January is that time of the year, when many insist on cloaking everything with a patina of putrid positivity. Most resolve to work on their ‘negativity’, resolute in their conviction that all the real troubles in the world are merely the offspring of the wrong mental attitude and simply correcting this faulty state of mind would lead to the manifestation of all things worth having such as private jets, super yachts, routine trips to Mars, de-aging chambers, optimal health preservation pods, and a flat stomach. A brittle commitment to looking only at the bright side of things and generating good vibes only is bound to boomerang on the determinedly buoyant when reality bites. And it always does, stripping away the veneer of pretend good cheer to reveal the simmering anxiety, nastiness, and hopelessness within.
On the
other side of the rainbow bridge, the cynical and the curmudgeonly among us
steadfastly insist on seeing reality for what it really is. And paying
attention to painfully unpalatable facts and inconvenient truths. Not everyone brought
in the New Year holidaying in exotic locales, enjoying immersive Yoga retreats,
bespoke experiences and resolving to think positive. Most were too busy dealing
with the beastly business of living. It entails trying to understand why we are
all embroiled in pointless culture wars of astounding levels of stupidity when
real wars are being fought. While we argued pointlessly over the merits of
Dhurandhar vs Ikkis with unnecessary fervour, a baby in Bhagirathpura, Indore
died because the poor mite was fed packaged milk mixed with tap water.
Unsurprisingly it was revealed that the municipal water supply was contaminated
with sewage. Even less surprisingly, it seems highly unlikely that heads will
roll over such criminal levels of institutional negligence. After all,
trivialising the suffering of others is something we all specialize in. It is
simpler to deflect responsibility and shrug off tragedy as the inevitable
outcome of extreme poverty and ignorance without ever bothering to address
pressing issues in a meaningful way.
Besides nobody
has time for micro issues when the Earth is overheating and Indians (not just
Delhiites) no longer have the luxury of drawing in a lung full of clean air. It
is a public health emergency the government as well as the citizens of this
great nation refuse to deal with because it would require cleaning up our act
literally and metaphorically. Nobody can be bothered with that sort of thing of
course. These things are every bit as tedious to focus on as collapsing
ropeways and roads that were newly built at the taxpayer’s expense. It makes
more sense to grouse in vain, look the other way and hope that pranayama and
air filters will do the trick to help us muddle along in the muck the way we
always have. Needless to say, negative noodleheads don’t help much either.
Peddlers
of positivity as well as sellers of cynicism have one thing in common. They are
equally inept at making a difference. Which is why the year ahead as well as
the ones after are unlikely to be an improvement on the ones before. Better or
bitter, we have no choice but to plod on and make the best of it, without being
insufferably perky or pissy about our prospects. Belated new year wishes folks!
This column was originally published in TNIE Magazine
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