While a lot is being said or shouted, to be more precise, with regards Galaxy and its implications, most of it comes from two extremely polarized perspectives – the winners and the losers. What we actually need is a totally objective view on the state of things in IITK. Let me make an attempt.
Rivalry between certain halls has long gone beyond being competitive and healthy rivalry. People derive more pleasure out of seeing their rivals fail than in succeeding themselves. We have neither learnt to be humble victors nor gracious losers. The fact that we never consider losing in a competition as an outcome of fair play is testimony to this. At the same time, we never are willing to think of our wins as outcomes of poor judging. Before we begin accusing each other of behaving in a certain manner it might do us a whole lot of good to ask ourselves how we would have acted had we been in their place. Is there really a difference between students that is defined by the hostel he/she resides in??
Halls (including Hall 6) other than the two majorly squabbling ones deserve much more respect than they are accorded. Their apparent ‘inferiority’ when it comes to competition is due to factors that surely do not include the lack of talent. All of us need to be sensible enough to recognize the fact that talent is equally divided amongst all hostels simply because students are randomly sorted into these.
Now that Galaxy has been revived and done with, questions are being raised about the point of having a competition that some say only brings out the ‘worst’ in us. When will we realize that the fault is not in Galaxy? The fault lies in us. Deflecting the blame to something which wouldn’t protest is hardly manly. We need to wake up to the fact that if things continue the way they are, we stand to lose a lot. This is the time to introspect instead of trying to find fault with the way things have shaped up because of ‘THEM’.
As I write this post, I know that combing operations are on at the very Taj Heritage lobby where I had the chance to ogle at Graeme Smith, Shane Watson and the likes. The seat on which the CNN IBN reporter then sat might now be crimson or black depending on the number of hours that have passed since the latest ‘colors’ were splattered on it. The ever-warm VT station which welcomed my group of friends whenever we went hanging out at the Marine Drive is now a picture of cold horror. The snap of the well-lit Oberoi which is the screensaver of my cell-phone no longer gets me nostalgic.
After all this, I am expected to be resilient, expected to keep the ‘spirit’ of Bombay intact, expected to bounce back. Most of us Mumbaikars then proudly do exactly what we are expected to do putting up a brave front and bragging in front of others that life goes on. Living in fear isn’t what we are known for. Let me ask you a simple question – Is this ‘bravado’ justified? What have we survivors lost to be resilient? Only those who have fallen can bounce back. I haven’t got a scratch and neither have my friends or family. Who are we to proclaim that we don’t get bogged down by such ‘cowardly’ acts? Deep within, all of us, including myself are glad that we weren’t at any of the places that were targeted.
As has been pointed out by many, the political system in place in the country is largely responsible for the inefficient handling of the situation. It’s not the police or the NSG that are incompetent, the problem lies with the white-collar babus who somehow feel that they are best suited to decide the nation’s security policies. Some of these wimps even have the audacity to suggest reforms in the salary structures of our jawans. Cost-cutting measures include restricting the rations issued to the men in uniform. By the way, where has Mr. Raj Thackeray disappeared with his MNS cronies?? I couldn’t help smiling when I read a comment on one of the news forums asking Raj if he had ensured that all the commandos fighting for the Marathi ‘manoos’ were Maharashtrians!! I am sure a lot of ‘biharis’ in the force have ‘snatched’ jobs from a lot of deserving Marathis. If he wants to see what a Marathi manoos is, ask him to bow before Karkare, Kamte, Salaskar and their comrades.
The aftermath of every tragedy has questions coming about what the course of action should now be. For the first time in all these years, I have no answer whatsoever
For better writings visit: Rocky Road
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