This is the era of knowledge predominance,
so much technology, Brilliance etc. But we have not emerged from our decadent
mindsets yet. Look at the kind of "education” our entertainment industry
provides us. We talk about equality, rights of women, leveling out the society,
going back to "family", respecting women (huge one, this!)
Women, even today, are depicted in the
worst ways. Watch an Indian or Pakistani drama (similar people in both countries)
and the most prominent theme is women bashing, subservience and ill treatment
of women, woman against woman (as in mother in law and sister in law),
intrigue, attempt by the family to destroy the daughter in law because of dowry
(sick!) or the obsessive tendencies of the mother in law and sisters in law to
control the "son" of the family...COME ON!
And we talk of changing our world by making
it progressive. We know that generations after generations internalize these
situations, machinations, dangerous and vicious intrigue and vicarious pleasure
at the downfall of others. So much so that we copy reel life and paste it in
real life.
In real life, we may not have women
characters retiring for the night in their finest heavy saris and jewelry but
we do have the masses enjoying all the politics and deviousness in families on
television and don't necessarily forget about them to go into loving and caring
ways with the family, friends and society.
The thinkers say it is their choice to see
what appeals to them and that you can't dictate what should be produced and
aired. But the appeal of exposure to and specially the enjoyment of such
dramas/ serials can be vital to the health of family, community and country, because
they create regressive attitudes and "license to kill" with self
indulgence of every kind. These are people who specialize in herd mentality and
don't have opinions of their own. AND, they idolize actors and juxtapose their
roles in their own lives, the erosion of values, Eve teasing, violations of
women, these gain momentum. But we don't have any forum to exorcise our people
of thinking and behavioral patterns, including a corrupt judiciary and police.
What all are we going to and HOW are we
going to clean up these to add to the “swachh Bharat" endeavor? If insides
are rotting, what cleanliness can we see outside? We will have understood the
wholesome and vast implications of "swachh" first.
Surekha Kothari
surekhakothari.wordpress.com
