SO,WHATS-APPENING?

Who is Justin Bieber? Well, ask those who went to hear this western singer from different metros of the country all the way to Mumbai. And what did they get to hear? Justin lip-syncing or in other words simply moving his lips as the songs and music were played from behind like in a movie. But his many Indian fans still did not get dejected. At least, they could see the popular singer of Canada live, in flesh and blood. Why? Don’t ask the reason. This is what brand does. And rightly do they say, the marketers, that build a brand and sell trash. This is what is being done by the marketing gurus of the developed world for whom India is nothing but an enormously huge market to sell almost anything and everything. It all started in the late 50s. The time when the so-called developed countries found their domestic markets getting saturated. The developing or the under-developed countries, the nomenclature does not matter, were considered as markets to sell, rather dump, their products. But for this they needed to create the market, some kind of a readiness first. So they began their exports with Hollywood, the films which would create a class that willy-nilly would become the brand ambassadors of the developed West. What Hollywood was doing was dishing out western culture, western values, and western ideas as modern, trendy, developed notions of life. The fact that the West was the reference group came handy and the subliminal or latent marketing slowly started working. An elite group gradually began to be created who would swear by the likes of Richard Burtons, Clint Eastwoods, and Gregory Pecks. With Bollywood looking to Hollywood as the benchmark, the size of western admirers started swelling. Our own Dilip Kumars, Dev Anands and Raj Kapoors became poor country cousins of these Hollywood stars. To strengthen western values, the infiltration of those many schools in the name of many western saints in backward regions of the country paved the way further. This created an elite young class that would swear by western values and read Harold Robins, Nick Carter and Alistair Maclean, while their Indian counterparts would be satisfied with Gulshan Nanda or Ibney Safi. For the young girls, the preferred literature was Mills and Boon to understand the soft emotions of the West and emulate. This systematically created an Indian class whose size only grew and a fertile ground was being cultivated to reap rich harvest. It is only an extension of that past much accelerated with the advent of social media tools like WhatsApp and Facebook afflicting the kids, the youth and even the old to the point of addiction. What more to expect? Rightly do we find that Temple Run and Subway Surfers occupying the prime time of the young children as gaming apps. It is no longer the era of political imperialism. And where is the need? Cultural imperialism subjugates much more. Macaulay must be rejoicing in his grave. As Indians, young and old, take on to gaming, our country — that once used to be known for its knowledge — is gradually turning thought-deficient. As we succumb to the marketing blitzkrieg and get dominated by the western ideas, ideals and idols, Indianness and originality gradually evaporate into thin air. For those hippies and yuppies, we have our own WhatsApp geeks.

MARCH OF THE MIDDLE PATH

It was  a coincidence that somewhere around the auspicious period of Buddha Purnima, the French people decisively voted for the forces of moderation, rejecting the hawkish Right in no uncertain terms. In view of the emergence of new leadership in the US and the rise of the Right, the French elections were watched keenly by global observers. Apprehensions in the wake of the growing xenophobic nationalism all around the world have mounted. In this era of extreme views, the results of the French elections symbolise sanity and moderation, which has been the central lesson of Buddhism. Buddha’s Middle Path is the answer to the present day problems of the world that is witnessing kerfuffle and chaos every day. Buddha’s central message preached moderation in thought, speech and action or as we prefer to say in Sanskrit: Mansa, vacha, karmna.

But what we are witnessing is just the opposite as the world appears to be sitting on the powder keg. The victory of the centrist ideas in France, thus, gives some reasons to heave a sigh of relief to those engaged in crystal ballgazing of the world. The Economist in its story last month had said that the French presidential elections were a clash of world views. While Marine Le Pen presented herself as a strong woman symbolising xenophobic nationalism, Emmanuel Macron was the face of moderation. The assumption that the world now belonged to the nationalist populists had gained momentum post Brexit. With Donald Trump’s trumpeting further adding strength to the extreme world views that there is only one best way, the global scenario suggested something that did not augur well. With due apologies to Tennyson, it appeared that the charge of the right brigade was difficult to stop. But the victory of Macron in France validates the hypothesis that moderation is the voice of reason and ultimately the answer.

