About rape and responsibility

I've been meaning to share my views on the public reaction to the recent Hyderabad rape. While the crime itself was heinous, and we desperately need to do something to curb this rape menace, I didn't agree with the calls for public hanging, lynching etc. that I was hearing from so many, including prominent personalities and political leaders. Today, the 4 rapists were killed in a police encounter, and the wide positive reaction to it is deeply disturbing.

Let's think about a few other situations. We've heard about such encounters in Gujarat, UP, Kashmir and north-east etc. several times in the past - and I'd like to believe most educated people don't favor this sort of approach to justice. When it comes to mob lynchings in the last couple of years, especially when the victims are religious minorities and the reason given had something to do with beef - most educated people unequivocally condemned the phenomenon and criticized everyone involved, and even those not directly involved, like PM Modi. I don't often agree with the 'liberal, secular intellectual community' in India, but in this instance we're on the same page.

Why, then, are people supporting mob justice and extra-judicial killings in this case? This is also illegal, and therefore wrong.

One may argue that what these men did was a terrible crime, but eating beef is not. That is some people's opinion. In the gau-rakshak's opinion, killing and eating 'gau mata' is also a terrible crime, and the perpetrator deserves similar treatment. To say that one person's opinion matters and the gau-rakshak's doesn't is unfair and arrogant.

This is why we are governed by laws, not personal opinions, and equality before the law is one of the cornerstones of civilized society. People who commit crimes must be caught and punished - even hanged - but within the framework of the law. When people start over-riding the law and principles of justice, it is a slippery slope. You simply can't condone an illegal act in one situation and condemn it in the other. The message this sends is 'it is ok to break the law and do what you feel like' - and someone will soon use it to justify something you never intended to support, and it may well even harm you. The law is what protects you - you can't disregard it as and when you feel like.

I'm sure the next argument is that the law has failed to protect us. The problem isn't actually the laws - ours are as good as any in the world. The problem lies with their implementation, and the widespread, deeply ingrained corruption of everyone involved - the political class, the administrators, the judiciary, the police force and almost every single one of us.

Let's start with traffic rules - driving on the wrong side, driving under influence, jumping traffic lights, taking turns where not permitted, driving before attaining legal age or without a license & necessary paperwork. I'm sure almost every reader would have been guilty of at least one of these at some point. Many even refuse to wear helmets or seat-belts - which are mandated by law for your own protection. How do you blame anyone else, then?

I'm not trying to trivialize rape & murder by comparing it to jumping a red light. The point is simply this - everyone must respect all rules and laws at all times, and this is a culture change we all need to bring about, starting with ourselves. Once we start making concessions, and defending our own illegal acts, it becomes  difficult to draw a line, and someone will take it too far.

We know our public services, including law & order, are in a bad state. The people providing these services aren't from Mars - they're like us, part of the same society and they too need money to pay for their houses and their kids' schools. While the corruption we see is deplorable, it is not hard to understand the lack of motivation and sincerity among the lower tiers when one considers their salaries and working conditions.

If we want more, better public services, the government needs money to pay for these, and it collects this through taxes. But evading tax is not just acceptable in our society, for most people it is a matter of pride and an art form! Almost everyone I know fakes rent receipts and engages in cash-based transactions that aren't reported to the tax authorities. The honest person is considered a fool. We do this, and then blame the government, the police force and all for having failed us. Yes, they do a lot of wrong, but we all share some of the responsibility for contributing to these problems. Until we realize and accept this, and start doing what we can in our individual capacities, these problems can never be solved.
-----------------------------------------------------

All that said, the fact is that those 4 men are dead. A lot of people are happy that justice is done, and will get on with their lives. But the problem isn't solved AT ALL. I've been paying attention to news of rapes & murders since the Nirbhaya incident several years back. Almost every day, with depressing consistency, there is a terrible incident reported somewhere in the newspaper - infants, old bed-ridden women - all sorts get victimized. The acts are brutal, often followed by murder. This was the news, I think a day after the Hyderabad incident.

I read a stat that ~30,000 incidents of rape were reported in 2017. That's about 100 every day, and this is just the official stat - I'm sure the true count would be a large multiple of this. As bad as I feel for Hyderabad victim, that is but one case. It is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Over-the-top, knee-jerk reactions to the odd case, once every couple of years, are not going to solve the problem. We have to understand this problem, and need sustained, well thought-out action to try and solve it. Mob lynching and police encounters aren't the answer.

I'm not qualified or capable of coming up with the proper solution, but I'd like to share some thoughts to get the discussion started.

Why do these things happen? It's certainly not chow mein or jeans, as some idiots believe. There are two general reasons I can think of:
1. The perpetrator does not have a well developed sense of right and wrong
2. They know they will most likely get away it

The second is a problem with the police & legal system, and for sure there is massive room for improvement. However, this alone will not do. No 'system' is capable of preventing all crime. A few lakh or even crores of cops and judges can't mind the behavior of a billion plus people - it is logistically impossible. Even if it was possible, we wouldn't want to become a police state, with every action being watched and every misdemeanor being strictly punished. We want to live free of fear - not replace one kind of fear with another.

