The following content might not be suitable for individuals below 18. Kindly read only if you are matured.
Welcome to India, the land of diverse cultures and religions, a country that basks in the glory of centuries of rich heritage and ancient traditions. Many foreign nations speak greatly about India and its diverse population, which we consider as a great asset. Over the years, we have been bragging about righteous living, be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians; those who believe in God and even the agnostics and atheists. We abstain from all vices and hate those who indulge in them, very good. We always have portrayed that we are the most simple, rooted and above all, moral and god fearing. However, there is something that bothers me about us Indians. I have a few agendas about the integrity of the very same citizens who claim to be righteously sane.
Almost every other day one or the other tabloid crops up with an article about an Indian beaten up in Australia and about the issues highlighted by racism in the rest of the world. Our activists thrive on these incidences and express trepidation; nothing wrong. But, have we given thought to our own racist conduct. Whenever parents go for potential bride/bridegroom hunting for their sons/daughters, majority of them have strong preferences, and one of them on the priority list is the preference of having a fair and bright skin prospect. And the most shocking thing is the very same society speaks ill of racism and bids for colour equality.
Sex and relationships is my absolute favourite as a topic to ponder on when it comes to Indian thoughts and practices about the same, and this is the primary reason why I am posting after a month. Dating is considered as a sin by a few and living in as a crime by most. People always think ill when they see a lad and girl hanging out together and then they say a boy and girl can never be ‘only friends’. Such great opposition against all of that whereas the same school is seen involved in extra-marital affairs and having a horrid past of multiple flings. Countless say they cannot bear the openness shown on television, and blame the media and actors for skin show, and banish such programs that they think are detrimental to the society on the whole. But the very same people are the most loyal clients of the porn industry. And the worse is to come.
My friend had once mentioned that the internet chat rooms of the most famous internet service provider are a fun place to visit. Just out of curiosity I tried it myself months back and found them rather odd. However, the curiosity of exploration pulled me in, so I went into one of the chatrooms some 25 days back after creating a different e-mail address and a fake identity. What I saw was completely shocking and bizarre. Just as I entered one of the Mumbai chatrooms, a host of people flooded my window with their IMs (Instant Messages), most of who seemed to be very friendly. However, just a 2 line conversation brought into light that they were looking for something beyond a casual chat or even friendship. Since my e-mail id is not gender suggestive they hoped that I was a female. There is this common procedure that I observed, they ask for ASL (Age/Sex/Location) and once I revealed that I am a male, several of them vanished with just a plain bye or even without a reply. However, a few remained and urged me to talk to them, either something raunchy or more straight-forwardly, they just reintroduced themselves as gays. Not only them, I also came across two transgenders and even bisexuals, some of them who offered online sex, while others were creatively putting forward a proposal of having a sexual encounter at their places, addresses of which they flashed in the open in the chatrooms. And this time I vanished too. I completely understand their urges as they are always looked down upon and completely chucked out of the society. Thus, they sought for the interested ones at such portals as they have nowhere to go. However, it was the behaviour of the straights that literally shook me. Men, and even women, openly offered such encounters, flashing their addresses and numbers. Some introduced themselves as housewives and uncles too, while some were college going teens. Hoards of working professionals also form a big participating group in there. I honestly did not want to speak to them but to know them I had to become one of them. Some women were nothing less than shameless and a disgrace, while a few others made me proud of them, as they refrained from involving in such a conversation. Some instances are so shocking that putting them in here will be inappropriate. After all this exploration and 15 odd nights of sheer filth and dirt I discovered that we are a society which has something on the face of it and is completely different from the inside. They operate on a portal where no one can identify them. Contrary to one of the most famous superheroes, Batman, they are fine in broad daylight and filth by night. And this is what aggravates me as the very same society curses the west for their so called offensive lifestyle. However, I find us at fault because the western nations have never claimed to be outright good. They portray what they are whereas I feel our country masks its underbelly and boasts about the traditions and culture, still clinging on the glory of the past.
There are several other things of this nature that one could see each day. Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 is a first-rate example. But all this is not class specific, happens at every stratum of society. Everything clearly highlights our hypocrisy, double standards, two-facedness and duplicity. All this might seem to be familiar because it has been there since ages. It cannot be overlooked though as it is more of a crisis situation.
I think we need a serious dose of introspection and self assessment. Before pointing fingers at others, we need to look within and clean the dirt. Not all but many indulge in the very same vices for which they defame other nations. How is that logical? The demons do persist in each society, and it is difficult to wipe them off completely, but then one should have a clear conscience to blame others. After all, this is what is taught at school, isn’t it? I am a complete patriot and do not think ill of our country but when it comes to veracity, I think we need to be honest and truthful. That is when we shall truly be in a position to sing our own praises. What say, Youngistaan?
