Let me start off with the fact that according to me the current or my generation at least is an extremely flawed one. We choose to live in a bubble where we want everything around us to be perfect or at least be the way we believe it to be right.
Anything other than that is not acceptable, and we are more than proud of having such an opinion.
But that is a debate for another day another blog, let me get to the point I am writing this blog in the first place which is this video I just saw about a small town called Jammikunta and their unique ritual.
What Is Jammikunta Doing Different?
Jammikunta located in the Karimnagar district in Telangana has created a unique ritual where all the members of the town stand still for the national anthem that is played over 16 different speakers at 8 am every morning.
Since this Independence Day, residents of the town are expected to stop whatever they are doing and stand at attention while the national anthem is playing over the installed loudspeakers at 16 different centers across town.
The police and volunteers work together so that the residents understand what is to be done along with also regulating the traffic while the national anthem is being played.
The response to this initiative has been for the most part positive and the residents are enthusiastically participating and following the rules.
Read More: 5 Interesting Facts About National Anthems Around The World
Why Do We Seem To Have A Problem With Practically Everything?
To be honest, I believe my generation is one of the most complaining and cribbing generation where we manage to find a fault with practically everything under the sun and then beyond it too.
I believe most will now start to complain of how this is wrong and use terms like ‘forced nationalism’ and compare it with the mandatory national anthem in theaters that was levied on us not so long ago.
But I want to ask, with so much social unrest and division that is threatening to tear apart our country, what exactly do you propose we do to inspire some tiny little bit of unity in our country.
Even in the case of the national anthem in theatres, sure the beating of people who don’t stand and unnecessary moral policing is wrong, but I also don’t think it is that big of a burden to hold.
Because I don’t really see very many elder or middle aged people doing the same amount of cribbing or complaining as us in this matter. Instead, they are more than willing and in some case even seem to enjoy the process unlike dimwits like us who either are standing up for the national anthem out of fear of being beaten up or even if we do stand up we keep on cursing the govt. or people around us in our head. It truly baffles me sometimes the sense of entitlement and audacity of some of us to do that.
So We Can Be Tolerant When It Comes To Religion But Not When It Is About The Country
I have noticed that while we have been extremely tolerant about the playing of religious chants over speakers, whether it be the aazaan or the bhajans, we seem to have major problems if it is the national anthem.
How is it any different from the aazaan playing or bhajans over loudspeakers? Even now, the only reason why many of us have raised our voices against them is because of their unnecessarily high volume which is creating a problem in people’s homes.
But when brought down to a reasonable volume, we have absolutely no problem with it all being played. So my question is, if we can be tolerant about these religious chants being played at a low volume so that they don’t disturb anyone, then why can’t we give the same kind of treatment to these kinds of things?
Especially in a time when practically all the 29 states of our country are fighting for independence and everyone is talking about how they want to separate are different from each other based on language, religion, caste, etc instead of talking about unity and our identity as Indian first rather than we being Biharis or Maharashtrians or Malayali or Tamil or Kashmiri or wherever each of us hails from.
At least be happy that this is as far as our govt. is going to inspire and create patriotism within us and not like some other countries. I can bet a 1,000 rupees that if tomorrow, something like Singapore or South Korea where military service is mandatory for the citizens happens here in India, then there would be an uproar over how unfair it is and again mention of ‘forced nationalism’ would come in. There would be dharnas, there would angry posts covering every inch of social media, Facebook and Twitter will go into overdrive and hashtags would trend about how our govt. can do something like this.
Because as the end of the day, getting a hashtag to trend is perhaps the only thing this generation knows best, kaam dhande pe to kisi ka dhyaan nai hota.
Image Credits: Google Images
Other Recommendations:
http://edtimes.in/2017/01/manadatory-anthem-no-food-and-a-bad-movie-my-hellish-cinema-experience/
Hey, I just read your article and I truly respect your opinion but I just wanted to share my opinion on it. I personally feel like once something becomes “forced”, it is no longer a good thing. When bhajans and aazaans play in our neighborhood, we are not forced to bow down, stand up or pray unlike when national anthem plays so I feel like your argument seem invalid from that perspective. Also, regarding the apparent complains and constant problem that we millennial seem to be having with everything is a good thing at least to me. I don’t know about the context of your place but from where I belong due to the hierarchy that exists in Hindu society, the generation of my parents and before them were taught not to complain and today they have internalized that so they accept thing that they shouldn’t without any question. I think that no question is wrong and questioning something means actually trying to understand others perspective hence actually being open to ideas. So, I love the complains we millennial have as if you do not question, you do not learn.