Monday 16 February 2015

Offended Indian: A Snapshot

Demography: A rapidly increasing population with a steady stream of new converts cutting across religious, caste and class divides. Truly an all inclusive tent with proverbial strange bedfellows; of permutation and combinations that will leave the sharpest statisticians and sociologists bewildered. Good economic muscle and the wherewithal to deploy thugs and lawyers depending on the situation.
 

Features
 

Physical: Fine thin skin, can give Dhaka muslin a complex - make it feel as if it were a glorified sand paper. But as a downside it contains numerous invisible antennae always waiting to be ruffled by minutest external stimuli, be it a TV show, festival, book or a film.
 

Chemical: Highly combustible with very low kindling temperature. At the first level emits boundless energy to troll opponents; at next be prepared for physical attacks and even social ostracism. They are vigorous practitioners of ban mantra and their levels of rabidity extend beyond infinity.
 

Fantasies: As it happens to be an inclusive tent, they are very heterogeneous. Some may like to see Salman Rushdie's name only on tombstone with all his books buried alongside, while others may aspire to have M F Husain paintings used as a substitute for firewood. Some feel movie PK was the worst thing to happen since Alam Ara introduced us to motion pictures, while for others Viswaroopam evokes similar emotion. Some see red in the transgression of our exalted Khap compliant parampara and sanskriti and feel defending them is a divine right.
 

For all these people keeping away from the so called 'offending' book, painting or not watching a film is not an option. Because they firmly believe that it is the offended who will ultimately inherit the earth.

Also Read: Bangalore Beat