Where books are burnt and the mind is cowered with fear,
where the so called doyens of public morality are given a free hand
where the voice of reason is stifled with wild emotion
where words come out of depth of government rule books
And led into ever narrowing thought and action.
Into that hell of bondage, my father, let my country slumber
--RN Tagore
Since the censor board, the hooligans, the shrill 'sentimentalists', the government officials are now so afraid of the dissident voices, or even the truth for that matter, wouldn't it be fair to edit the redundant calls of freedom made by past revolutionaries? Preempting that kind of an action, I decided to edit the famous ' Where the mind is without fear' of Tagore.
I hope I will soon get congratulationary notes by the MHA, by the press networks owned by media barons, by industry lobbyists and by the fanatics belonging to every caste, religion or creed. Truly it may be watershed moment in the annals of our history. Already over the years, the ability to express has been stifled with years of subtle changes to law, with incarcerations and with unwillingness to protect the outspoken critics and so it seems only natural that we leave any hypocrisy of freedom of expression behind.
Benevolent Shielders
Surely the infantile public that resides in India cannot bear anything that challenges the preset notions, surely it cannot handle anything slanderous, anything that deviates from traditional discourse. The doctors have coined a term for it, Outrage Violenta. It is a deadly disease spread by any sort of enlightening conversation. Recommended precautions are staying an arms length from any such person and gagging them as soon as possible. Culling is done if the other measures don't work.
For years we have heard the discourse of outraged modesty and hurt sentimentality. Any unnatural ideas such as atheism, female rights, sex or for that matter any difficult subject has been banned for it hurts emotions. The definition of the rational man, for determining offence is now modelled on the victim from a Disprin ad. It seems odd that despite having a fundamental right of expression, the only expression allowed is the repetitive bleating of the sheep. Government officials have recommended bleating highly to relieve one self of stress and attain 'Moksha'.
Learning From the Best
North Korea, or rather the Democratic People's Republic of Korea holds elections and describes itself as a socialist state. There is an elaborate cult of personality around its leaders with it's people believing the leader Kim Jong il to have created the universe and the weather. There are no underground literary critics or dissident writers. Foreign works are mostly limited to fairy tales. It seems that every one is perfectly happy there, gauging by the lack of any opposition to governments policies and ideologies.
The notion of a democratic state, the notion of a constitution, of police all amount to null when they cannot setup a mechanism to protect its citizens, when they cannot create an atmosphere of liberal debate. The expression of 'disturbing peace' has been used so often that it has become the automatic response mechanism in coping with any threatening idea. What is then the difference between us and a fascist state, except the musical chairs played in political circles?
'Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings' said Christian Johann Heinrich Heine. He was proved right, agonisingly so when the Nazi regime came in power. This is the fundamental nature of ideas. If the right ones aren't allowed, if the wrong ones aren't debated, then hypocrisy rules and the most hypocritical ones get to rule. I desperately hope for a different future for our nation. But for that, we all may have to be a little less sensitive, a little more open, a lot more compassionate and understanding.
'Going on the other way' is a topic too sensitive for Indian ears to write
where the so called doyens of public morality are given a free hand
where the voice of reason is stifled with wild emotion
where words come out of depth of government rule books
And led into ever narrowing thought and action.
Into that hell of bondage, my father, let my country slumber
--RN Tagore
Since the censor board, the hooligans, the shrill 'sentimentalists', the government officials are now so afraid of the dissident voices, or even the truth for that matter, wouldn't it be fair to edit the redundant calls of freedom made by past revolutionaries? Preempting that kind of an action, I decided to edit the famous ' Where the mind is without fear' of Tagore.
I hope I will soon get congratulationary notes by the MHA, by the press networks owned by media barons, by industry lobbyists and by the fanatics belonging to every caste, religion or creed. Truly it may be watershed moment in the annals of our history. Already over the years, the ability to express has been stifled with years of subtle changes to law, with incarcerations and with unwillingness to protect the outspoken critics and so it seems only natural that we leave any hypocrisy of freedom of expression behind.
Benevolent Shielders
Surely the infantile public that resides in India cannot bear anything that challenges the preset notions, surely it cannot handle anything slanderous, anything that deviates from traditional discourse. The doctors have coined a term for it, Outrage Violenta. It is a deadly disease spread by any sort of enlightening conversation. Recommended precautions are staying an arms length from any such person and gagging them as soon as possible. Culling is done if the other measures don't work.
For years we have heard the discourse of outraged modesty and hurt sentimentality. Any unnatural ideas such as atheism, female rights, sex or for that matter any difficult subject has been banned for it hurts emotions. The definition of the rational man, for determining offence is now modelled on the victim from a Disprin ad. It seems odd that despite having a fundamental right of expression, the only expression allowed is the repetitive bleating of the sheep. Government officials have recommended bleating highly to relieve one self of stress and attain 'Moksha'.
Learning From the Best
North Korea, or rather the Democratic People's Republic of Korea holds elections and describes itself as a socialist state. There is an elaborate cult of personality around its leaders with it's people believing the leader Kim Jong il to have created the universe and the weather. There are no underground literary critics or dissident writers. Foreign works are mostly limited to fairy tales. It seems that every one is perfectly happy there, gauging by the lack of any opposition to governments policies and ideologies.
The notion of a democratic state, the notion of a constitution, of police all amount to null when they cannot setup a mechanism to protect its citizens, when they cannot create an atmosphere of liberal debate. The expression of 'disturbing peace' has been used so often that it has become the automatic response mechanism in coping with any threatening idea. What is then the difference between us and a fascist state, except the musical chairs played in political circles?
'Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings' said Christian Johann Heinrich Heine. He was proved right, agonisingly so when the Nazi regime came in power. This is the fundamental nature of ideas. If the right ones aren't allowed, if the wrong ones aren't debated, then hypocrisy rules and the most hypocritical ones get to rule. I desperately hope for a different future for our nation. But for that, we all may have to be a little less sensitive, a little more open, a lot more compassionate and understanding.
'Going on the other way' is a topic too sensitive for Indian ears to write
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