Starting today we present “The Spotlight Series: Different views, different voices”, a collection of essays on contemporary and relevant issues. Our guests include some of the finest thought-provoking writing talent from, but not limited to, our blogosphere.
The essays will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can find them under the “Spotlight” page as well as under the “Spotlight Series” tag in the sidebar. We thank our guest authors for taking out time to write for us and are sure our readers will enjoy reading the posts.
The first instalment in the series is on the topic “Being liberal in contemporary India” and is written by Dilip D’Souza. Coming up soon.
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There is a fine line of difference between provoking thought and simply provoking.
I entreat you to refrain from such pointless debates and request you -please don’t incite and inflame passions related to issues of race, caste, religion and personal mores and values at such crucial junctures when all around there is such fragile enviroments. These are all personal decisions and can remain so if forums such as these refrain from provoking readers. Leave that to politicians who crave limelight and media who crave sensationalism.
Responsibility of the intellengsia is to ensure focus limited resources -including that of time and talent-to nation building activities. Plant trees, educate the uneducated and clean up the neighbourhood or write too. Influence policy and laws. At all times the “soap- box” approach akin to the racous talk shows on television only acheive nothing much except indulging in non-stop activism (that too only for select issues) and de-sensiting the populace to issues. Please practice what is preached in your personal lives and lead by example.
Just as there is no need for moral policing there is no need for any moral advocacy either.
It is important to understand the relationship between Activism and Awareness- It is saving the nation v/s serving the nation.
There is a huge need today for serving the nation and strengthening the hands that serve too.
deepa,
interesting that you should club together ‘race, caste, religion and personal mores and values at such crucial junctures when all around there is such fragile enviroments’.
don’t you see that some of those are not ‘personal decisions’?
>There is a huge need today for serving the nation and strengthening the hands that serve too.
I have to ask you something here, Deepa. Whose nation are we talking about? Jawaharlal Nehru’s (a man who nevertheless I admire, albeit for other reasons) call to adivasis who were displaced during the construction of the mega projects in the 50s. He said some people need to sacrifice for the development of the ‘nation’.
Who or what is this mythical nation? Whose development are we talking about? Perhaps it may be fine for someone who reaps the benefits of this ‘development’ not to ask bothersome questions.
For others, it is a need, and it is necessary that we keep on asking the same questions again and again.
@kufr- nope.
@bhupinder-the nation of India.
Deepa: exactly what is threatening this nation that one needs to shut up? Is there an emergency? The only thing your comment says to me is that those whose interests are best served by an uncritical public have succeeded in their task of frightening enough people into silence. What will happen if we speak about race or caste, or class or gender issues? Name one adverse side-effect of such a debate.
And what do you know about what the contributors do or do not do in their private lives outside of the essays they post here that contribute to what you call nation-serving, that you say that the one has to be given up for the sake of the other?
deepa,
thinking through, i’ve come to realize that your comment is actually a huge compliment to us. probably, the best so far. hope to continue to live upto your expectations and keep ‘provoking’ such compliments.
Hmmm. Since There is some dissent here, i would like to state I am all for such things for personal reasons I cant share here.
And I dont know if it is good practice to respond to a comment view expressed here , Im doing it now, please feel free to warn me if it is not.
Hey Deepa,
”Just as there is no need for moral policing there is no need for any moral advocacy either”.
yes please.
Regards
Well Deepa,
“I entreat you to refrain from such pointless debates and request you -please don’t incite and inflame passions related to issues of race, caste, religion and personal mores and values at such crucial junctures when all around there is such fragile enviroments.”
I would say that debates are necessary. Passion needs to be inflamed.
Because the environment has been ‘made’ fragile for serving some interests.
But if you think that debates are carried out only for the sake of debating (and hence pointless), i do not know how to respond; for that could be ‘only’ one of the probable reasons.