(This article was published in the PIONEER of 27/11/2013)
A decline in our moral conduct and the understanding that the law takes a long time to reach the guilty, have encouraged people to be more defiant and brazen Two recent incidents have shown the mirror to our society as people who were looked upon as role models and crusaders have bit the dust.
Who could have ever dreamt that Tarun Tajpal of Tehelka fame would stoop so, in absolute variance with all that his paper claimed to stand for. Tehelka had been identified with exposé of acts of corruption and low conduct in high places. It was in the forefront when the people of this country felt defiled by the brutal rape of Nirbhaya last December. It highlighted gender issues, yet what its poster boy had the temerity to commit, in the confines of a lift, has left us all stupefied. The trust of the people, in what they perhaps recognised as the brave voice of sanity, stands betrayed, even as the victim has been violated. The relationship of trust and mutual respect that needs to exist between superiors and subordinates in organisations, especially ‘open’ ones like media houses, has also been put to shame.
The exposé on the Aam Aadmi Party also shocked the nation beyond belief. People, more so in the city of Delhi, felt cheated and shattered by what they saw and read about the conduct of a few of the contestants. The tide of hope that recently rose in the people has apparently ebbed on witnessing the conduct of those who defiantly rode the steed of honesty. Perhaps good governance may still emerge, yet the public euphoria that had started enveloping the city has begun waning.
This was meant to be. Understanding human nature is easily the most complex exercise known to mankind. Its complexity is identified by the ground check that while all of us know fairly well how we would like to be treated by others, we rarely use that same yardstick when treating others. The lesser the variation between the two treatments, the greater is the man and vice versa. The fact remains that the mandarins of Tehelka and the AAP hail from the same society that we are a part of; a society that has started producing scams and displaying human conduct of the lowest variety with amazing regularity in recent times.
Incidents like these and many others that we are ashamed of and forced to witness, arise because of two reasons: First, the general degradation in our social behaviour, and second, the lack of fear of retribution spurred by the abysmally slow pace of the judicial machinery of the country. While laws are in place, the process of justice delivery is so agonisingly slow that the thought of being able to get away is emerging stronger by the day — especially among those who regard themselves as the upper echelons of the society. And why not? There are examples galore of blatant travesty of justice in the everyday life of the people of India.
There is absolutely no doubt that our social fabric needs a thorough cleansing. The emergence of a just, fair and prosperous social system is long awaited. Yet, the moot question remains as to how shall it be achieved in this otherwise hopeless scenario.
We, the constituent of the Indian nation, have perhaps never appreciated that organisation and nation-building require the toil of generations. Such achievements definitely do not come cheap. Even the examples of many nations in the developed world and some in our neighbourhood, have failed to arouse us from the slumber that we have been in, since the nation came on its own.
Hi Mr Lohani,
ReplyDeleteRole models are always biting the dust ! Gandhi and Martin Luther King had their detractors, as do Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha. Rather than walk the path, many point fingers and delight at others falling, like the say the moral fibre is for others :-) Even Shani Dev must be frustrated at the grinding of the chakki of the Indian Judicial System, where even a Harishchandra would weep. Fortunately AAP office bearers are vindicated with the full disclosure of the tape. Either way they at least pledge a change we all seek ! If not the AAP, I would rather have the Congress as the devil you know is better than the devil you don't ! As for Mr Tejpal, surely the girl in question is not the ultimate irresistible for Mr Tejpal to "doggy" after her ?! Most any man will never make the first move on a woman, simply because the male ego does not like to be bruised by rejection. While anything thing is possible, I wonder how a girl who is psychologically compelled to go public needs to be touched twice ?! Further I am sure there are enough lovely girls and women who would happily go to bed with Mr Tejpal, so he cannot be sexually starved to pounce on a "sweet-young-thing" unless she herself showed interest. Frowning or condoning a sexual act is a personal choice. Muslims are allowed 4 wives, Krishna had 16000 "gopis" he philandered with. Rape is BAD, whether it be physical or mental, and in this case I find it is Mr Tejpal who is getting raped. How can Mr Tejpal's family members threaten her (with what, especially when a baying Media are "on her side" till the story dies). Perhaps she is too darn ashamed to face them. At best, she is making a mountain out of a mole-hill, or it could be a simpe case of "hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.
The genius of Einstein leads to Hiroshima.
ReplyDeleteVir Rawlley,
ReplyDeleteWhat you're saying is nothing less than shocking and disgraceful. You're trying to defend the utterly indefensible, and in the process coming across as a lowlife yourself. If Tejpal is your hero, worship him in private; please don't lecture the world on your perverted sense of morality.
It is too early to rush to the conclusion, based on just media report.
ReplyDeleteFor morality, values, etc. I think India is going through a transition phase. In he past, the high profile personalities were treated as sanctified - not to be questioned. Now, all these have changed and the so called high profile dignified people have to lead their life without that veil or that protection layer. It is a very good trend.
However, the only wrong thing our new gen is doing is that they are aping the western culture without understanding their customs, traditions, values, responsibilities and without shading off our hypocrisy.