Shaheen Dhada was arrested for her comment on facebook concerning the shutdown in Mumbai following Bala Saheb's death. Stranger is the fact that her friend Renu was arrested for liking the comment. It is very strange that people do not understand the meaning of democracy. There is no tolerance towards criticism. It has to be accepted that sane criticism in a democracy, made in proper language, has to be accepted - it does not matter what/whom the criticism is against. The criticism may be against anybody - it may be against the government, it may be against a certain custom, it may be against a religion, it may be against anything and anybody. It may stir emotional sentiments, but as long as it makes sense, and does not hurt the interests of anybody/any Government/any religion/any custom or tradition, or anything else, there should be no reason why some Government should arrest two girls for a harmless post in facebook (one for posting, and the other for liking the post), or some professor of some university for emailing a cartoon to somebody. It is shameful that we are ruled by people who do not have an inkling of what democracy is, what criticism is, who cannot accept healthy criticism, and also who either do not have the requisite quantity of gray matter in their brains that enables them to deal with criticism, or they have the gray matter but do not use it or do not know how to and where to use it. Shame!
One more thing - why in the name of hell was the clinic of Shaheen's uncle ransacked? What had that person done? It is indeed very shameful that hooligans are occupying those places where supposedly educated and informed people should be.
Is India not heading towards becoming a country of dictators? I think that 50 years from now, the word democracy will have some other meaning in India!
3 comments:
Egad, it took you almost a whole year to write a new post! You really should write a little more often...
Look at what has been happening on my blog. You are lamenting that so many people in power cannot take even decent, reasonable criticism; I am having to fight off people who do not know what criticism means, and how much civilized criticism hinges on good manners and sane logic and marshalled facts. Which is the worse of the two?
It is more likely that in India we are heading not towards dictatorship but rather towards a wild, chaotic mobocracy. I keep analysing the reasons why on my own blog, so I won't elaborate here. But it is good that even in this day and age some young people like you still keep thinking about such things: all cures come from thinking. The really frightening thing is that most people (including 'educated' people) don't think any more.
Sir
The people those who are raising questions against the established systems, facts are the philosophers and they have the valuable contribution towards the development. In our India they are in such a position where they can not express themselves. But one day it will be a blast.
Subha.. In my opinion people mingle positive criticism with taunts. This is what sparks emotions. I reckon there must be some literate people who could distinguish between them and control such hooliganism and whimsical behavior of those who are entrusted with powers that we provided them by our precious votes. Some one from Times of India, (I cannot recall his name and designation) asked the CM of Maharashtra to order the police to arrest the hooligans or else he is incompetent to run the state. Why are our dear leaders always in fear of losing their vote banks if they take certain steps to help the ones suffering???
If we go by the constitution it states each Indian citizen has the freedom of speech and has the right to express his feelings. So, on what ground does this barbarism stand?? If you are not willing to accept criticism means you do not want to succeed or change the order of things.
I guess this cannot and should not continue for long or else the day will surely come when we will be under Hitler??
Post a Comment