Friday, July 8, 2011

U 2 G!


“Face devoid of voice is a void”, this is what I strongly feel. But let us face the fact that with the advent of Facebook, face has truly acquired multi-dimension.

In the days past, face was referred to as “Face is the index of mind”, and rightly so, because more often than not, the face registers the emotions arising within. So in the context of the current rage and terminologies in vogue, we can safely redefine face as “Face is a book that indexes the emotions and feelings”.

The kids who normally avoid the face of a book, lap up the prospect of interacting through facebook: be it on their PC or lappy (as laptop is fondly referred to); their most trusted friend. Not only the kids, we adults too prefer to ‘book’ what we wish to state, inform or want to know. Thus almost everything that could be virtually shared is done really through it.  We connect and stay connected through sharing the happenings of our life—from plain mundane to grave. Thus it has become a SPECTRUM of CONNECTIONS, knowing no bounds.

As our nation has become a SPECTRUM connecting the PARTNERS engaged in innumerable frauds and scams, through a sharing of their common agenda—filling their coffers. Well serving one’s pocket is not wrong as our first duty is towards the self. But when that service becomes a disservice to the nation, pockets being filled with the money not meant for those pockets it becomes a selfish act. Not only that these people also fail to understand that by doing what they are, they are selling their own selves…and pocketing the proceeds, as a deed of this sale.

No wonder yet another scam, in an endless list, shows the face of this wide spectrum of dishonesty. Names being scalped, appear mockingly, with a U 2 G (“aap bhi” when translated in Hindi) reaction elicited from public and friends alike! The 2 G spectrum issue has become 2 Grave. The “grav-ity” of the situation, when looked at from the angle of the politicians, has the potential to turn into a grave for the political careers of the named persons involved in the scam. Though yes, we are quite accustomed to see U turns 2, when faced with such sensitive issues (read: the high-profile public figures). “Hush-hush” is the acceptance perforce, for “We, the People”, who select our representatives…and who have no other option indeed but to accept the (mis)deeds of their chosen ones.

And here I don’t wish to name names, as “What’s in a name?”, when we know that such acts are prevalent, with each day a new name, with a new face, replacing the other or joining the other, as a partner in crime. Furthermore, the face-behind-the-face remains hidden, there being no book to book their faces.
  
And it is not only these public-servants who are enchanted with such acts. We in general think that it is very easy to take others for a ride, and enjoy the receipts when effectively there hasn’t been any such ride. We love to manipulate others…and fictitious acts attract us.

But let us face it…whom are we manipulating, who are we ruining and most important, from whom are we running? Whose face are we saving? Ultimately the face has to face the face of its own self, in the hush of its inner calm. And then it realizes of having de-faced its own self.

I don’t know in entirety the Constitution of the Country, but I know this much for sure that it has been converted into a Constitution of Hypocrisy, from that of Democracy…and the country is progressing in spite of that. But when it comes to Constitution of the Self, hypocrisy persisted with leads to regression of the Self… forcing one to draw solace when one finds company, with a U 2 G!

While we the citizens of the country, exclaim with shame—as we have become shock-resistant—U 2 G!

Sushmita Mukherjee,
8th July, 2011.