Yesterday Mom had a pow-wow with
someone who was kicking a dog while walking me. The man was unapologetic and
just shrugged his shoulders and walked away as if it was so normal to kick a
sleeping dog under his car. I watched in horror, thinking that if it were me being kicked, that man would have
his leg in shreds by now. Grrr.
That set Mom off. She has a short fuse
you know. She has already been ‘moved to tears’ by some programme called ‘
Satyameva Jayate’ where almost every episode shows how brutal and angry Indians
really are. So this kicking incident let a whole lot of emotions loose and she
decided to vent on the phone. Sitting at
her feet whilst trying my best to dream of tasty treats, I couldn’t help
overhearing what she was saying.
She was saying that for a nation that boasts
of being non violent, religious and pious, the amount of violence happening
around us is unbelievable and unacceptable. Men beating their wives, families
killing unborn girl babies, fathers beheading their daughters for falling in
love with the ‘wrong’ guy, children being sexually abused by relatives, Police
brutality, animal cruelty of all kinds, you name it. And that there is no hope
that this will ever change, because the perpetrators are not just the poor and
illiterate but sadly, the educated, working class and moneyed lot. So what kind
of reforms are going to change the mind set of such people? What measures and
by Whom will stop them from unleashing their rage on hapless innocents?? When
are they ever going to get it, and live to let live???
Enforcing the law is not enough to
reform deep rooted social bias and thinking. Travel, exposure to other cultures
and an education that re-iterates basic human values will. But will it happen
in our lifetime? Not a chance, Mom thinks. Everybody has forgotten Gandhi and his philosophy.
She was really depressed Mom, and I
couldn’t help but feel for her. Then the cooker whistle went off and … sniff
sniff….. Yummy!! my favourite chicken was ready!!! Off I go!!
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