Well, this post is about the news that was very sensational six months back in March’12. It was actually then that I had thought to write this post and had written few lines for the same (see the bottom of the post). But then gradually, more important things of my life, like talking to my girlfriend over the phone, watching T.V series etc. took over the stupid idea of wasting my time on writing something which people may not even read and even if they would, it won’t have any SUSTAINABLE impact.
However, a lot of free time at hand and here I am with this post.
I think the surprise of what is the news, that I am talking about has already irritated you enough, so before typing anything further, here is the news (minus spices)
Morena(M.P): In a horrific incident, a young IPS officer of the 2009 batch, Narendra Kumar (30), was brutally crushed to death under a stone-laden tractor trolley belonging to the illegal mining mafia. For more news, you can read this on (http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2974155.ece)
His wife is also an IAS officer and was eight months pregnant when Narendra Kumar died.
The question is: So What???? I mean you know the news, you express sadness over the guy’s death, admire him for his bravery, at most award him a Facebook post from your account and that’s it.
What else is one suppose to do? We all have other things in life to do; we can’t sit and mourn for someone’s death, also since there was a political pressure after this news on government (positive ‘side-effects’ of a sensational media) there were some arrests etc too.
But that’s not what I am pointing too, I am not here to describe the negligence government has shown, I am here to point out how quickly we tend to forget ‘Information’ in the present era of ‘information’, I am here to talk about a much deeper issue and which is:
‘What has technology done to us?’
Being a student at one of India’s so-called best technology institutes, I hope you will give me the permission to say something about the subject.
Before you read a little further, I want you to pause and think about the dynamics our country has seen, few hundred years back we were not even a country, we were all different regions,70 -80 years back, we were much larger a country then what we today are, and even though the last 60 years may seem static from India’s perspective, as individuals we should realize that the last 60 years have changed our lifestyle more than any 60 years may have done to any civilization. In these 60 years, we have made a leap of many hundred years forward.
Think about the world before T.V
Think about the world before internet
Think about the world before Phone
Think about the world before automobiles became a part of our life
Think about the time when cities were in single digits.
In this changing world, where a website (Facebook) has changed our perception of friendship in just a span of five-six years, I think it’s worthy to take a pause and see how things around us are changing then just swaying away with them.
Earlier, we may forget ‘Events’ but we remembered the emotions attached to them, I may forget the date of Kargil and 62’ China war but I would never forget how the name of the war increased my blood flow rate. I would never forget how a martyr from my city would remain my hero for the whole of my childhood. Now, in the present era, by the time you come to know about a national scandal through Facebook and have some time to ‘feel’ it, it’s time to wish one of your Facebook friend ‘happy birthday’
Earlier you had ten friends may be, and if you were not in same city, you would sat down, write a letter, remember the good old times and then wait for the reply everyday .Now you have four hundred friends but no time for even those ten.
Wishing a happy birthday to a friend had a feel attached to it until it was snatched by the Facebook wall.
I am not against technological advancements ( I can’t be!!!) but I am against technology controlling the way I live, after all, It was supposed to ease my work not to change what I do!!!
I hope if nothing else, at least I have succeeded in reminding you the much forgotten ‘news’ in today’s informative era, I just wish there was some way, to make you remind the ‘emotions’ you used to feel before when you had very less information but a lot of time to think over whatever little you knew.
‘I hope you think over this little blog post’
A little poem dedicated to this brave man:
देश का सिपाही
एक तमाशा थी मौत मेरी
चंद दिनों का शोर गुल|
कि तुम्हारे ठन्डे पड़े दिलो को
थोडा सेंक तो मिला होगा|
मचले तो होगे तमाशा देख कर
गरमाया तो खून तुम्हारा भी होगा
पर काश ये गर्मी ठहर पाती
तुम्हारी देशभक्ति गर थोडा और जी जाती
मरना तो मुझे था ही
बस मेरी औलाद कि शक्ल मुझे दिख जाती |
ख़ैर, मेरी मौत का मुझे गिला नहीं
अंजामो से अनजान तो नहीं था
बस कसक जाता है दिल कभी कभी
तुम्हारे गल चुके जमीर को देख कर
जो जाग तो जाता है हम जैसो कि मौत पर
पर कम्बखत फिर भी मक्कर मारे पड़ा रहता है
अगली नींद के इंतज़ार में ||
Tarun Gangwar 