The Idol, The Ideal & The Idiots

 

The Idol: In a country full of complexities and contradictions, a country where people feel proud of a US citizen, when she flies to the space and calls her “our own”, just because her ancestors came from India; but refuses to recognize those brave hearts who have been the mainstay of it’s defense force since independence...... refuses to acknowledge the contribution of a community whose son Capt. Ram Singh Thakuri gave music to it’s national anthem.... “Jana Gana Mana.....” Refuses to see this community... beyond the stereotype “Chowkidar.....”.... Who would have thought that one simple individual from this community could go on to win the hearts of millions and go on to become “Bharat ki Shaan”????

Who would have thought that this simple policeman could generate sentiments from a community, which never seemed to bother? A community so complacent, that it never even looked up to see where it was heading to. A community composed of happy-go-lucky people who never even asked for what was rightfully theirs. A community which was getting fragmented into castes... sub-castes and super sub-castes...... A community which was happy being a Tamang or a Rai or a Newar but was gradually moving towards extinction (as Nepalese/Gorkhas)????
 
But, that’s what differentiates the IDOLS from us mortals.... An idol is not just a hero or a pin-up star.... rather he/she is an ICON.....  A symbol that represents people and their aspirations, a sign that others can look at and know what that single Icon represents.

In Prashant, we have a new Icon who is entirely different than all the previous icons that we the Nepalese/Gorkhali ever had. Till Prashant, we were known world over for our bravery, fearlessness and our valor.... but Post-Prashant we are also known for our talents that go beyond the battlefield. We are now known to be capable of being united... we are now known to forget the petty little stuffs that always created rift amongst ourselves.... Our bonding together and being united has not gone unnoticed.... so much so that even the Govt. of India and West Bengal, which was dilly-dallying with our demands, rushed in to give cabinet endorsement to the inclusion of Darjeeling Hills into the Scheduled Sixth of the Indian Constitution.

I am sure that, had the demand been for a separate state of Gorkhaland, this time round, we may have got that as well. All thanks to our Idol, our Icon, our Hero... Prashant.... for you have far exceeded the achievements of Prithivi Narayan Shah, who united Nepal, or Subash Ghising, who united Darjeeling....... for you have united the Nepalese/Gorkhali world over.

The Ideal: Prashant sure did succeed where the politicians had failed miserably, that is in rousing public emotions and bringing unity among Nepali speaking people world over. I have seen issues that have gone unheard or unnoticed because of lack of public involvement. The best example would be the water scarcity problem. We have been reeling under sever water crisis for nearly two decades, but no one is bothered. I am sure and confident that if we keep on being united and demand our rights with one voice, the water scarcity problem can be solved within a matter of months if not days.

Remember how we never had a day of load shedding during entire Indian Idol contest, how our telephone lines never got disrupted (as is the usual case),  if it was possible for the electricity board or the telecom department to be so efficient for those few months, don’t you all think they can be as efficient throughout the year.

The only difference between other days and these past few months has been that, we have demanded our utility systems to be efficient and surprisingly enough they have been. So, if we raise our voice not as sporadic individuals but as one community, I can bet, we will achieve anything and everything. The ideal situation will be to stay united and stay focused and know what we want to achieve and where we want to reach as a community.

The Idiots: Though, I did try my best to restrain myself from making any negative observations on this whole issue, but I feel that “The Voice of Darjeeling”, has never been known to mince its words..... So why try to be gentle now??

A comic once said... “You can fix a car, a house, even a mouse or a pig... but mind it my friend.... you can never fix an idiot”.... I took it as a joke back when I heard it, but now I realize he was speaking a universal truth.... you really can’t fix idiots.

Topping the charts are our so called politicians and leaders, except for few who did work dedicatedly.... most of our so called leaders abstained not just from generating support for Prashant but even from voting for him. Rumor has it that one of our most popular politician of all times, felt threatened and it hurt his ego big time, that this simple policeman had gone on to become more popular than he could ever think of being.

Another rumor has it that some of our so called politicians collected huge sums of money in Prashant’s name and people are still trying to figure out.... where did these politicians spend this money?? A poster had come up in Chowk Bazar recently to this respect and the politicians could not reply satisfactorily to the queries. True enough there is “no limit to idiots or their stupidity.....”

Next on line would be a bunch of idiots who still seem to be stuck in the 18th century. In the era of global village and globalization these idiots tried to spread communal tension and riot through unfounded rumors in Siliguri. This group has been quite active in spreading communal hatred especially in some parts of Siliguri-Jalpaiguri. They nearly succeeded in starting a full scale riot before people realized what this bunch of idiots were trying to do and restrained themselves.

“60 injured and lots of hearts broken...” was the headline next day...... although the Intelligence Bureau is supposed to have had all the information regarding the pre-planned attack on Prashant supporters, they seem to have kept the information to themselves, thus proving to be not-so-intelligent bureau after all.

Last but not the least the Cream de la cream of all idiots and thus the winner of the Crown-de-Idiota 2007, goes to Jonathan Brady (aka Nitin) of 93.5 Red FM. Poor guy he used to work as a security officer for KLM-Northwest airlines and was based in Delhi airport few years back. Seems like he has not been able to come out of that anxiety stricken era of his life, where he used to be shit scared of even his own shadow in absence of the brave Nepalese/Gorkhali around. Many people, who have worked with this guy, agree to one thing....... “He does not use his freedom of speech and expression..... Rather, he abuses it”... One person even went on to say that he is a “real pain-in-the-a**.....”

Well, racist he may not be..... but idiot he sure is. Hope he learns his lesson this time around.... and so do these other idiots... so that we can construct a better society together.

Once again, I congratulate all the people who came together, saw what was needed to be done and conquered what seemed unconquerable (removing the disunity among people). I request all of us to remain united and come together hand in hand so that we make a better society, a better community and a better country. I request all those who have not yet realized how much their stupid action can hurt others, to start learning their lessons and to contribute positively towards the development of a united society where every one is equal.

Finally, I leave you with the immortal lines by Kabi Guru Rabindra Nath Tagore… “where the mind is without fear and the head held high… where the world is not broken into fragments….. Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake…”

Hope! I made some sense.

Upendra