Stereotyping Action

Sitting in front of the television,surfing through the channels,i paused at the one screening Rang De Basanti.The scene that was being played was of the candle vigil and the lathi charge by the police.That's when my friend remarked,"Is this democracy where a peaceful march is also not allowed?!"At that point something clicked me,instead of her question.

What sensitized me was the fact that how candle vigils and peace marches have been stereotyped in today's times.The verb-march,has become too common to raise eyebrows.Here,i am not mocking the idea of carrying out peaceful events,but the real motive behind them has kind of got lost.And that motive is CHANGE.

Whether it is marches against high prices,cutting of trees for Common Wealth Games in Delhi,or any other event for that matter;the term peaceful march has become a synonym to the phrase:"Let's create an uproar!"and it makes me wonder,does this really help?The last time i observed a real action by the masses,was when the Mumbaikars decided to boycott paying taxes as a revolt against the 26/11 terrorist attacks.That was a step which really stood out as an example of making the concerned authorities realise the power of the public.

Here, in all the hustle-bustle of everyday life,where half of the time we overlook all the wrong deeds that are happening around us-ranging from autorickshaw drivers charging outrageous prices to,we,unintentionally promoting child labour by buying roadside accessories from little children;what we emphasize upon is a march for any highlighted event!If we look carefully,we have very grave issues surrounding us all the time,whether it is:

>pollution check(as we never turn off our cars' engines at a traffic signal or do we?!),

>conservation of water on a daily basis,

>ensuring our surroundings are clean,

It seems funny to me,but the fact remains that whatever grabs eyeballs makes news and whatever keeps going on silently,passes unnoticed and that is where we make the mistake.If we talk about changing the whole system,then mere marches and protests won't do the job.Being conscious of every action we take will lead to self-realisation and help in making us take conscious decisions,thus improving the society as a whole;ultimately leading to a better nation.All this might seem very far-fetched dream right now,but then change does not occur in the blink of an eye.