We stumbled upon two patterns of response:
1) Either they rattled off textbookish responses full of praise and ornamental words to compliment our cultural legacy:
“Face of India”
“Reflection of our past”
“Rich heritage”
“Diversity”
“Cultural Icons”
“Ancient”
“Aesthetic”
“Treasure”
2) However if the questions were asked with a twist we found they had even more interesting things to say:
“Dirty”
“Not Cool!”
“Garbage Dump!”
“Public Toilet”
“Stinky”
“Shady Places”
“Ruins in more ways than one”
“Boring”
“No way a fun place to be in!”
“Places meant for weirdoes!”
So what do you have to say? The biggest problem we face today is apathy, indifference. We Indians live in a pool of muck! We have in a way become immune to corruption, illiteracy, crime, poverty...(The list is never ending); living in the gutter we have become used to its stink! What will shake us into reality? Having reached this state of numbness, what would serve as an electric shock, a wake up call? When will words translate into action?
We have started this blog in search of real answers to a real problem! Help us, help your own country!
6 comments:
the situation seems quite helpless...but i think one of the most basic steps that can b taken is to have more garbage bins in the vicinity of these monuments...because many a times ive wanted to throw,a packet of chips say,but because i couldnt find any bin there,ive had to temporarily stash it in my rucksack,something which according to me many people wont do,leading to them throwing it on the ground.And also i think putting up notices in the area,pleading visitors not to deface the monuments can also go some way to help the cause.another solution which comes to my mind is to air 'attractive/impacting' campaigns,as are already being done,because it makes people aware of the problem.and i think they need to be aired quite frequently so as to have a lasting impact.cant think of more hard hitting solutions,sorry,but i think these steps,though might go just a little way,but might still mean one scratch less on the buildings.
I support your Save Monuments Campaign. The photography and painting exhibition in the library of Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU)by the students of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) was a purposeful effort, not an exercise of art for art's sake. It deserves the support of all sane individuals.
Everybody is caught up up in their own lives and are apathetic towards everything that does not affect their lives.The only times people remember these 'mournuments' is when there relatives come over and want to go sight seeing!! Then they criticise the authorities for not taking care of these monuments.The campiagns of 'Incredible India' are all over TV but ...... but the only thing that is 'Incredible' is the callous attitude of the people.Most people donot think twice about spitting or throwing garbage, so expecting them to to do so at monuments is asking too much.Not only do the famous monuments need to be preserved,the little known ruins should also be taken care of.These monuments are the legacy given to us, and it is the duty of the citizens and the govt. to take prseserve them , so the coming generations can also know the rich history of the country.The world thinks of Taj Mahal when they think of India.That in itself shows how important they are.They have stood the test of time, now the question is will they be able to survive the mutilation they are being subjected to? Or are we going to sit up take notice and do something about it ?
I think that the question you have put forth has also been answered by you, APATHY. Its simpler to turn a blind eye towards the problem. Behaving in a callous fashion is easier than actually pulling up our sleeves and jumping into the muck-pit to clean it up!
We do not know the value of the monuments and places of historical significance because history for a long time (and even today) for many people is a subject that is only about dates; what was built in 1520? what was built in 1762? what happened in 1857? what happened in 1947? ..they are only dates for us now,which seem to have lost all significance and meaning. We need to change that narrow perspective in order to show the potential of the places we are knowingly or unknowingly destroying.
We proudly boast about the "TAJ MAHAL" ..but are doing even an iota to preserve it ? Claiming it as the best example for undying love is the only thing we feel proud about!
Its stricking to see how we don't have the brains to see that ultimately, it is we, who are the ones to suffer. Showing complete disregard for our past ..ultimately goes to show how much disrespect we have for ourselves.
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