Threats and protests against a south Indian actress for making some public comments on pre-marital sex. The so called activists burning effigies of people who came forward to support this lady.
My interest or rather my want to read the news papers is fading out with every morning that passes by, because every time I pick up a paper, I HAVE to read about similar incidents, along with news about corruption, blasts, murders and the 'obvious-but-insensitive-urge-to-dominate-this-universe' acts of Mr. Big Bully coupled with our Dubya man trying to please his daddy. I lose my appetite each morning, in a vain effort to digest such news. Now I am pissed off, and I always mean it when I say it, I guaran-damn-tee, and I thought I would pen my thoughts in red ink and bold letters and in upper case. So, first, the issue that I have mentioned above.
This is only the latest incident where people have protested against and threatened other people for speaking their opinion in public about some undeniable aspect of our lives. There have been many such incidents in the past, many. The situation in some cases has become so worse that people actually have to think before they can speak their minds out. Terribly unfortunate, if I might add. But, if I remember correctly, my Civics teacher at my school taught me that every citizen of India will have a few fundamental rights, and more specifically the right to freedom of speech and expression. I thought as long as we do not hurt any other person or group’s fundamental rights, we were good to go. Did I miss anything here?
For the no-use-for-the-country activists, read and weep:
“Fundamental Rights are those rights which are considered necessary for the development of the personality of an Individual. They are included in the constitution so that every citizen can enjoy them and no one is able to encroach upon them. Only when an emergency is declared, these rights can be suspended by the central government. ”
These fundamental rights are:
1. Right to freedom, comprising of:
Right to freedom of speech & expression
Right to assemble peacefully & without arms.
Right to form associations & unions
Right to freedom of movement throughout India.
Right to practice any profession or to carry out any occupation, trade or business
2. Right to equality
3. Cultural & Educational Rights
4. Right to Religious Freedom
5. Right against Exploitation
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies
So my dear activists please go sulk on something else. Get a life, for yourselves, and let us live on ourselves.
Irrespective of the rights we have or we don’t, the point I am trying to make is simple. I love my country. I am proud of its heritage and its culture. I just cannot sit and bear all the crap that’s going around. There are so many more problems prevailing in this country. If you want to shout, shout for a valid, just cause; a cause worthy to be read about and worthy of everyone’s support, a cause worthy of this country and its true people. But never ever shout just because you can or you want to. Work hard and help yourselves. It is ok even if you do not even help others. If we do our job honestly, and in a dirt-free and pure-from-heart manner, then it would be such a better place to live in and the papers would be such more colorful to read.
If only. If only.