The recent electoral outcomes, then, in European countries like Holland and Austria were more like trends rather than exceptions. For one commentator, Macron’s victory had been a great achievement in this “age of Trump’s fake news, fake claims and overall fakeness’’, demonstrating that rationality and coherence still matter in politics, shrill campaigns arousing nationalism with fascist streak notwithstanding. The answer to global problems lies in more globalisation, that is, openness and moderation, the middle path rather than the pseudo righteous Right. The hawkish versus moderate, the right versus the liberal debate had given way to a new counterpoint of nationalist versus the globalist with the so-called strong leaders projecting themselves as champions of an alternative world order. In Macron, the French electorate affirmed that globalisation is a fact and the wheel cannot be turned back. Of course, there is need for some intelligent regulation rather than rampant globalisation. An analogy can be drawn with the game of football in which the left and the right flank forwards do matter but it is the centre forward whose role is critical in coordinating the two extremes. In the present times, when rabid nationalism attempts to sow hatred amongst races and religions, Macron’s victory appears like the silver lining in an otherwise sombre atmosphere. Of course, generalisation may be premature at this stage and we need more data to conclude anything substantial, but at least the French verdict spells out a message of hope and openness rather than a cloistered world view. The world need more of caring and compassion rather than populist nationalism.

THE NEW EPICUREANS

East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet. That was Rudyard Kipling in his ballad of the East and the West written some time towards the end of the 19century. Times have changed. More than time, society has changed. Obviously, because the century, the millennium, and the milieu, too, have all changed. Globalisation and technology have exposed cultures to such an extent that it is almost a reverse recast. At least the East is no less than the West and rightly so. The West was always the reference group.Particularly, for the whole of the Medieval Era. So looking west-ward was the desire, the direction and the disposition. The craving seems to be doing the trick as social media becomes the new arbiter of societal norms. With the addiction of the young India to the social media threatening to reach alarming proportions situations reflect a new aggressive mood, a new attitude, that is: To hell with the world! Not that it was not there earlier. But that was more as an exception. It is now the rule, the new normal. Narcissism and the resultant couldn’t-care-less attitude are the hallmarks of a whole new generation brought up under parental indifference or nonchalance. This non-interventionist parenting is often reflected in excessive pampering. The result is a bloated ego and a precocious mind due to unbridled freedom and exposure that leads to over indulgent children who mature before they age. They know more than what they should and are curious enough to explore. What follows are experiments with untruth of the libertine young boys and girls. The outcome what was once seen during the 70s at Worli Sea Face of Mumbai at the twilight hour is common sight at public places of small sleepy towns. And why towns. Even moving auto rickshaws exhibit such scenes if there are no passengers and the dusk provides the cover. Film director Subodh Mukherjee had made Love in Tokyo in the late 60s. Had he been around we could well see Love in Tempo. Pleasure principle or hedonism is the new trend as we see the return of the Epicureans. Pure gratification of the sensory is the norm and the cravings have reached alarming levels. Young students, boys and girls alike are guided by epicurean philosophy of eat, drink and make merry. The first casualty is the basic work- their studies. Rather than studying they are posting their status on social media. And only they understand what they want to say, and to whom and for how many. So Don Juan is still around. Relationship is no longer passion. It is fashion. Desperation, too, because if you don’t have somebody you are nobody. So you fall for the first available person. No time to choose. It is all quick. There is no grammar. They propose fast. And often dispose also fast. Shuffling friends is like shuffling cards. The kings, the queens and the jokers keep on exchanging places. But it is not a question of what ought to happen. It is about what is happening. Little wonder, classic literature is being replaced by non-serious stuff in literature courses.These are digital times. Technology has outdated love letters. Dating without waiting is the norm.There are no right or wrong beats. These are just tunes of time. And for the time being the trend is to continue as Epicureanism is on the rise. So stay tuned, stay connected.

