The return of the
awards by the write wing of creative people and intellectuals in India is
making every day news today in the print media as well as the television media.
The statistics indicate that more than 40 writers and stage personalities have
returned the awards given to them by the Sahitya Academy and Sangeet Natak
Academy.
Most of them have
cited the reasons namely, a) Dadri killing incident of an individual by a mob
sparked of by beef eating, b) recent killing of some fellow writers in
Karnataka and Maharashtra,
c) perceived curbing of freedom of speech and
expression, and d) inaction by the respective Academies in raising a protest.
With due respect to
these so called creative people and intellectuals, I must say that they have
shown their "herd mentality" as
they all have behaved in a similar fashion by returning the awards, following
one writer. They are guilty of not standing out and appearing different among
their group mates. Not even one writer or artiste could think differently to
raise his or her protest. No one has objected to their protest by imposing any
bans.
In this context, I'm
reminded of the story of "Cap seller and
the Monkeys". I'm sorry to say that these intellectuals have
behaved just like the monkeys in the story by throwing the caps down. Just like
the monkeys chose not to apply different logic. These creative writers have
also chosen not to think differently and apply different logic. I feel very
sorry for them.
Several moot points (not
mute points) come to my mind :-
1) If one can
analyze the incidents of the recent/distant past in India, a) killing of
writers in India during UPA regime in the center, b) riots in Muzaffar Nagar,
U.P, Assam, and riots against Sikhs in New Delhi c) massacre of Kashmiri
Pandits and driving them out of J&K, d) Book bans, e) Film bans, f) banning
the entry of authors into India, g) breaking out of scam after scam and
corruption scandals during UPA regime perpetrated by the political bosses and
their political allies. What were these writers doing at that point of time?
Why didn't they protest at that point in time? Why all of them kept eerie
silence in the past? It is sad that no clear answer is available to any of
these questions.
To sin by silence when they should protest makes
cowards of men. - Abraham Lincoln.
2) Why are these
award returnees showing selective outrage and blaming the Central Government
instead of the State Governments which are responsible for the law and order in
their states. Assam, U.P. and Karnataka are ruled by non-BJP governments. Why
these writers are not showing their ire on these State Governments for their
failures and instead turning their ire on Central Government?
3) Why these
creative intellectual class is highly biased in their views and opinions? Are
they not supposed to maintain balance and remain unbiased? Why are they
contributing to Pseudo secularism? Pseudo secularism is a failed concept in
India. There is no point in pursuing it?
4) Why are they
showing disrespect to their respective Academies' when they have been chosen
for issue of awards as mark of respect to their contribution in public life and
for their creativity and unbiased intellectualism?
5) Is there a
cultural change happening in the minds of these intellectuals who have been
used to congress led rule of India for nearly six decades and they are unable
to adapt and adjust to change towards the present BJP political dispensation?
This is an attitude problem.
By their act of
returning the awards, by showing selective outrage, by exhibiting biased views
and opinions, and by following the herd mentality, the image of all these
writers has definitely gone down in the eyes of the common man and general
public of India.
Today, India's demography
can be categorized into five positions as under:-
1) Extreme Left
2) Left of Center
3) Center
4) Right of Center
5) Extreme Right
At the Center
position, there is only a minority of people like the Judiciary, Seasoned
Parliamentarians who are Statesmen, Intellectual People with wisdom who are
unbiased, Saints and Gurus (the real and not fake ones) and well educated
leaders in various fields.
The extreme left and
right positions are dominated by the fringe elements present in every group of
people who don't speak English but speak their native regional languages, and
who are less educated. These fringe elements are swayed by their respective political
masters.
The left of center
and the right of center are moderate positions which are predominantly occupied
by the following classes of people:- Journalists from both print media and
television media, the socialites active on social media, the English speaking
elite of India, Educated Middle class, Historians, Artistes, and
Musicians.
The politicians have
divided the people of India either to the left of center or right of center by
using them as their vote banks.
The NDA government
at the center has obtained the massive mandate of the people of India and they
need to be given time to govern and work for the development of India and
improvement of Indian economy. Their performance will be judged by the people
of India at the end of five years.
Such acts of award
waapsi by the write wing look to me only as a deflection for selfish interests
and self-importance and is not going to help anyone including themselves.
The time has now
come for building the public opinion. The educated general public cannot remain
mute spectators to the various issues and incidents in India. Thanks to the
individual freedom of expression and speech granted by the Constitution of
India, the educated and informed general public needs to voice its opinion
through the social media platform.
Some relevant Quotations:-
A small body of determined spirits fired by an
unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. - Mahatma
Gandhi
You 're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism
that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or who says
it. - Malcolm X.
As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs,
and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever. -
Clarence Darrow
