As I type this post out, there are solidarity marches being held in major Indian cities including my very own, with people gathering in huge crowds to march from point A to point B, holding candles in their hands, hopefully with some tissue paper or cloth around it so that the wax does not drip directly on their fingers and then shout slogans and get emotionally charged up for the duration of the rally and then disperse and go back home to paying bills, watching TV and working away.
I’m all for marches and rallies. I’ve been to a gay pride parade in Oslo (accidentally, while walking around touring the city), as the sole representative there of all the straight people on the planet, been involved in a Free-Tibet march in Mysore and attended a protest march to protest against the 85% attendance rule for our juniors under the VTU regime. I did not give a shit about the last ’cause’, but it was either that or sleeping in class.
However, despite being pro-rallies, I fail to see the point of this solidarity march. Not just this march, but all other peaceful protests, and opinions and polls and SMSes that people send to stupid news channels. Heck, I’m even against pseudo-intellectual discources on personal websites regarding this, because I feel it is futile, and provides no value-add save for a marginal amount of catharsis.
As Aadisht summed up in an email discussing the solidarity march, “I think it’s middle class activism masturbation, stroking your ego to feel good about doing something, anything.”
I do not question the noble intent behind which most of my country’s citizens are trying to mark their anger and pain towards the recent events that have unfolded in Bombay, but I don’t see anything beneficial coming out of it.
However, I think we’ve all ended up being much more cynical about the whole issue, and this might be good for us in the long run, because we can focus and concentrate our collective energies more effectively on finding a solution to the best possible extent that we can, rather than being spectators / participants that aren’t accounted for.
Here’s also hoping that our government, that has been so callously sitting on its fat arse, does something to help stop such attacks in the future.
Signing off, on an altogether different note, do check out George Freidman’s piece on the strategic motivations behind the Mumbai attacks. Makes for super reading.
“…Heck, I’m even against pseudo-intellectual discources on personal websites regarding this, because I feel it is futile, and provides no value-add save for a marginal amount of catharsis….”
you mean like this one?
@Tyag,
Wow! Did you figure that out all by yourself?
No.
In my basement, I have great rocket scientists, philosophers, mathematicians, composers, science fiction writers etc cloned out and interconnected into a neural network of neural networks. And i have augmented them with the precision of cybernetic aids.
but Of course, for posts like these, i have a german supermodel type out my replies.
@Tyag,
Dear Ms.Klum,
I don’t know why you’re not as much with Seal as you’re supposed to be, but that is none of my business.
However, I’d like to make you an offer that you’d probably like to give some thought to.
I need someone who can write inane replies to inane comments I receive on my website (case in point – comments from the highly perceptive guy you’re currently working for).
Mr.Tyag has many major heavyweights who can think on his behalf, and so he doesn’t need to use his brain. There is strong evidence to prove aforesaid claim, once again in his comments.
I, however, am happy with how mine works, and don’t really need neural networks made of neural networks to get me through the night.
However, replying to such comments as the one you wrote for your current employer is causing me a significant overhead, and I’d like it if you joined forces with me.
Mr.Tyag wouldn’t miss you much, I assure you.
sincerely,
Hari