Charles Dickens in the opening paragraph of 'A Tale of two Cities' wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
That was in 1859 and almost 160 years later, it seems as contemporary as ever.Take for example the events of the last few days. Twitter is flooded with stories of harassment, misogyny, frustration, hypocrisy, accusations, counter accusations, and what not. What is remarkable is the way it transcends all boundaries be they political, religious, social, economic or anything else. We had never been so united not even when we fought against the British! (of course, it is a hyperbole comparison
to make people sit up and take notice). Left, right and center, we are all united by our penchant to perpetuate abuse!!!
Persons taking moral high ground in the morning are taking shelter behind phrases like 'rule of law' or 'due process of law' in the evening because they or their closed ones stand accused of the same or similar charges levelled by someone either anonymously or in person. Such ephemeral has become their 'wokenes' which they painstakingly cultivated and polished using carefully crafted words, actions and theatrics in public sphere in yesteryear. Notwithstanding the relevance or importance the phrases quoted above hold in a just & fair society, it's astonishing how they are given lip service by these persons at times when they do not suit their interests.
To the point of sounding insensitive & disrespectful, twitter feed now-a-days looks more like pages of tabloids than a genuine medium of expression & prompt communication. This is so because of the curiosity it has started generating among its consumers about the unraveling of the skeletons hiding in the closet of ordinary and not so ordinary people.
However, we must take credit. From 'Not all men' to 'Almost all men' we have come a long way. Hopefully we will not stop until we remove even the faintest possibility, the doubt that lingers in the minds of many because 'Almost' says so. For the last time, let us put our heart & soul to make it 'All men.' Then shall we breathe profusely and bask in the glory of unbridled satisfaction.
That was in 1859 and almost 160 years later, it seems as contemporary as ever.Take for example the events of the last few days. Twitter is flooded with stories of harassment, misogyny, frustration, hypocrisy, accusations, counter accusations, and what not. What is remarkable is the way it transcends all boundaries be they political, religious, social, economic or anything else. We had never been so united not even when we fought against the British! (of course, it is a hyperbole comparison
to make people sit up and take notice). Left, right and center, we are all united by our penchant to perpetuate abuse!!!Persons taking moral high ground in the morning are taking shelter behind phrases like 'rule of law' or 'due process of law' in the evening because they or their closed ones stand accused of the same or similar charges levelled by someone either anonymously or in person. Such ephemeral has become their 'wokenes' which they painstakingly cultivated and polished using carefully crafted words, actions and theatrics in public sphere in yesteryear. Notwithstanding the relevance or importance the phrases quoted above hold in a just & fair society, it's astonishing how they are given lip service by these persons at times when they do not suit their interests.
To the point of sounding insensitive & disrespectful, twitter feed now-a-days looks more like pages of tabloids than a genuine medium of expression & prompt communication. This is so because of the curiosity it has started generating among its consumers about the unraveling of the skeletons hiding in the closet of ordinary and not so ordinary people.
However, we must take credit. From 'Not all men' to 'Almost all men' we have come a long way. Hopefully we will not stop until we remove even the faintest possibility, the doubt that lingers in the minds of many because 'Almost' says so. For the last time, let us put our heart & soul to make it 'All men.' Then shall we breathe profusely and bask in the glory of unbridled satisfaction.
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