Reverse Evolution: How Humans Turned into Ogres

Reverse Evolution: How Humans Turned into Ogres

Humans never fail to spring a surprise on one another. Every few months or years, you’d end up hearing some of the most bizarre, ghastly tales of atrocities committed by one human on another. When opening the front page of the newspaper, you may think to yourself, “Well, what has the world come to? Seriously? Is this really happening?” You’d think this is the lowest of lows humanity could endure. Be it incidents such as the 9-11, the more recent US school kindergarten shoot-outs, the shockingly extreme reactions even for extremists of the Taliban towards Malala Yousafzai, the now-commonly-heard (shamefully so) female foeticides, brides being burnt alive, acid attacks et al. This ain’t the end of such an “illustrious” list; a few months later, Hurrah! For we have raised the bar yet again. The recent gangrape in Delhi was such an event which makes one feel, this is the lowest of lows; that extreme end of debasement or ghastliness an offense can take.

But this article isn’t about the heinous act per se, as whatever gets written / spoken about it, is not enough. I could go on to argue that the severest punishment possible (although, both the writer of this article and the reader would know how extremely capable our government / political parties is / are, to ensure that) will not be enough to erase memories of this dastardly act of mocking human dignity.
Nonetheless, here’s what the blog entry is about.

A recent news article written by a TOI journalist on the experience she had while covering the Jantar Mantar, Delhi, protests, made me ponder that we aren’t seeing the last of such incidents. She wrote about how she was groped at the rally at JM, a rally which was supposedly held in protest against the unfortunate gang rape, a rally supposedly held to re-emphasize how women should be treated with respect. Taking undue advantage of the sheer volume of crowds gathering during this protest, a man groped the journalist from behind. How ironic one may think of our habit of not even practicing what we ourselves preach. A participant protesting against offense towards women, violates the very same tenet he is protesting against and goes on to grope a woman in the very gathering. The incident just doesn’t end there. To add to the ire of the reader (of the journalist’s article), when she tweeted about this, a few responses were made indicating that “she may have even enjoyed it”. Wow!

On a related topic, let’s examine some common beliefs we as a society have / have seen evident amongst its members.

·         A girl found smoking may most often than not elicit a response of being a “loose” character

·         In a carefree discussion amongst a group, a girl saying she’s had more than one relationship almost brands her as "easy" amidst the many raised eyebrows, failing to notice hypocritically enough that a guy saying the same for the numerous affairs he’s had makes him "uber cool"

·         Or a girl having a jovial time talking in a seemingly-coquettish manner with her male friends makes her appear a wanton (crudely put a “slut”) in the man’s eyes, whilst a guy doing the same with more than one girl gets him branded “chic magnet”

·         A girl coming late from a party draws attention of her building residents as if thinking she is going “out of line” whilst their own sons idling away till the wee hours of morning on the streets is considered a ‘healthy young habit’ to have

·         A girl wearing a short / revealing dress gets questioned as to being provocative, going on to the extent of claiming that “such women call it upon themselves”

Just to bring back the gangrape into perspective, not only did six men rape a woman collectively that night, but also purportedly shoved a metal rod through her genetilia. And if that's not inhuman enough, once the men were through with their lust and display of some distorted form of male superiority, they threw the woman out of the bus and allegedly tried to crush her to death.

Seriously, what's wrong with us? Why do we have such misplaced priorities and shaky fundamentals? Are we out of our wits to really think that a woman would enjoy being groped around or that a woman wears a short dress simply to ensure many men are ogling at her. Such a belief system reeks of a certain pandemic psychosis similar to the one talked about during a Satyamev Jayete episode on child abuse which spoke of the molester’s psyche of believing that child actually “wants it”.

We protest to have stricter laws, to safeguard the honor of our women, to ensure they don't feel violated, insulted. Now, think over this. How often does a woman standing in a crowded ladies compartment footboard in a Mumbai local, get leched upon through lusty eyes and grinning expressions of male commuters of a train plying by along a parallel track? Can a law be put around to curb such a reaction? A woman does not feel degraded, insulted, merely by physical intimacy; she could feel the same sentiment merely through gestures and even eye-contact. But can any definitive law be defined to put a curb on a man staring at a woman or her body? No. No law would help here. What could help though is Attitude.

