Don't dig dry wounds!

MOVE FORWARD!​

I recollect an incident of my childhood very often in different situations. We were all seeing off my uncle at the bus-stand. My 3-year-old sister was crying vehemently for a chewing gum. Those days, we kids hardly got to eat any outside stuff and we never knew much about chocolates and chewing gums. She had just heard about it and was pestering mummy to get her one. My uncle gave me a coin and sent me to the nearest petty shop to get whatever my sister wanted. The shop did not have a chewing gum. So, I bought some chocolate. I gave the chocolate to my sister, who was all excited and almost stopped crying, when I blurted out, ‘that’s not a chewing gum’. Immediately, she threw the chocolate and restarted her struggle! My uncle was irked and scolded me for my stupidity in announcing that it was not a chewing gum, when things were settling down!

I recollected this incident today, as I sat watching the TV analysis of the Ram Janmabhoomi judgement! Why? None of us among the general populace know in detail about the whole issue and get carried away by whatever a good speaker or good writer has to say about it! None of us has witnessed anything before 1855 or even 1947 for that matter! There are so many disputes regarding property rights pending in the courts for generations together and this one is one among them.

I feel the matter could have been resolved better if the matter is discussed restrictively among the affected parties (their representatives). The more the heads, the more the suggestions and confusion! Analyzing a case, which has gone through years of hearing and discussion threadbare, is simply impossible. The persons analyzing may quote portions according to his convenience or conviction and try to convince the crowd. It is like Mark Antony’s speech after the assassination of Julius Caesar. We, as viewers, listen to just one or two percent of the huge volumes of judgement and go by the convincing presentation of the speaker! What happens then? There are all the chances of our making biased judgements and passing sensitive comments, which can cause havoc in the society at large, where the majority of the people are like us.

I feel the media should not be discussing this issue so much in detail in the name of democracy, because they are only causing harm to a democratic society. Left to ourselves, we are more bothered about our daily routine rather than resolving some old cases. All of us have sentiments and ego and it is better to let these lions lie low. Fanning them unnecessarily only causes negative impacts, which are really disastrous. Parties interested in the issue better study the entire proceedings and judgement and then involve themselves in the discussion. As far as the general crowd is concerned, a jist of the judgement is more than enough. This way, we need not post one policeman for every citizen and stay put in our houses fearing unrest all over the country!

Similar is the case of Cauvery water dispute! I, as a commoner, am more bothered of whether the water supply to my house is regular and sufficient. I don’t care from where that water comes! But if someone keeps on goading me that the Government is supplying more water to my neighbour, then I start cribbing, though I could easily manage with whatever was supplied to me! Why should the media make it a point to inform the entire world as to how much water is being supplied by Karnataka to Tamilnadu or Andhra Pradesh to Karnataka and make it an issue every year? After all, affected parties will definitely raise the issue when the time comes! Instead, why should the entire state take the issue and lead it to unconnected fights?

I feel such sensitive issues are causing more and more havoc in the society only after the visual media became so popular and so poky!

Sudha Narasimhachar