Had few Bollywood filmstars not passed away within last few months, we wouldn't have known that "2020 IS VERY BAD"!
Also, it seems that previously nobody had committed suicide in India or nobody had suffered or is suffering from the dreaded problem of depression! It seems that the whole health infrastructure of the nation have crumbled to pieces in an instant following a suicide! Even our gallant march towards 10,000 Covid-deaths isn't invoking such massive health-related discussion in practically all forums!
Any death is very unfortunate. But, why such scandalous selected cries upon passing away of selected privileged few; either due to natural factors (prolonged disease) or artificial/self-inflicted (suicide)! Are their lives more precious than the rest! They were in the trade for sheer money; neither was they Mother Teresa nor Kailash Satyarthi dedicating their lives for selfless service towards the cause of the vulnerable folks!
And also it remains the fact that billions of Indians are in much more disadvantageous position in all respect than any popular face; but they continue their relentless fight against all possible odds with head held high! SALUTE TO THOSE UNCONQUERED FIGHTERS.
And it is very much well known how general Indian society treat those who suffer from depression or are in psychological treatment! Be it relatives neighbours or colleagues --- those unfortunate lot regularly get mocked abused ridiculed neglected deprived and taunted as "Mad" "Lunatic" when the fact remains that Mads and Lunatics also deserve love respect empathy dignity and entitled rights as human beings! Yet that very hypocrite society is now immersed in an ocean of tears for the passing away of a favourite glamorous member!
Alas, tragic death of 12-year old migrant labourer daughter of "ELITE" "MIGHTY" India Jamalo Makdam to hundreds of honest poor hard workers losing their lives abruptly upon highways or railway tracks, thanks to the callous reckless decision of instant lockdown; hardly invoke a single drop of tear in this Bollywood-obsessed society!
It seems we reside in Great Indian "Filmocracy" --- OF THE BOLLYWOOD, FOR THE BOLLYWOOD, BY THE BOLLYWOOD!
Next the notorious "joke" doing the rounds in social media --- "Dear Corona, the SC/ST/OBCs get priority in this part of the world. I am the general category. Please remember!"
In a democratic nation, anybody holds full right to oppose reservation policy; but this type of heartless insensitive "jokes", that too amidst this human crisis, reflects the crude vulgar casteism prevalent in the society!
Just like many others, this correspondent also resides 100 per cent against the policy of caste-based reservation in higher education and service. Irrespective of demographic factors, people languishing in economic scale should be awarded education books and coaching absolutely free or in nominal cost. But thereafter entry in higher education sector or in service and during promotions, merit knowledge efficiency should have the final say; else not only it would arrive as a great disservice to the meritorious candidates, even quality of service in all sectors is also bound to fail posing a fatal blow upon the society.
But never should antipathy towards reservation policy be given racial/casteist colours and the beneficiaries be attacked in personal terms. Regularly do I witness in our office how much junior colleagues of us (who at first entered the service sector through the privilege of quota itself) supersede their much-senior colleagues also at a point of time and continue to get preferential treatment in every opportunity of promotion. On policy level, it is indeed disgusting to witness this discrimination against the "general category"; but we should not blame our SC/ST/OBC colleagues in personal terms for such injustice! When they are receiving certain privileges from the government, they are bound to take advantage of it and it is well within their legal rights. Similarly, one is absolutely right to harbour opinion against reservation policy, but the beneficiaries should not become their personal target of contempt!
Unfortunately this distasteful social media "joke" directly prays for infection and/or death of certain caste groups by sparing others which is indeed very cruel crude and selfish.
Principled war should not be degraded to personal war and we cannot sacrifice our sanity decency and dignity while protesting against any policy, however discriminatory or ruthless it might be.
