labour of political initiatives to be sold in the shop of democracy is what I have understood of this entire concept. Each of these dimensions is being worked by crusaders through the best of effort and merit. The only missing link is the “loom” on which this needs to be produced.

Kisan, Mazdoor, Migrant Labours (whom Swami Sahajanand Saraswati called as “Khet- Mazdoors) are all busy trying to fight for their own space accommodating themselves to the system than perhaps buried in having an intellectual intercourse on main media panels, select reforms committee which is busy defining the policies which effect them or affect them with developmental change for a bright future myopic eyed ‘ala” civic society members.

With upwards of 60% of the constituents belonging to this section – none has representation in this glamorized voice of dissent. None so far has seen their participation in any policy discussion, none represents them actually despite the tall claims with altruistic gusto, none chides with them, and none believes that they have a voice of reasoning and demands too. Since they are oblivious of these developments they are assumed in this formation, after all it’s a fight to finish for them – “Can we even do it without your (Janata’s) support”…??

This is an assumption which will cost us as a nation very dearly.  All they are seen as crowds. Prop up their imagination, get them connected to an emotional appeal, make them worthy of a big cause – never mind if one's own understanding remains as shallow, curse, replace and bring an upheaval. Far as basic fundamental obligations are concerned – Oh that’s for the government, give us our rights or give it to our way. Fight for equitable harmony and leave the “cause and conflict” for others.

Hopeless, perhaps not. Message, absolutely yes.

The agitative rebellion of the masses is closer than we think, as on our side mirrors. Its more louder than the deafness its fights and its simmering, coming to a boil sometime in not so distant future and this voice will pick and choose its leader, the actors who benefit them the most, the players who would indeed turn the annals of history and repeat a success of what this country needs and it shall hunt, fend and secure as its own.

Repeat of 1975 ~ 77..? My assessment - Clearly No - It’s the Nationalist Renaissance of 1907 ~1910, which shall come to the fore claiming with its strong arms in time the just as its own, finding its own “Lal, Bal & Pal”.
“..and…...perhaps the last line of the song is more befitting tribute to those who intend to continually play and believe in these “shouting cacophony of causes” by Shri Abhishek Bachchan.

“ apki seva main, janhit main jaari”.


Authur is an Activist & Student of International Law - Views expressed are personal.