Institutionalization of finer elements of life
If the word ‘institutionalization’ is synonymous with a
movie it’s ‘Shawshank Redemption’ . The pitiful Tim Burton plotting methods to
escape the gradual death, sentenced by the society standing on a higher moral
ground.
We have a family tradition of meeting up for lunch during
festival seasons. This Onam we had our luncheon get together at our uncle’s.
They invited in their parish Vicar to grace the occasion. He was young, smart
and witty. After the sumptuous lunch he sat down with a deep sigh and out of
nowhere started a religious discourse. To me this sounded as a fee for the free
lunch. He started with every Vicar’s favourite topic. The moral degradation of
youth, lack of piety in the family, lowering attendance in churches.
My dad being a fervent anti church guy seized the occasion and blamed the entire
evil on the bishops. He pointed out at the bishops being invited to inaugurate
rich man’s textile shops, boutiques, jewellery. Is it a bishop’s duty? The
Vicar being the soldier of the church had to defend his bosses. The vicar came
up with an interesting observation. The bishop after the inauguration asks the
owner to donate some money for the charitable organisation. The big hearted
owner willingly does so. At the end of the day the rich man is happy, bishop is
happy and some unfortunate being is also happy. What other example is needed
for the ideal Christian harmony: The peaceful redistribution of wealth.
Even with a highly literate population, Kerala is well known
for the number of demi gods it creates. At the blink of an eye, they amass huge
wealth and at the same time ‘untouchable’ status in media and power circles.
Ofcourse, the favourite topic to thrive on is love and ‘the same God theory’.
One such ‘Godess’ is Amrithananda Mai. Her orgins were very ordinary.
Predictable she had some vision, got a few spirituality-starved Americans
around and the rest was history. The prime time ritual is hugging and kissing everyone
around. Then came Engineering colleges, Medical colleges and Nursing colleges
along with vast acreage of land in European countries
She went on preaching and hugging for world peace and love,
while a bunch of poor nurses were forced to do bonded labour without pay at her
hospitals. When this was questioned goons were sent in to tame the rogue
nurses. A few broken bones & a little prime time bad publicity were the inevitable bitter wine. Soon she
filled the hoarding. Apparently the country was getting ready to celebrate the
60th birth anniversary of love incarnate. Everything seemed to be
forgiven mutually and she was back to loving and hugging ritual.
The very institutions that are supposed to protect and preserve
the precious traits of life like love, justice is getting itself busy in
manipulating and exploiting them. Is it some form of religious corruption?
Right from
our childhood we have been taught and programmed
to believe that ‘A’, ‘B’ , ‘C’ are good qualities of life and life enhancing.
While the ones like ‘D’, ‘E’ ,’F’ are abominable. Whoever exhibits d,e or f
ought to be punished or castrated from daily walk of life. The real problem is
we fail to see that the so called good qualities are defined so as to sustain
the institutions. Hence the traits that ought to sustain human life simply
becomes traits that sustains the privileged few.
I am not trying to single out any individual. But its a
collection of individuals themselves who set up an institution and manipulate
mindset of masses. And institutions are devoid of any race, religion or colour.
So here are a few so called ‘good’ qualities that are subjected to subtle
manipulation.
You are taught to ‘work hard’ for your success. So you slog
your ass off believing that some day you will be able to earn just enough to
overcome the hardships of life and save some money left over from the legal
looting. As you are so meek and peace loving, you can never question the gross
injustice you suffer. Besides you are taught that the almighty would take it
upon himself to punish the wicked and justice is none of your business, The good news is since corruption is being
renamed as charity and donation, it will soon climb into good qualities of life
category. The only corrupt left in the country would be auto-wallahs who charge
you more.
So here’s a handful of institutions monopolising people’s
ability to choose between right and wrong. Justice is served only to a few and
in the way they choose. Even when a few swindle money, kill, loot and rape,
they are untouchable as they stand on the other side of line.
But i have hope on the swarming millions who stand on the
wrong side. I hope they will stand up to question.