Let’s not trick ourselves into believing that we merely need tougher laws to ensure such ghastly acts are not repeated again. Sure, we need tougher laws and fast-track courts, an increase in the number of women in the police force and a pan India helpline coverage. But not just all that. More importantly, we need to look introspectively and reflect on what we are made up of.

Think and think hard, the pervasiveness of problems such as rape, foeticides, honour killings, etc. will not stop even if and only if stricter laws are implemented. These problems would achieve their bare minimum prevalence when we as a society sort out in our heads where our true priorities should lie. After all, respect for women is not dictated merely by letter viz Law but more importantly by spirit viz Attitude.

To summarise, every problem has two types of solutions: the tactical ones (easier/ quicker to implement) and fundamental ones (longer to implement). Whilst most of us crib about how fundamental changes are hard to bring about in this country, especially on such grave crimes as rape, it is perhaps best to at least get the tactical ones incorporated for starters.

Delhi Belly: Avant-garde Cinema for the uninitiated

Of DK Boses, Disco Fighters, Constipated unbathed men and the rugged look of the 2011 urban Indian.

Sat Morning. For starters, I turned straight to the Mumbai Mirror Saturday edition to check on how the movie’s fared with the critics. Glad to read the first line which implied that for each decade comes a movie which redefines or rather defines the way Indian cinema is going to be for the next decade or so. In 2001, it was Dil Chahta Hai; flash forward 2011 its Delhi Belly. I was excited – was I to witness some path breaking cinema a mere hours later? It certainly did turn out to be path breaking, but not in a way I’d expect.

Lets cut to the chase. I have stayed a couple of years in Delhi. Actually that wouldn’t even matter for proving the flaw the movie comes up with right in one of its first few scenes – I mean who wears blankets in a Delhi summer (aggravated by the virtually non-existent ceiling fan at Imran Khan & co’s residence). So was the blanket present merely to canvass a fat man’s butt crack? Possibly? Precisely, is what I’d think. The movie stars a constipated fat boy trying his luck at doing a Jack Black – at his unbathed, unshaven, obese best. It also stars a pointless existence of Vir Das whose character surprises me the most as he- a 25/30 + guy- shaves his head off (characteristically pointlessly) once dumped by his girl friend for another loser. I mean I know a friend or two who’d do this (and rather have) when they were 18 or so. But who in their right frame of mind would do it at 25+ (add to that someone with a seemingly decent job – one good enough to make ends meet, to say the least).

The other loser has only one scene to his name in which the director, via this actor, tries to take a dig at people with unconventional jobs such as that of a cartoonist (as portrayed by Das) with the actor laughing off (with an apocryphal snort) largely at people with unconventional jobs. Why? Maybe just to prove that there are still some “narrow minded” people who look down upon such jobs in our society? Portray such people as loser and there you have it – a “connect” with the all-embracing young urban Indian. The director tries to titillate the audiences via this fat boy’s role of a photographer who’s lewd enough (and brashly so) of aiming his lens to capture images of a model’s breasts. Talking about the model – look out for yet another pointless mojo of “I love you (as I hate you)” or vice versa or whatever. Coming back to the fat, unshaven, unbathed boy – he even manages to squeeze a breast of a fat whore. Why? Mere titillation-creation efforts I’d say.

The movie tries to do what many a Bollywood film since the Om Shanti Om fame have tried to do i.e. MOCK. The movie has a character named Disco Fight via which yesteryear Bollywood disco stars are being mocked at. I mean I ain’t a big advocate of white pants and glares-in-the-night disco dances some of our famed Bollywood yesteryear stars are notoriously remembered for. But I respect that cinema as a part of the decade it belonged to. I as a movie goer don’t wish to be proved the same point again and again by one film after another about how our generation would consider those scenes/films downright ham.

