All About Our Lives
Imagine your partner returning after a harrowing day at work and hoping for some comforting words from you. “I’ve had a really bad day. Please tell me that you love me?” To which you reply, “well, I love everyone, you know?”
Imagine requiring immediate medical attention and entering hospitals to find that none of them have Emergency Rooms anymore because all illnesses mean the same. And as a result, you’re forced to wait in a line behind mild colds and ear wax removal appointments.
The past few months have been quite a roller coaster ride for human beings as a species. And as we desperately try to battle our way into normal life, we are forced to question the very normalcy and the overall quality of life before Covid-19. The current burning issue in the USA needs no introduction. But needs a lot of understanding.
It is definitely not my place to educate or spread awareness on the discrimination that African-Americans go through on a daily basis or to explain the rooted systemic racial problems in the country. But it is my place, as ironically assured by the people riding the “All Lives Matter” bandwagon, to voice my opinion about why they need to pipe down.
Let me take only the Indian society and social media into consideration here. We have our own serious systemic problems in place. It is understood that the anti-racial protests firing up in the West is bound to inspire the discriminated in other countries and under different contexts to raise their hands up against systems negligent of their problems.
As we fight blindfolded against a pandemic, at a time when we as a species are under danger and at a time when we expect humanity to come together as a whole, we are still witnesses to different rules depending on which “strata” of society one belongs to — be it how Dominic Cummings decided to take a leisure trip to “test his eyesight” during a tight lockdown or how different people apparently have different rules when it comes to cremating kin or the tragic death of a pregnant elephant. We have several accounts of sexual abuse, violence and multiple forms of discrimination — caste, geographical, linguistic and gender — during this difficult period in mankind. On top of all this, we have the major unemployment crisis to work our heads around, all over the globe — including how polar bears are slowly going out of reckoning in the Antarctic. It really takes one a great level of passionate hatred to continue to perform discrimination duties, given the current scenario. And it is absolutely ghastly to see how these issues have continued to unfold in break-neck speed.
Indians have multi-level checklists to discriminate someone — so much so that it could be structured into a flow chart. We check for all possibilities to stereotype/criticize someone based on something that is not in their hands, such as gender, caste, religion, palette, place of birth (not where one grew, mind you), skin colour and the list goes on. There are multiple cases of reverse discrimination as well — an eye for an eye as some might gracefully put it (some might, I won’t). While I can understand the emotions behind discriminating the discriminators, I shudder to think what they’re expecting would result from doing so. We are also well known in Twitter for “fan battles” where we “trend” hatred towards celebrities for no reason. Well, there is reason, actually. Mr. Ambani has spoiled us with cheap access to loads of data that can be used for various wacky adventures in the virtual world of the anonymous. Again, I shudder to think what they’re expecting would result from doing so. The celebrities will continue to stuff their fat paychecks down the pockets of their skinny jeans as they roll in their Rolls Royce or Ducati while we continue to stare at our ceilings with fans waiting to fall on us at any moment. I digress.
We all have issues that are burning and need to be considered as problems that require a fix as soon as possible. But do we piggyback on a large scale event going on in the West? And while we are at it, are we aware that our paraphrasing or modification of their rally could belittle or offend the original intention?
An example of efficient use of a phrase that evolved in meaning is the #MeToo movement. What started out as a movement that brought to light several cases of sexual abuse against women in Hollywood, quickly transformed into a huge movement that discussed about the sexual abuse on a general level and on a global scale. It did not have to be only workplace harassment. The victims did not have to be only women. The scope of the issue broadened amazingly well without anyone trying to create a spin-off.
Therefore, the questions that needs to be asked are as follows. Do you love everyone as much as your partner? Even if you do (which would be strange but I’ll allow it!), would you choose that moment as described before to let your partner know that? Does a serious concussion mean the same as a case of common cold? It could be but would you be willing to wait in line behind such a case as you concuss your way to oblivion? (Again, a concussion could be a huge issue in the general ward but might be considered lesser than several other worse situations in the ER.) Finally, does the phrase “All Lives Matter” encapsulate “Black Lives Matter” or belittle it?
Basically, while several issues might carry the same clout, not all the issues are burning as much as the other at the same instant. And even at the incredible chance that they are all burning exactly as much as the other, belittling one for the benefit of the other is no way to go about solving the problem. “All lives matter” is something that everyone would accept and hope for in a normal context. But given the power of social media in connecting the world within the grasp of our palms, we really ought to be more careful about spreading a message. Therefore, under the current context, when half the world is furiously trying to eradicate the very specific problem of discrimination against dark skinned people, claiming that “all lives matter”, even if mentioned with good intentions (since we need to raise awareness on issues pertaining several discriminated communities and groups of people and animals in India), turns out to be apathetic to the former issue and seems like ridiculous piggybacking for attention.
We need to stop discrimination. Period. That is the ultimate goal. For people who are genuinely working towards this goal, we need to make sure we send the right message out to the world in the first place. We need to fight our battles by our own means. Spin-offs have very little chance for success. Remember the Jallikattu protest? There are many theories regarding that protest but it addressed an indigenuous cause and succeeded within a very short period of time with amazing discipline. For people seeking social mileage and hype by trying to ride the trend wave, why don’t you drink some water and SIT DOWN!
