etcetera

Recent events in Egypt indicate how difficult it is to build alternate system. Fall of Mubarak was swift, but building a viable alternative government has been equally prolonged. The Generals who were once seen as good option in transition phase have now been target of protestors' ire. The promises made a year back have not materialised. Just shows how difficult it is to make a viable alternative work.

Would Indian Tahrir Square movement have met same fate? Of course, both movements were quite different, though some over enthusiastic people had compared Anna Hazare movement to Tahrir Square. Considering the infighting within Team Anna, wonder how capable they are to be part of Jan Lokpal? Again shows difficulty in finding right people of Jan Lokpal, as the criteria quoted like Megsaysay Award Winner, etc, may not be sufficient to run or govern an entity. It's different ball game.

The common thread in all these protests have been the anger against establishment. The frustration about not having control over how the country is being run. Today's slap-gate and its enthusiastic support is also manifestation of such anger. But, as rightly put by Thomas Friedman and Shashi Tharur at LitFest, people know what they are against, but they don't know what they are fighting for. There is general hatred towards ruling class, but no-one knows what is the alternative. OK, Jan Lokpal Bill was apparent goal, but how many of the mobs who joined Team Anna, knew about it. I guess people had joined it more to vent their anger against system and were trying to find quick fix. This aimless anger is detrimental to overall system as it destroys the existing system, however crippled it may be, to pave way for chaos.

Of course there could be parallel systems, as Jan Lokpal purports to be. But important criteria for such system is accountability, which I think Jan Lokpal lacks, as the members are selected rather than elected. And same is case with CAG and Judiciary, good parallel systems, but again they should restrict themselves to their role.

So how can alternative systems be arrived at? It should be more of evolution, using the existing system as a mean to achieve that. I understand that current system is corrupt, but is there any viable alternative at present? So its better to change the system slowly that to await a revolution. History is littered with revolutions, which were followed by chaos and destruction, where years were lost in forging new systems. I hope we learn from history!

Last few days most of the newschannels (esp. Hindi) were showing only one news. Shaadi of the year (or should I say decade, century...)!. Coverage on channels like Aaj Tak, Star News was simply ridiculous. They were telecasting as if it is the only news that Indians are interested in. Agreed it was a headline, but not worth the importance it received. Times of India, so called leading paper in Mumbai, alloted more than half of its first page for the news. Newspapers and news channels are giving up their responsibility of being 'The Fourth Pillar of Democracy" and are morphing into yet another medium of entertainment.

But I am amazed by a completely different aspect of Ash-Abhishek wedding. I am amazed by the amount of rituals and pujas performed before engagement and the amount of coverage it receieved. Aishwarya is maangalik and hence they performed a series of pujas at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi. I find this simply ridiculous. We are leaving in modern age. Education must inculcate scientific attitude in learned and they do away with such ideas. Media and role models in society are supposed to create awareness among people to develope such rational mindset. On the contrary, Amitabh Bachchan, role model for many Indians, is performing such rituals and media is abating by giving it unnecessary coverage. Not a single newspaper or news channel raised this issue. On the contrary, they portaryed it as if it was one of the necessary events before the wedding.

Media has to play more active role in eradicating such irrational traditions and practices. Newspapers have, over the years, been successful in creating awareness among masses against such traditions. They must live upto that tradition.

PS: Just my father pointed out that maangalik issue was portrayed in right perspective in latest blockbuster 'Lage Raho Munnabahi'. And the irony is that Abhishek Bachchan is shown marrying to a maangalik girl against the wishes of his father and ctiticises such traditions. Time to replicate the Reel life into Real life!