DB is full of clichés too – the landlord-tenant rent issues followed up by the blackmail-the-landlord-to-save-rent moment as a case in point. Vijay Raaz’s get-up ends up as a complete pull off out of Aks (remember Manoj Bajpai’s plain black loose shirt, long hair look). Vir Das manages to do a rendition (expressions included) of Rahul Bose (Jhankar Beats fame – remember the weird boss-subordinate scenes of Rahul Bose’s from JB).

The director tries to pull a connect with the audiences by branding this movie as an “English” film – something which the movie boards at cinemas proudly display (and something which previous hindi films with predominantly English dialogs didn’t – remember Mr and Mrs Iyer.) Segmenting for the audiences is a fair deal, you’d say. I’d agree. But the point here being that the movie wanted itself to be marketed for “our generation” i.e. the generation of the English-speaking, outgoing, free-sex-accepting (read the oral sex scene of the protagonist and his fiancée) youth. The protagonist Imran Khan manages to keep a stubble throughout the movie as the director continues his endeavour for establishing a connect with our generation’s young man image of the rugged, unshaven, dishevelled look (which for the record I ain’t against; what I wouldn’t vouch for though is to pull a gimmick like that sheerly to build a “connect”).

Other countless technical (logic defying) flaws – Delhi (or for that matter any major) airport does not sport Rishi Kapoor 80s (or for that matter any) Bollywood songs on their terminal tele-displays, 25+ guys staying in absolute dirty conditions with cockroaches roaming around pizza slices and orange juice (which later are used as substitutes for toilet paper) and yet having clean, ironed, fashionable sets of clothes.

All in all this movie ends up being a complete disaster, subtly put. It surely does/will have its own fan following – an ilk of youth who think this is the way forward for Bollywood cinema. I respect the “to each his own” fundamental especially when it comes to the world of Art (cinema certainly included) and in that sense of things I’d say this type of cinema was nothing short of being regressive. Rewind a few decades back – Jaane bhi do yaaron!

Mostly Pointless..

1) Italian PM Berlusconi: 30% of women would like to have sex with Berlusconi. The other 70% replied "Again?"

2) Chetan Bhagat: Profile Update - Profession: Banker, Writer, 'Thinker'

3) On superstition: "Its like expecting to have a bad day, just because you've walked under a ladder"

4) A writer who drinks a lot is actually a drinker with a writing problem

5) Mourinho (after losing to Barca in CL Foirst Leg): I only smiled and applauded the referee's decision with my thumbs up; if I would have said how I felt it would have been the end of my carreer today"

6) David Cameron on Gordon Brown : "someone (Brown) who didn’t know UK had a debt problem or not, may not be the right guy for IMF post"

7) A whole country @ 40 k GBP a night: Leichenstein

8) On being sexist: Practice makes a man perfect..Women can at least try

Car thick calling "Anacin"..

My first attempt at being a critic. Well what can I say when there are even more outrageous first attempts of people falling to new lows. I mean although Rock On didn't do even a tad of justice to its name, it still introduced a talented actor or rather re-introduced Farhan Akhtar in showing a new facet/talent of the guy. Karthik calling Karthik was yet another stereotypical "Bollywood" flick-the kind that gives the Indian Film Industry its name of Bollywood.

An utter disappointment-the first half was highly melodramatic and the dialogues extremely cliched. The typical weak-kneed hero whose low on confidence, low on the power of driving across t he point, hell I say low on life, decides to finally turn the tables on his destiny by deciding to say "No" (wish I could have said that when my friends decided to go for this movie in the first place). Nonetheless, he says "No" in a way to hit back to the cruel society who tries to take advantage of his ever accommodating nature, and destiny says "Yes" by opening his gateway to Kamyaabi ki Bulandi. He gets back his job at 4 times his previous pay package (wish I could get back 4 times the ticket money..at least the parking fee for Chrissake), a "full maal" for a girl friend (pardon my language..on second thoughts don't coz these very words were used to describe his girl friend), and success in general.

