There is a saying that “empty
vessels make the most sound”...
It is the Indian way. Be it music,
politics, humor, movies, a brawl, discussion (on TV and otherwise) or anything
else it is loud and colourful while being less appealing to the senses and
tickling the sensibilities. We see a sense for drama in all activities. The usually
reticent MMS, PM of India, addresses the Nation on serious matters and says during
his speech “money does not grow on trees...”. To this a CM (Modi N.) retorts
“for the congress money grows on 2G and coal....” or words to that
effect...both irresponsible and theatrical utterances, trivialising matters to
nonsensical depths. In the rhetoric the purpose is lost intentionally and
unintentionally.
But noise creation is in the gene
of an Indian. His Gods revel in noise. Last evening as I returned home from
office, I encountered a traffic hold up on a road which was a one way path
precisely to prevent such hold ups. Vehicles were seen coming from the
direction of no go. The procession of vehicles - cars, tractors et al - were
accompanied by bands playing a cacophony of tunes from the latest movies.
People were dancing on the roads in frenzy normally attributable to
inebriation. Majestically perched on the tractor was an idol of Lord Ganesha being taken for the immersion.
Who can grudge Lord Vigneswara the
annual hold ups as he is instrumental in removing all vignam (obstruction) in our lives for the next year....but couldn’t
we do with some less noise?
Most of us work in the extremes.
If it is not a loud mouth interaction we indulge in small talk and skip the
functional topics. This happens exactly in our debates and discussions aired on
live TV. The discussions seem to be for the sake of discussions....but for a
change last night there were two discussion which I felt were refreshing...one
anchor was alternately airing an MLA from a particular National party leading a
‘Rajhdani’ rail roko agitation and
irate passengers (aam adhmi?)
expressing their ire. The spokesperson form that particular party was visibly
embarrassed when asked “do you support this?” He of course was initially
evasive but finally had to concede that the ‘the law must take its own course” in such matters! The second was
by another channel about the killing of a democratically elected panchayat member in the Kashmir Valley.
The panelist from the two major parties and one sympathiser from a minor party
in the Valley had to admit that militancy controlled from Pakistan was still
rampant in the Valley! In both cases there was something appealing to the
senses rather than tickling the sensibilities.
Just sound bites will not fill the
pot...we will remain hungry as long as the pot is empty...