Which brings us to the sense of right and wrong. I have visited several 'developed', safer countries. In Japan, if you lose something, it will almost always be found and either returned to you or kept in a safe place for you to collect. In most of Europe, you can travel on the local train or bus without a ticket - it's not generally checked, and chances that you get caught in a random inspection are quite low. In these countries, there is a lot you could possibly get away with - but people trust each other to do the right thing. If you ever get caught riding without a ticket, there may be a small fine, but everyone will give you dirty looks, and may even pass a remark about 'poor upbringing' - and I've heard that people are more worried about this embarrassment than the fines. It doesn't take 'strict laws' and 'strong police' if the sense of right and wrong is well-developed among the people at large.

Closely tied to righteousness is the concept of common good. People in those countries respect queues, give pedestrians the right of way and are generally more trustful of and kind to each other, because everyone understands that society works better this way and knows they will receive the benefits when roles are reversed.

This is mostly missing in our society. Most people take shortcuts, seek and enjoy VIP treatment, cheat in exams - all with no sense of guilt, because they give zero fucks about the interests of others or the common good. This has to change, and we need to start doing whatever each of us can individually.

Artistes, Politics and Opinions

I recently watched Sacred Games season 2 and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I'd really been looking forward to it for the past couple of months, and tend to get this excited ahead of almost every Anurag Kashyap release. He's probably my favorite maker of Indian movies and shows since he made Dev D and Gangs of Wasseypur.

But the admiration stops there. Much as I like his work, I'm no fan of his antics on Twitter and his political opinions and actions. I keep reading about it in the news and it just annoys me. That's what this post is about.

For a moment, think about some great doctor you know. If you had a medical issue, especially one in their area of expertise, you'd want their opinion and treat it with respect. Would you care about which political party they voted for in the last election, or which movies they like? Probably not. Because you respect their medical expertise, and that's all.

I feel the same way about celebrities, especially the ones from the film industry. They're good at their craft and I appreciate their skills and opinions in that domain. So, if Anurag talks about actors or film-makers, or Vishal Dadlani judges singers on The Stage, I'd respect their opinions. But why exactly do they think I care about their opinion on politics, or any other domain for that matter? I wouldn't let them try to diagnose or treat a medical condition I had, and they probably wouldn't even try to - medicine is not their area of expertise.

But then, neither is politics - as demonstrated ably by Vishal Dadlani. He was initially one of the people leading the whole AAP 'movement', said something very politically incorrect, was admonished by Kejriwal & all, and dissociated himself from the party to avoid causing further damage. This should not have come as a surprise. In fact, this is what you'd expect to happen when someone good at music somehow starts thinking he's an expert on politics.

It is understandable that celebrities develop a bit of a God complex and start believing that they know better than ordinary people about just about anything. This is not limited to Bollywood - it is a global phenomenon. Many celebs feel entitled to express whatever nonsense is going on in their head, and to have 'ordinary people' take their opinions seriously. This is a fallacy. Anyone who has studied politics, administration, management, economics, policy-making etc., or has a few years' experience in these areas, is actually better qualified to talk about these subjects than an artiste with no such academic credentials or work experience. If such a person disagrees with something a celebrity has said, they have every right to express themselves on a platform like Twitter, and put the celebrity in their place.

Of course, everyone should be civil and sensible. Many aren't, and there's no excuse for that. But that is reality, and one must learn to deal with it. No sensible person would walk alone through a shady neighborhood late at night - we know it's not safe. Similarly, if you want to avoid unpleasantness, don't express strong opinions on touchy subjects publicly.

Some may argue that popular figures have a social responsibility, and must use the platforms they have to 'do good'. I agree, but only to an extent.

First argument - look at Sachin Tendulkar. He was great, loved by almost all, and has pretty much kept his trap shut about everything other than cricket - for decades. No one is obliged to get involved in matters they're not experts in.

Second - there are things that are almost universally acknowledged and accepted as 'doing good'. So, if anyone wants to support causes like education, equal opportunity*, better healthcare etc. - by all means, go ahead. But complaining about everything Narendra Modi does because you feel he was responsible for mass murder in 2002 - even though the man was investigated thoroughly and absolved by the Supreme Court, and has been democratically elected with big margins twice now to lead the country - that's not everybody's idea of 'doing good'. Avoid grey areas when you get up on that imaginary platform.

Third, if you really feel responsible and must speak up, act responsibly. Spend some time and effort researching the subject first-hand. Get hold of facts. Apply logic and rigour. Don't just go by hearsay or RT your peers. Prepare your argument, and effective counters for the opposite view - this is the hardest part. Until you've fully understood the opposing view and critically examined the facts - you can't be certain what's right or wrong. If you only offer a biased or ill-informed opinion, it may be convenient, but will never be enough to win over opponents.

Finally, if you truly believe in a cause and must express yourself to the world at large, then show courage when the time comes to face the trolls. Don't quit social media or run away with your tail between your legs - that is no way to be a role model.

