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It's that time of the year when we make resolutions, if not loudly
at least mentally, fully aware that much as we hate to admit
it, most of them will be broken by the first quarter of year
. In fact, it has almost become a joke to talk about New Year
resolutions brushed off as one of those things that inevitably
comes to mind at the end the year, like planning for the 31st
night bash.
Yet, it's perhaps not a bad idea to make some resolutions,
simple enough to be able to keep that do not stretch mental
resolve. And hopefully, make some difference, even if a tiny
bit, to the quality of life.
Like, desisting from flicking the foil of the mint I am munching
through the window of the vehicle while travelling. Plastics
are hard to destroy and hundreds of discarded foils on the
street from candies, savouries and 'pan-parag' type of fresheners
do add to the load. During the monsoon, we moan a flooded
street and curse the municipality for its tardy maintenance
but prefer to ignore the fact that 'our' indifference also
adds to the woe by clogging the drains. So I will hold onto
the wrapper/ keep it in the ladies bag, till I come home or
encounter a bin on the street. Too little to make a difference
to the garbage on the street? Perhaps, but at least, my conscience
will be clear.
Like, switching over to another channel when the 24 hour
electronic media puts up yet another clipping of gory scenes
of a man being hanged, and the like. For instance, the recent
case of transmitting the last minutes of Saddam Hussein's
almost-bungled hanging, even to the point of tightening the
noose. It's been revealed now that those scenes were illegally
shot and then passed off to channels (for a price?). Whatever
be the truth, just because the clipping was available, did
channels have to transmit it over and over again? It was worse
than many of the mindless reality shows. A boy in Pakistan
has already died imitating the act and a teenage girl in West
Bengal, disturbed by the visuals, has committed suicide. Agreed,
millions of people have witnessed the clipping and these deaths
are rare cases, but who can keep track of how one has been
affected? The impressionable young may carry these images
even to adulthood creating psychological problems. In the
dog-eats-dog competition among TV channels today, all norms
of self-introspection and standards seem to get brushed off
these days. Earlier, the hanging of Dhananjoy went to surreal
lengths with local TV channels in Kolkata even going to the
extent of ferreting out food preferences of the murder-convict.
The print media jumped into the fray with equal gusto.
Currently, look at the projection of the Noida's killing
field. While the horrendous act numbs the mind, what's the
point- after the initial stage, of showing endlessly the digging
for skeletons? You almost expect limbs spilling out from the
sacks. Come on, there are better ways of drawing attention
to the horrible criminal-duo and the inexcusable apathy of
the law-keepers who were repeatedly approached by the parents
of the missing children. Psychologists are already warning
about the effect of these visuals on young minds. Necessary
for the sake of reporting the truth? Personally, I don't agree
and so I firmly switch to another channel if it see such insensitive
presentation. And I feel, if this trend continues in the coming
year , in case, God forbid! something equally gory happens,
I will not find it difficult to keep second resolution of
the year.
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