Anna hazare is on fast and rest of the army is on social networks. Post world cup this is the next new topic Netindians has got. I am afraid if IPL will get affected. Recently we all have observed a massive support activism over twitter and facebook about anti corruption lokpal bill. This has been most talked about tweet since world cup fever is down. It’s good that we know we have acute corruption in the country, that needs to be cleaned. But how is the question?
Recently I have put up a “what’s in your mind” status in FaceBook, whcih says "how does supporting any cause in FB helps?". I got good logical responses, saying FB is fastest and very popular and assumption that it helped overthrowing autocrats in countries. My answer is in that case Mark zuckerburg should get Noble peace prize.
If the speedy awareness will solve any cancerous issue like corruption, we should first ask for free 3G connectivity. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying these things are not helpful, but what bothers me is that, people I know are corrupt have put there status like supporting Anna. What is making me nervous that what if our new generation will start believing that a click on support will solve this age old problem. Corruption is a mindset which is in all of us. One bigger chunk, who works for private sectors, who doesn’t get much opportunity for corrupt actions should not be allowed to so loudly criticize. Find me a single guy from any IT company who has not gotten a fake medical bills, rent receipts and possibly to an higher extent like fake salary slip and fake experience letter. People are corrupt to their capacity.
I reiterate that people like official and politicians do the bigger damage to the society but this does not allow the smaller corrupt guys to criticize them.
Bringing the change is easier said than done, even if the bill be passed, it can not cure the core of the concern, if the mindset is not changed. basically human beings are greedy by nature, and if there is lack of governence the greed will override the common snese. that means if lokpal bill is implemented even partially, there will be improvement and hence " I SUPPORT ANNA" and i thank him or his effort for RTI (right to information).
I would conclude this post with an story I read in a book titled “why we Indians are the way we are”. The story goes like this….
One year there was extreme drought, due to lack of rains in a village. The head of the village called a priest to solve the problem. The priest advised, that if villagers will provide offering for the god of rain then there will be rains. He suggested that night time all the villagers has to put one tumbler milk to the dry well inside temple. The village head has made announcement that tonight every villager will pour one tumbler milk in the well. Everyone came out that night to pour milk. But there wasn’t any sign of rains. So next mornign priest walked up to well to see what has happened, he couldn’t see a drop of milk but only water.
Why because everyone thought that if only he would pour a tumbler of water, there wont be any difference to so much of milk and with that mind no one pour milk everyone pour water only.
Only supporting anna will not help, Let’s stop pouring water….
Only thing these social media networks do is "communicate" to a large mass quickly and probably sensitize a few. If you go in the history "communication" and "media" has played a very important role throughout. No revolution has been possible without it. In fact Hitler used it other way round to increase his influence. The recent examples of Egypt & Libya is a point in case. Without Media\Social network no way a large chunk of people would have even come in know about the recent Hazare revolution. In fact i can go a step ahead and say that if there was social media before independence the movement might have got more traction much earlier. For no reason do they call media the 4th pillar of democracy.
ReplyDeleteHold on vishal and others who still thinking that i am underestimating the power of communication or SNS. NO, what i am trying to make a point is these are enabler Only and we can achieve using these as medium. But WE have to do something FB wont do anything by itself.
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