When I read about political opinions from the likes of Anurag Kashyap, Swara Bhaskar, Naseeruddin Shah, Vishal Dadlani (most of whom I quite like as artistes), the award wapsi gang and this band of idiots who seem to think that a few nasty tweets equal real danger in the physical world - I just wish they'd shut the fuck up and focus on their profession. And read this great piece about 'opinions'.

------------
*'Equal opportunity' is not the same as 'equality'. For another future post...

Artistes, terrorists & aam aadmis

We've recently seen a lot of noisy debate about Pakistani artistes working in India. I feel the quality of debate has been rather low - one set of people saying 'all Pakis are our enemies' and others like Bhai saying 'artistes are not terrorists' - both rather silly ways of looking at things, trying to over-simplify a complex issue and ignoring some basic realities. I offer my two bits here.

Arnab & the patriotic brigade are asking the question 'Why can't people like Fawad Khan make a statement condemning the terror attack on Uri, when they've had so much to say about Peshawar, Paris, Orlando etc.'? I think that's a rhetorical question and the answer is rather obvious. Those attacks were terrorists vs. innocent civilians. Of course, everyone condemns that. In Uri, it was an attack on our soldiers. According to Pakistanis, the attackers are Kashmiri 'freedom fighters', and an attack by them against 'oppressive' Indian forces in Kashmir is perfectly legit. There's just NO WAY any true pakistani is going to condemn it, and it's stupid of us to expect them to.

The other argument is that we Indians condemned the terrorist attack on a school in Pak, and they should reciprocate. Again, that's comparing apples & oranges. That was terrorists vs. school-kids and teachers. But if, say, some Baloch rebels attacked & killed some Pak soldiers (and I'm sure there would've been such instances recently) - how would we Indians feel about that? Would we express sympathy & solidarity with the Pak soldiers? I'm not so sure.

It's also equally stupid for their supporters (especially some of the entitled & selfish bollywood types) to pretend their silence means nothing or offer arguments like 'they can't speak against their govt cos they're worried about the security of their loved one back in Pakistan'. This latter argument assumes that these pakistani artistes agree with us in the first place, and would speak against their govt if they could. I don't believe that is true, and some bollywood types are being too generous with the benefit of doubt, their judgment probably clouded by selfish and/or commercial interests.

Now, I'm not arguing who or what is right or wrong. Ideally - all violence is wrong and we should all condemn it. But things are complicated in the real world & shit happens. We all take sides. Let's just accept the reality that these artistes are, after all, Pakistani, and they have a certain perspective on Kashmir that we disagree with. We're not on the same side on this matter, and the difference isn't going to be reconciled anytime soon.

Once we accept that, we have to address the more pertinent question - what kind of relationship we want to have with them? Are we okay having them sing and star in our movies, and achieve success in adulation in India, knowing where they stand vis-a-vis Kashmir & other bilateral disputes? What kind of relationship do we want to have with Pakistanis in general? Let's debate THIS, and please let's do it realistically.

I, for one, am not for being friendly with Pakistanis. My father was in the Indian Army, and served in Kargil. I grew up in army cantonments. Some nice people I knew got killed for no reason I could find acceptable, and I refuse to get over it. I'm not blaming Fawad Khan. I'm not saying he's a terrorist. But he's a pakistani, and unless he says otherwise - it's fair to assume what he (and pretty much all pakistanis) feel about Kashmir & bilateral disputes with India. Their support to the other side is costing India lives, and I refuse to be friends with, or a fan of such people, and certainly don't care to offer them economic opportunities at our own cost.

Some intellectuals also try to distinguish between the Pakistani state, military and ordinary people. Some even argue for us to think of pakistani artistes or cricketers differently. I think that's mostly nonsense. Yes, all Pakistanis probably don't have the same level of animosity to India or equally dangerous intentions. But when you start discussing serious issues, there isn't much doubt which side they're on. The government is elected after all, and the military enjoys massive popularity. When push comes to shove, nearly all of them would want to hurt us, and most won't hesitate to support action that destroys us. Already, the amount of damage they've caused and continue causing on the border and through terrorist attacks in our cities is at a level a self-respecting country shouldn't tolerate. It isn't going to drop if we keep pretending everything is hunky-dory and going out of our way to be friendly with people who support it at any level.

I accept that this is a rather emotional stand, and can't defend it with purely rational arguments. There are some good liberal arguments against it. But a lot of these rational/liberal arguments would only be valid in an ideal world. We don't live in one.

Many Indians may not agree with me - each of us lies somewhere on the spectrum between idealist/pacifist and extremist/fundamentalist, some leaning one way and some the other - and this too probably varies for different issues and over time. It's ok. In fact, it's a good thing to have forces pulling in opposite directions to ensure we don't ever get carried away too far either way. We shouldn't start believing all pakistanis are bad people and our mortal enemies - that's not true. Fly Emirates often and you're sure to meet some very nice, civilized, helpful ones! We should also avoid war-mongering or any unwarranted/extreme action (especially violence) - we should remember who we are as a nation and why we're proud of it.

The people on Arnab's debates ARE going too far in one direction or the other. Let's restore some sense, please.