Meandering perspectives.: December 2008

It all started with a plain sms last night asking different students, girls especially, to gather near Indira Park to sign a petition regarding stricter laws and stringent action against those who commit atrocities against women. This was being done in the wake of acid attacks on 2 girls in Vijayawada, one of whom is battling for her life. So far, so good. I slept last night thinking that something constructive will be done the next day and I had the opportunity to show my solidarity for the cause. I enthusiastically messaged many female friends of mine and finally went to bed.
I started for college earlier than usual ( I normally end up missing the first hour, intentionally or unintentionally). Once I reached, I told every girl I know to come to Indira Park. The lecturer in charge of this event(Ms S) asked me to gather few more students to which I gladly agreed. After a lot of cajoling and convincing, many girls agreed. Many were ready to come, but ultimately just 20 of us made it to Indira Park(some lecturers played spoilsport by not allowing students to leave classes). I could have become disheartened, but I thought atleast a few of us would voice our concern. Little did I know that I was horribly wrong.

We reached Indira Park at around 10:30, the event was supposed to start by 10:30 and we were bang on time. We went to the place where it was supposed to take place. The woman who had asked our college students to come there was an ex-lecturer of our college. She immediately came up to us and made us sit in the front row. Ms S was yet to come as she was busy gathering few more students at the college. Meanwhile, the ex lecturer came up to us and asked us if any of us would be interested to air our views. All my friends asked me to do it and I agreed.
So we sat there waiting...waiting..waiting. It was now 11:30. We had a lab at 1. The stage was still being decorated. The mikes were still being tested( HELLO,HELLO 123!! went on for an annoying 10 minutes) To make matters worse, they started playing weird songs singing praises of "Praja-rajyam" (Chiranjeevi's political party) at such a high volume that I could feel the sound vibrations. Just when I thought that I had gone partially deaf, the music stopped. By this time I was extremely pissed. Then, out of no where we saw a truckload of women get down and make there way to the seats. These women were villagers from different areas who had come there to watch their so called cinematic "hero" Chiranjeevi.I was baffled, then it hit me like a cold hard stone. This was not an event to support those girl students who were victims of brutal attacks, but a party campaign for praja rajyam. When it struck me, I read the poster in telugu a little more carefully and it confirmed my suspicions. By now a bunch of folk singers got onto the stage and started singing( making strange incoherent noises would be more appropriate) at the top of their lungs. I was beginning to get wary of the whole thing and I had made up my mind to never vote for a person who had no respect for someone's else's time. I had made all those friends of mine to bunk the classes for this and the way it was going on was not looking good to me at all. I was mentally picturising myself kicking Chiranjeevi's shins and breaking his bones, just the way he beats up the bad guys to pulp in his absolutely senseless movies. I now totally regretted my decision to come there. Most of my friends got up and left when they saw that we were the only students present there. Just 5 or 6 of us were left. I wanted to leave as well as I felt totally cheated. But the ex lecturer wouldn't let me leave saying that the purpose would not be served if I left. Ms S finally reached the venue and the look on my face made it very apparent to her that this was a very bad idea. Both of them now started trying to convince me and my friends to stay. The ex lecturer said that those village women had been made to come because for someone like Chiranjeevi to "grace" a particular event, enough crowd should be gathered.( Balls to him! I thought). After dilly dallying there for another 15 minutes, we finally decided to leave. We were just in time for the lab mercifully.

I have briefed out a first hand account of how an issue is politicized in this country. The women who had gathered there had no idea about the girl student Swapnika who was battling for her life. They had no clue about Srilakshmi who was brutally hacked to death by her stalker in broad daylight, in front of her classmates. Nor did they know about Ayesha who was pushed to her death from her hostel balcony and later her head was smashed with a boulder, just to make sure she was actually dead.
There are many such ghastly incidents. But this was cleverly circumvented into a political agenda with a rally comprising these illiterate women. As I watched the hapless faces of many women who had come there, I couldn't help but think how hopeless our political system was. These politicians thrive on the gullibility of these ignorant people and piggy back their way to the top, conveniently forgetting the promises made, which we educated people call the "political rhetoric". How easily these people get fooled by it all and we educated people actually pride ourselves in seeing through the sham.
I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that the whole premise of the event was just a political propaganda and nothing else. I was rendered deeply sad by the fact that whether we like it or not, it is us, who elect these blood sucking leeches to power. Its a miserable tragedy where we are forced to choose a lesser evil and hope for the best. I'm totally disillusioned today and I have every reason to be so.

Meandering perspectives.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Poli-'acid'-itize..

Friday, December 5, 2008

I have a dream..