I Wonder...

I wonder how a large chunk of people very smartly but conveniently portray an image of a citizen very much concerned about the real rural India, the aam junta aka ‘mango people’ and show the connection they have with them. They also are the ones who seldom travelled through different parts of the country apart from some luxurious beaches and selected hill stations. They avidly read the ‘internet’ editions of the newspapers to ‘connect’ with the people! And they visit the sports websites to know about the most irrelevant matches & upcoming cricket teams around the world, including teams from countries even historians won’t recognize. They love to visit the best of the restobars to have a go at a premium scotch with the best of the chicken delicacy and then suddenly jump into discussing about the rotting grains. Nothing wrong in discussing about your own country sitting in a cozy pub, but thinking that you only know everything, you only understand the country and you have seen enough life is like Amar Singh talking about his concerns for poor and administration skills!

The good thing is that these people do keep themselves updated and generally have a good knowledge base, but bad part is they become intellectual hypocrites (could not find a better word here). And the number of such people is on a rise in India which is quite alarming. They are the self proclaimed know-alls like our very own moral brigades. Only difference is the brigades go on vandalizing public properties, and these guys forget where is their ‘switch off’ button to the never ending self-owned-self-approved-database.

Some very common examples/arguments these people get into are comparing personalities they root for just to showcase their connection with people. And they always differentiate these personalities based on their ‘popularity’ not their ‘credibility’! They root for Himesh singing quality as compared Shaan/KK giving the big excuse that the ‘masses’ listen him. They back Salman’s acting ability to Ajay’s saying that he reaches to the mass. They believe a Suhel Seth is a crap compared to Lalu Yadav as Suhel only talks. And Lalu works! I wonder. They give statements like Vinod was a better player than Sachin(they claim their coach said it) but as Sachin showcased himself, that’s why he got selected. I mean for God’s sake, you are questioning Sachin’s credibility; and it’s not like Vinod never has been given a chance to play for the nation! These corporate guys sit in their office canteens to discuss what they saw in NDTV last night, but when being confronted will pass comments that it’s very easy for these ‘English news channels’ and their ‘panelists’ to just talk than go to the grassroots’ level to see what’s happening. But they forget those who are sitting in the panel have either come from ground zero or have seen more life than them. Basically, these people have logic of their own to fight for their ‘mass figures’ with their own statistics and always shy away when a constructive argument kicks off and deviate the topic to any extreme at any point. They talk about promoting sports other than cricket but never complaints about the infrastructure our government provides them. They believe that it is not easy to manage such a big country and we should just let things work as it is working since ages. They also read Economic Times and blogs but hate those who create it saying that they only belong to ‘class’ not the ‘mass’. They talk about ‘women emancipation’ and at the same time believe that a woman’s real place is in kitchen not anywhere outside!

The problem with such pseudo-intellect-hypocrites is primarily their ‘ego’ and a ‘thinking’ which they create with their own rules, and these ingredients finally result in making them feel that they are the ‘best’. Worse is, they even tell that they are the best… gosh! The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become. They change their priorities often just to pop their head out in the crowd without thinking what are they leaving behind. A time will come they themselves will wonder how to define ‘priorities’!

Comments

souvagya said…
Well written...Ya thats true these type of hypocrite corporate guys are growing !!! but one thing for sure they are not only discussing problems of india only with a glass of whisky...Few examples are
> Arranging & donating blood donation activity atleast thrice in 2 yeras..I know one guy whose count has reached 14 at this very young age!!!!
> Contributing NGOs every month by different ways like money,visist to old age home
> They are now taking green environment activity seriously & soon u will find new revolution in corporate world
There are a lot of activity & a lot yet to come...Our corporate world may not able to give proper time as work load & responsibility many times blocking their way..

As per judging who is better amir or salman,himesh or KK we can't decide..i believe that we should respect one's view..I myself don't believe in self made Gods in india...still i respect them as i knew personally a lot of people have befitted by them..Again bad phase & good phase are part of life..if we will stand beside the person during bad phase he will recover from that...

BTW a lot to write !!! as time doesn't permit will come back latter..

All the best bro..Keep writing..
Chiranjiit said…
I do agree with Jinu to a very good extent…quite an impressive piece of observation. I mean in this fast paced world where people have lots of responsibilities to full fill & lots of things to do, while the clock keeps on ticking away, it’s not always possible to start from the grass root level. Moreover if one makes an effort to be aware about the happenings at the grassroots level by loading himself with facts n figures from various sources, is smart enough to validate it’s authenticity and above all feels oneself capable & emphatic enough towards the cause that one supports or is passionate about, then why one should waste time & resources going to these levels, rather spending it in garnering support in form of money, public awareness etc right from the comfort of his AC cabin would do the society more good. It’s not that people who start from the grass root level are not doing good rather it is that even if one does not starts from the grass roots level still he can do good to various causes & the society as a whole in an effective & efficient way… in fact they are doing as we can see from the observations that Jinu has made. Big or small it’s always the contribution & the thought behind that should count, not whether one belongs to the ‘class’ or ‘mass’. As far as self-made God or person who consider themselves best are concerned, as Jinu said whether we believe in them or not still we should respect them because its take a lot of dedication and more often going through a lot of hardships & sacrifice to become what they are today. Whether it’s Sachin, Salman or Shahrukh all have some loop holes and gone through really bad phases of life yet they have always emerged as ‘larger than life figures’ not just because of their strong grit & determination but also because we stood by them during their bad phases & more importantly coz of their family, friends & relatives who provided unflinching love & support & believed in them all through.
So bro everything more or less concentrates to one point i.e. as long as you are humane & you have a heart, you are a responsible citizen of the country and is willing to contribute to the society in some form or other, and above all you have the love & support of all those who means a lot to you..then whether you consider yourself self made God or feel you are the best or whether you want to remain in the ‘mass’ or belong to ‘class’, it should not bother you nor the society should be bothered by it… keeping in view the larger picture in mind.
Subhajit said…
@ Both: First of all, it is a broad observation for long and not just a single day thing. At the same time, whatever one does for the society is always a great thing, but that does not mean that he/she gets the liberty to push his/her thoughts/beliefs on others.

I do agree with the points Jinu raised here and a bit confused with Jiit's comments.
Mandrake said…
Well written, but not well conceived.
why do you judge, corporate diplomats? By doing so, what are you turning yourself into?

As they say, opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. It's just that the erudite and the elite have more means of being heard, or in case to point here, being judged for their actions, and hence your rant falls into place.
You tell me, what will individuals connect upon, apart from professional capacities? Common topics to talk on would involve, politics, literature etc.. and yes lot of incoherent statements shall be made. Now, who's forming the opinion ? Do you think journalists hide behind corporate talk and over-hear, to ascertain Himess Bhai's popularity ?

Rest my case.
Subhajit said…
@ Soumya: Each one of us has a side that has a shade of this particular syndrome I mentioned, which includes me, but with fluctuating degrees.

What bothers me is why to have two-faces in different platforms! Why to be a part of the group that has the chance of winning a debate on a particular time just to change the color at the very next moment!

This particular rant of mine is the result of some good amount of years of experiencing the corporates, understanding the media; at the same time my connection with the rural India throughout.

BUT I do buy your comment to a great extent.