Daily Post 1383
FRUITLESS DISCUSSION
The utility of discussion, of worthwhile debate, of deliberations leading to findings leading to some improvements, academic discussion to ignite minds for a purpose and finally a large proportion of youngsters brimming with thinking minds, where there is no glass ceiling at least in thinking. It is presumed that the glass ceiling will break in every area in ways, we would not have imagined of. The billion dollar question is whether the discussion in this country is primarily fruitful or fruitless? If we come with the final finding of discussion being fruitless, what are the consequences thereof and is there any mechanism of reversing it? The crux of the matter is that have we lost our way? Are we happy with cliches because we don’t have the will and the stamina to do anything worthwhile.
The discussion has been on, on an encounter since morning, the same fruitless discussion which happened around six months back in a similar incident, the social media up in full arms, with memes and what not. The rule of law, the black sheep, we should have one voice, law and order vs the political stance, the shrill voices to see the nebulous but well known underbelly of Indian politics / governance / policing, are all standard brigades with the stereotype arguments. They have not delivered anything as yet and are not likely to deliver anything in the near future. This becomes a fruitless discussion. The tragedy of the matter is that you can sell any narrative if you have the capability to do so.
If you repeat the same story a thousand times or even more, with no new visuals or any new fact or opinion, is it a fruitless exercise for the nation. What do we gain out of it? Are minds not getting vitiated to the extend, that what is being marketed as syrup turns out to be water. The concept of rule of law taking its own course is used in such an umpteen variety, that it would put the best jurists to shame. Lots of this fruitless discussion emanates out of a vested agenda and an effort to substantiate, when the knowledge base is at best limited to a few jargons, the meaning and context, those persons would find very difficult to decipher.
Can a modern democracy live and survive on fruitless discussion being the mainstream of its public and intellectual life and complete absence of any discussion, where they are legally mandated to do so. They owe it to the nation. There are dozens of bills being passed the last day of the state legislative and parliamentary sessions without even a modicum of debate. The TV talk shows have created a new base level, no one had ever imagined, even the day long coverage is of the same level, then social media accentuated it with even abuse becoming common parlance, and the discussions in parliamentary forums plummeted. What is our future as a democracy when we are engaged only in fruitless discussion and it’s repetition endlessly?
IN A DEMOCRACY, FRUITLESS DISCUSSION ON ALL IT’S FORUMS IS AN INDICATION OF ITS NEMESIS.
Sanjay Sahay