Keeping in touch with Un-touchability

At the start of the last century and for half of last century india was fighting a battle for freedom, to become a free state, to become free as individuals. But around the same time another battle was raging as an undercurrect, driven in part by the same man who was leading the fight for freedom, it was the fight against untouchability that had plagued the Indian society for hundreds of years.

We won the first battle. The battle for our freedom, but 60 years after winning our freedom back and as the new century takes shape, we still havnt come close to winning the second one.

Forget irradicating it, we are infact adding a whole new dimension to it. The educated society of a developing nation decided, “Why just stop at the caste system?”, lets add “HIV+ patients” and “Homosexuals” to that list.

We treat HIV+ patients the same way we used to treat leprosy patients and untouchables a few decades back. We are so inhuman to them that we refuse treating them at hospitals and sometimes isolate them to a life confined in solitude. We stop them from attending schools, from getting proper healthcare and the right to live their life as free individuals. We go to the extent of tagging them with stickers of “HIV+” when they are walking around at a hospital.

I can understand the rage and anger towards people who have contracted the disease through faults of their own, but what about the innocent kids who have been made to suffer because destiny decided to play a game on them? How can we as human beings isolate those kids while trying to pretend to protect your own. We are a bunch of hypocrites, thats what we are.

When we as Indians are discriminated against in a foreign country, we make big hue and cry about it, we stage protests, we use diplomatic channels to put pressure on the said country. Even when an ex-president is frisked at the airport as a security drill, we make it national news and talk about it for 4 days, but when a child WITHIN India is discriminated against for a disease, we silently sit back and feel sorry for the kid, but have no intensions of doing anything about it. I think it will take one HIV+ child in each home before our society starts to change, thats how docile we are when it comes to crimes against helpless people.

Why else do you think did “sati” happen in india for so many years? Why else do you think there still are dowry deaths even today? Why else do you think untouchablity still persists in India? Because in India we DONT CARE about weak, sick and helpless human beings.

India and Indians have found this new obsession lately about ‘Article 377’. Its in the news almost every single day. I honestly dont know the first and last about what this article is supposed to say in our constitution. But from what i hear in the news its about homosexuals and their rights in society.

Does it have to take 60 years to realize there are human beings that are born with a different preference and they should have their right to be a part of the same society? If you as an individual are against it, go take your fight against God. Ask him to give you an explanation for why he made them that way, but dont criminalize those people who were born as who they are.

We joke and laugh about them. We treat them as freaks of nature. I will admit, i used to do that too. But i eventually grew up and realized they are who they are not because they choose to, but because of how they were born or through circumstances (i dont know what leads to homosexuality and so i will refrain from stating anything about its cause).

We trust in God. We are fanatics when someone insults Him. But we still go out to challenge his authority of giving birth to kids who are HIV+ or who are born as homosexuals. What a bunch of morons of an educated society of a developing nation.

Life lacks background Music

I think there is one thing that life lacks desperately, that its got no background music and does not have slow motion. Imagine the fun and added emotions when there is a background score. Imagine having “i’ve had the time of my life” playing when you are hanging out with your friends or have just had a wonderful time with your girlfriend or your boyfriend (wife or husband for most of us these days). Imagine “we are the champions” playing when you successfully bid for a tender or when you have been able to achieve that target that you set out for. Imagine a “Nothings gonna change my love for you” playing when you are trying to make-up with your girlfriend of boyfriend after a fight. Imagine the emotions generated when “Waqt ne kiya kya hasen sitam” is playing after you have just had a relationship come to an end.

The world would be a more peaceful place. Imagine “we are the world” or “heal the world” or anyone’s favourite song start playing when they are really mad about something or someone. It could work the other way in generating a lot of negative emotions too, but i think i’d be willing to take that chance.

You cannot deny the immense emotions and excitement that music generates in us. There is a reason why most people find solace in music when they are hurt. And for the same reason we use music and dance parties to enjoy ourselves when we are happy about something.
The music industry around the world isn’t one of THE biggest industry segment for no reason.

I dont know how God would be able to accomplish it, but i think when he plans life on another planet after we are done destroying this one, He should definitely consider having speakers plugged into us so that everytime we feel some emotions there is a program that starts playing the appropriate music.
If human beings can program a PLC to automatically adjust a room lighting based on our mood, then i am thoroughly convinced that God has the capability to achieve the music bit.
Now the slow motion part might be a little difficult to manage, but i wouldn’t cross that out of His capabilities either.

Anyways, jokes and innovative ideas apart, i dont know if its just me or with everyone, but lately there have been a lot of emotions flying around, people losing their patience with friends and family, relationships in big time turmoil, and angers flying all over the place irrespective of age/sex (I know that anger part does not sound good coming from me, but i am including myself in the “everyone”)

I have myself gone through anger at work and lack of patience phases lately, and somehow, a few days down the road, when i am driving to baroda or on my way back, with the music playing, i start to wonder what i was so mad about. For now, I dont think i will be able to stop myself from getting angry, or losing my patience, but that instantaneous background music sure could help change that.