They came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.
Most recent trigger for the above - a biker got beaten up on the flimsy premise of his attire. The mailing list on which I read this got into a debate about the off-topic-ness of the story and reactions to it!
Overall, the spiritual leaders forgot to speak out strongly against the association of weapons with religion. The political leaders at the top got into marriages of conveniences with the terrorizers of local populations for short term "gains". We stay shut on the roads when there's a brawl, or a woman gets beaten up by some neanderthals.
None of my business. Thats what it is all boiling down to.
Overall, the spiritual leaders forgot to speak out strongly against the association of weapons with religion. The political leaders at the top got into marriages of conveniences with the terrorizers of local populations for short term "gains". We stay shut on the roads when there's a brawl, or a woman gets beaten up by some neanderthals.
None of my business. Thats what it is all boiling down to.
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4 comments:
Something happens late night after dark on a desolate stretch of road, and you can still make yourself believe that maybe we ventured out at the wrong place at the wrong time. But MG Road and Millers Road and at THAT time of the day? What are we? A society of Hijras? Maybe I'm not politically correct with the usage of that term, but that's what came to my mind when I read this news. Its unbelievable as well as ridiculous how the educated class just stood there as mute spectators. Why doesn't anyone get into the mob mentality in this kind of situations and beat the hell out of a couple of low lives?
Nah, we're the middle class. Cultured, "decent" people. We do our funky things, but in the space that's allowed to us.
If someone pushes a little, we shrink the boundaries - "Oh that place/area/activity is dangerous - avoidable." "Why invite trouble".
Its happened over the ages. Will take time, or a few major incidents, to start changing. Just pray its not you before that change starts happening.
I think it is our attitude to assume that things are "bestowed" and we try to enjoy whatever minimal is made available to us. Example here:
I go to this Apollo clinic and to my chagrin they leave the main door open (prolly to save on A/C costs). This allows the dust to come in and also noise. After much debate I asked them to close, nothing convinced them ... until I said the cost of electricity is included in the doctor's fees I pay.
Funnily, previous to these visits, I found the noise/dust uncomfortable but ignored it thinking ki chalo at least it's clean from inside.
It's hard to kick the old habit of "theek hai yaar" but sooner/later it's gonna go away.
Sucks, chalta hai attitude HAS to go.
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