ENCOURAGING GOOD SAMARITAN

These are the times of Social Darwinism or survival of the fittest. But there is a problem. The basic idea of Social Darwinism has been all misconstrued. So the advocates of this idea have reinterpreted it as competitive Social Darwinism. It is not just the survival of the fittest but survival of the fittest at the cost of the unfit. In simple terms the entire business of life has become a zero sum game, that is, you can only win when you make others lose. In business management parlance it becomes competitive advantage. That is the rule of the market forces — the principle of globalisation.  In more than two and a half decades of globalisation advocates have trumpeted only this principle. However, there is a basic fallacy in this advocacy of the market forces that the champions of globalisation have been clamouring for. They all shout at the top of their voice that the world is a global village. There lies the fallacy — it is a global village, yes, and not a jungle. Naturally advocating law of jungle in a village may not be done. Jungle is inhabited by animals whereas villages are inhabited by human beings. The rule of competitive Darwinism may thus not be the right law for the villages. The rule of the village should be peaceful co-existence — live and let live. What an irony that in the jungle there is less of chaotic individualism among the animals than in the human beings who are supposed to be superior due to their quality of compassion among other things. And social Darwinism as interpreted and advocated has become more like anti-social Darwinism. It is against this back drop that the biblical story of the Good Samaritan, one of the powerful parables told by Jesus Christ, is worth a recap. It is a didactic story told by Jesus in Luke 10:37. There was a traveller who was stripped of clothing, beaten and left half dead alongside the road by the robbers. A priest and a Levite who cross by, avoid the man in distress. Then a Samaritan happens to pass by. Though Samaritans and Jews despised each other, yet this person, the Samaritan helps the Jew. This parable was told by Christ to a lawyer who wanted to know what neighbour stands for in the commandment “love thy neighbour as thyself”. It is essentially love and compassion for all. It is from this basic idea that Good Samaritan laws are being derived. These laws generally provide basic legal protection for those who help a person who is in distress, say a victim of an accident. The laws protect the Good Samaritan from the liability of unintended consequences resulting from extending such help. The recent Supreme Court pronouncement protecting the good Samaritans on helping road accident victims is a welcome initiative that would go a long way in creating a good society. The National legal service Authority has been doing a yeoman service by encouraging such initiatives in legal aid and the role of Para Legal Volunteers (PLV) is certainly laudable. Such initiatives are needed in other domains also. Market forces on their own cannot ensure creating a prosperous and good society. It is only through the human system intervention that society will become a better place to live. The Good Samaritan laws are close to the theory Y idea of management principle that suggests that human beings are basically good.

TREATING THE VIP SYNDROME

The acronym VIPS has been coined to denote the Very Important Person Syndrome that has been afflicting the Indian democracy in a big way. The syndrome is an acquired attribute that can affect at any age. The decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the use of beacon lights on the cars of those representing the VIP culture will certainly deal a powerful blow to those otherwise ordinary mortals masquerading as monarchs. So, full marks to Modi!

Usually politicians don’t act. They distract. But here is somebody who acts with an élan that is rare these days. The decision to ban beacon lights from May 1 is a long awaited course correction. Rather, coarse correction for the country that is supposed to be world’s largest democracy yet full of those very important persons (VIPs) who think they belong to some other world. And what a day to implement the decision: May Day, the day of the workers. And the ban applies to all, PM included. That it took some seven decades and a man of Modi’s courage to undo a practice that seemed like an aberration to a democracy. After all what does a democracy stand for?

An oft quoted one is given by US President Abraham Lincoln. He said that democracy is a government of the people, by the people, for the people. But what has been our experience. Off the people, bye the people, far the people. Or can we say of the people, by the people for the Very Important People (VIP). In a democracy, as PM Modi tweeted, every Indian is special. Every Indian is a VIP. But the people riding in those cars flashing beacon lights often tried to suggest that the common masses were, to quote Shakespeare, “dishonourable graves”. Certainly this government has acted where previous ones dithered and due credit goes to Modi.

It is a massive blow to India’s notoriously famous VIP culture. The beacon lights flashing atop the VIP cars signified arrogance and looked down upon the common man. This decision will certainly give a boost to the democratic spirit that was reeling under the load of a pampered VIP culture. Lest we forget, it makes sense to quote famous English poet TS Eliot who believed that half of the harm that is done in the world is due to people who want to feel important. Needless to say that the beacon lights were creating that very feeling, the feeling of being important. Of course, there is still a long way to go, with the huge security paraphernalia and the body guard culture still persisting. Given the ways of PM Modi, maybe, we will see more improvements towards democratisation of the Indian democracy.

But undoubtedly, it was a historic decision. Indian democracy, then, is on the move. The Supreme Court had rightly observed that beacon lights were reflective of the mentality of those who served the British Government and treated the natives as slaves. It certainly is a corrective action on the part of the government to declassify the so called VIP that made merry on public exchequer. The spirit of democracy can best be understood in the words of noted author Harper Lee who conveyed through one of the important characters of her book To Kill a Mocking Bird that it is equal rights to all, special privileges to none. Beacon lights intended to create a privileged class.