Be the Voice that Echoes
Dedicated to all the lives lost to injustice. You will not be forgotten.
We are the change we yearn,
With trembling hands we fear,
Our minds will be unable to turn,
From the unchanging ideals we silently discern,
With wavering voices that yield to silence,
As we blindly spectate acts of violence.
Of all the whimsical, hilarious and heartwarming lines in Wes Anderson’s ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, the one that kept my attention long after hearing it is this: “You can’t arrest him just because he’s a bloody immigrant, he hasn’t done anything wrong!”. This is said by M. Gustave, the high-class concierge of the hotel defending his son-like figure, Zero, who happens to be an immigrant in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka. Later on, frustrated that Zero hasn’t procured certain items, M. Gustave questions why Zero ever even left his country if he weren’t going to work his hardest to which Zero responds, “The war”. Immediately Gustave’s attitude flips, he softens, we soften with him.
Autumn 2050, the 14th Dalai Lama was finally returning back to his home country. He had lived all these years to see his country free again and now at 115 years old, he had come back. The frail old man could be seen on TV everywhere, as people all around the world witnessed this historical moment. Tibet was now a free country and this was a day to be remembered for many years to come.
The year is 2020 and we find ourselves grappling with two pandemics: COVID-19 and Racism. However, we’ve been dealing with the latter for a far longer time. Racism is a psychological phenomenon that we’ve co-existed with for centuries. It isn’t something we’re inherently born with, rather a system we’ve been inculcated with to the point where we almost constantly turn a blind eye to it in our daily lives.
If racism is learned, then we, as a society have the capability and responsibility to unlearn it.
“In order to be able to think, you have to risk being offensive”- Jordan B Peterson.
Living in a world where anything and everything is deemed offensive and can spark retaliation from the so called “social justice warriors” of Twitter and Instagram, it is hard for most people to express opposing thoughts without being subjected to a virtual walk of shame. It is evident that many people have lost the ability to properly dissect statements or arguments that oppose their views without immediately reacting with slanderous emotions, fueled with attacks, instead of civil discourse. This is incredibly foolish, as wanting to change the mind of others is virtually impossible when you resort to shaming instead of listening and having intellectual dialogue.
What is Spirituality?
To each and every person, spirituality is a word that could carry many different meanings. Although closely associated and often intertwined, religious belief can be completely separate from spirituality. I believe that at its core, spirituality is centered around an innate peace that stems from yourself – it’s about discovering meaning, finding purpose, and embracing growth.
It almost seems as though society synonymizes self-expression with ease. The entire construct is that your life may ameliorate as soon as you express yourself and stay true to your own essence. However, society fails to consider those who are unable to do so and are silenced by accusations of provocation.
For many years, women have only been accepted in society provided that they expressed themselves according to the societal expectations of how women should act. And these obligated characteristics have moulded their entire existence; femininity, submissiveness, and vessels that should bend over backwards to satisfy a man’s whims. Rebel against these norms and you are instantaneously accused of provoking others by defying the boundaries that have been set for you.
Your demise is predestined the moment you try and claw out of the cage you were born to perform in.
Have you ever watched a Tamil movie? I’m talking about the ones in the romantic comedy genre, the ones you watch just for the sake of watching. If you haven’t, let me, as someone who grew up watching them, paint a picture for you. Usually, there will be this gorgeous girl minding her own business, an educated beauty talking to her friends on her way to college. Then out of nowhere, the most average male that’s supposed to be the hero of this story starts stalking her on his cheap motorcycle. He continues to harass her even though she shows signs of disgust towards him until inevitably, just after a mere 3 hours of realising her existence, he confesses his love for her. She is naturally offended by this confession and is confused as to how she could have possibly attracted such bacteria. Soon, however, after a series of events which usually includes him winning in a fight against 300 men twice his size, she “falls in love” with him too.
Where are my human rights?
When did I lose my status of humanity,
become a race all too different.
When did the sins of another
become the sins of my father?
How did tomorrow’s terrorist
become synonymous with today’s entrepreneur, dreamer, son and brother?
Why do the blood and tears of my kin dilute in the face of justice?
In less than 3 months, the threat of COVID-19 has led to national lockdowns all over the globe. Being of an extremely viral pneumonic nature coupled with a long asymptomatic incubation period, its exponential spread has had scientists scrambling for a cure. Declared a pandemic by WHO in early March, COVID-19 has become the main topic for economic and political forces to tackle.