However the tables weren't gonna remain turned only once, they rollicked yet again-this time ensuring that Karthik's world becomes topsy-turvy. His confidence goes low and he decides to start working in a Tier III city job leaving aside everything aforementioned (Kismat ki Thokar!). And then what? Well the tables..Yeah. Yet again they turned and this time to try and balance the whole equation of the initial gusto of overconfidence (Kamyabi ki Bulandi) and the following one of underconfidence (Kisamt ki Thokar)..This table-turning brought him everything from the successful days minus the confidence he once exuded. Sounds like a balanced equation..Not quite eh!!

The only punch in the story is what I have missed out on (quite intentionally..to avoid being a party pooper) because I still am but an amateur critic and you my friend the typical ever-accommodating Indian audience (actually me too hence I was found in the movie hall watching this one!). So go ahead and have some fun. Meanwhile I am attending to the call I can't ever miss- Nature's. Nature calling Lalwani!! Here we go..

A new entry every year!!

I not being the like the Aamir Khan of the Blogosphere? One entry every year seems to be the latest trend to try and be cool. Jokes apart, the reason to write this article is to reflect on how things change in our lives. How we stop giving emphasis to some things we were so regular with (my previous record of a new entry every three-four months was an achievement for a consistently occurring writer's bloc phenomenon). Things have just been awfully busy for me to not get any time apart from the work and effort I put and the time I indulge in laziness thereafter. Laziness and efforts have then ensured that I post a new entry almost a year after the previous one.

There has been a lot that has gone on in the year gone by. Obama's in the limelight and out of it too (check recent President popularity polls), Osama's still out of it and yet the world lives in the same fear of mass-scale attacks, the Congress brigade is back-this time around backed by the babalog of Indian politics, Mumbai seems a little safer in the presence of the newly elected Mr Chauhan and Mr Chidambaram, the MNS seems to be dormant and Infrastructure seems to be picking up well (read: the Bandra-Worli sea link is FINALLY ready, err did I just say picking up well, and what about the metros?). Cricket still seems to be going the way it has for years i.e. inconsistent. Its said and immensely agreed with that the only thing consistent about our men in blue is the inconsistency, and yes also their sponsorship deals.

Of cyclones and the Amar Singhs passing by (from the Great Indian Politics show that is), of the rising stock market and the falling inflation, of the success of the Slumdog and the failure of the Chinese military to ingress into AP, Mumbai and India seem to be doing just fine.

With the financial turmoil looking to succumb on its knees to upcoming prosperity and job opportunities, things look set for a bryter-later day and such times to come. The eternal realist that I am, I still cannot forget that despite the bling of recent advances, we are yet a nation in the developing mode.

Just one thought to end this rather general loosely-held, gyan-filled post, if every Indian were to do precisely what he/she had to i.e. a rickshaw puller would be honest in charging fares and dropping off people wherever they wanted, a stock broker was honest enough in keeping his client's interests on top priority than his own, a company CEO would be honest enough in thinking about his workers as much as his bottom line, the country would then become a utopian state-no corruption, no inequality, no discrimination etc.

Longing for that utopian state or at least to see glimpses of it. Even one year down the line, still the same longing! Good Speed all!Am I not being the like the Aamir Khan of the Blogosphere? One entry every year seems to be the latest trend to try and be cool. Jokes apart, the reason to write this article is to reflect on how things change in our lives. How we stop giving emphasis to some things we were so regular with (my previous record of a new entry every three-four months was an achievement for a consistently occurring writer's bloc phenomenon). Things have just been awfully busy for me to not get any time apart from the work and effort I put and the time I indulge in laziness thereafter. Laziness and efforts have then ensured that I post a new entry almost a year after the previous one.

There has been a lot that has gone on in the year gone by. Obama's in the limelight and out of it too (check recent President popularity polls), Osama's still out of it and yet the world lives in the same fear of mass-scale attacks, the Congress brigade is back-this time around backed by the babalog of Indian politics, Mumbai seems a little safer in the presence of the newly elected Mr Chauhan and Mr Chidambaram, the MNS seems to be dormant and Infrastructure seems to be picking up well (read: the Bandra-Worli sea link is FINALLY ready, err did I just say picking up well, and what about the metros?). Cricket still seems to be going the way it has for years i.e. inconsistent. Its said and immensely agreed with that the only thing consistent about our men in blue is the inconsistency, and yes also their sponsorship deals.

