Saturday, September 02, 2006

Vulgar Celebrations & Fundamental Rights !

There is just one word to describe the way we celebrate our festivals ... VULGAR !

Over the years, we have seen how our celebrations have been degraded into a vulgar display of money, power, clout and attitude. And we have spared no festival, right from Ganesh Chaturthi ... to Janmashtami .... to Christmas ... to Eid .. to Holi.. to Diwali .. to Ambedkar Jayanti (Ha!) to Mahavir Jayanti .. to Navratri .. the list is endless.

I guess only the Parsis have not yet succumbed to this yet .. I have yet to see the friendly "Bawas" make a vulgar display at Pateti ! Kudos to them !!

NEW FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS !
Each such "celebration" has spawned some new Fundamental Rights:
1. The Right To Use The Loudspeaker Whenever (and Wherever) I Want
2. The Right To Erect A Pandal Wherever I Want
3. The Right To Collect Money And Not Be Accountable For Expenses
4. The Right To Block The Road During Processions
5. The Right To Use (and Abuse) The Law In The Name Of My Festival
6. The Right To Use A Political Plank (or Politician) To Further My Religion

I resent the fact that we have allowed these "Rights" to become automatically "enforceable" by those who want them !

What I'd really like to see .. is another set of Rights ... for the common man:
1. The Right To Stop A Procession From Obstructing Traffic
2. The Right To Stop An Offensive Loudspeaker
3. The Right To Remove A Pandal From The Middle Of The Road
4. The Right To Prevent Any Politician or Political Party From Endorsing/Supporting (or Otherwise Participating) In Any Religious Festival

If the first list is a given .. why is it so hard for the second list to become a reality ?

Needs a lot more gumption to do that I guess, but the day we are able to do it, is the day we will truly enjoy an Independent India.

Well ... and that's how I feel ...

1 comment:

pitfinder said...

Gee, we've had people start riots here in the past because their favorite sports team won. Yes, won.
I hear the soccer fans in Europe get pretty bad sometimes.

I guess the world is getting smaller all the time.