Of cyclones and the Amar Singhs passing by (from the Great Indian Politics show that is), of the rising stock market and the falling inflation, of the success of the Slumdog and the failure of the Chinese military to ingress into AP, Mumbai and India seem to be doing just fine.

With the financial turmoil looking to succumb on its knees to upcoming prosperity and job opportunities, things look set for a bryter-later day and such times to come. The eternal realist that I am, I still cannot forget that despite the bling of recent advances, we are yet a nation in the developing mode.

Just one thought to end this rather general loosely-held, gyan-filled post, if every Indian were to do precisely what he/she had to i.e. a rickshaw puller would be honest in charging fares and dropping off people wherever they wanted, a stock broker was honest enough in keeping his client's interests on top priority than his own, a company CEO would be honest enough in thinking about his workers as much as his bottom line, the country would then become a utopian state-no corruption, no inequality, no discrimination etc.

Longing for that utopian state or at least to see glimpses of it. Even one year down the line, still the same longing! Good Speed all!

We are the system

This article is written with reference to the recent terror attacks in our city-Mumbai. Aside from the anguish and numbness I feel as a citizen (just like most of us are bound to feel at this moment of adversity) amid the ridiculous claims by some of our beloved politicians, and the unaccountable claims by the print media regarding possible delays by the NSG in executing the operations in response to the attacks, I'd like to step aside from the crux of the issue and speak about the easiest thing to do at this moment. That is the claim that most of the masses would indulge in i.e. blaming and demanding for the replacement of the entire system. When we talk about the system (one of the most discussed about topics of current-day literrati and commoners), we tend to forget, sometimes knowingly, that we are the system:we make it to say the least. The system is made to sound as if it were alien to the human tendencies of what we Indians imbibe as after all one must not forget that our system is made by people like you and me.
When we blame our politicians about corruption, laxity and the works, we don't look introspectively and realise that these are some characteristics which are not uncommon to most of us. For instance if you have been to Siddhi Vinayak in the recent past, it would be hard for you to miss the fact that corruption has become inherent in our very natures. I mean who wouldn't mind paying Rs 50 and getting ahead of the long queues to visit the shrine. I am not getting into the nittie gritties of where the Rs 50 is going. Maybe it is going for a good cause but nevertheless when we as affording devotees offer the Rs 50 to jump the queue we are certainly not looking at it from an angle of charity but rather as an angle of saving time . This is a mere example of petty amounts offered by citizens amounting to a graver problem of possible inherent corruption. Similarly how many of us have missed encountering at least a couple of instances daily (either implicitly or explicitly) of our colleagues at the workplace wantting to defer the current day's work (which might look to you as manageable without a stretch of working hours) to the next day simply because of the deferential attitude ingrained in our mentality signified by the good old native saying "Aaj ka kaam kal karo, Kal ka kaam Parso, Itni jaldi kya hai pyaare, jab jeena hai tumhe barso". Pardon the outrageously ridiculous use of proverbial terms, but to denote the fact that there are a few deficiencies we need to tune in our own selves before we can expect anything better, the usage was necessary.
Nonetheless, I am a firm believer that a substantial number of the current pool of politicians is unworthy of the statures they have been granted in current day scenarios, but I am certainly never of the opinion that the entire system is flawed. The system, if flawed to whatever extent, is in a way reflective of our atitudes, broadly speaking. Hence the claim to replace the entire system as it is flawed is a flawed claim on its own.

An ode of lamentation

About the Shri Krishna Commission Report:

On one side you have a government involved in accusations of conducting communal riots hideously, as indicated through the findings of the Shri Krishna Commission Report, while on the other is a government that has failed to implement the findings of report despite their claims to do so during their term if brought in power (that promise made 5 years back still remains to be fulfilled).
And yet you ask why I don't vote!