Un-Ramble

Each time you re-read a book, you realize that you relate to it differently. Simply because you have evolved as a person, shaped by the experiences you’ve had over the years. I have almost completely forgotten what part of Fahrenheit 451 I had felt most relatable to at first place. I must have read it around 10-11 years ago when my younger self was in school and it was one of the books you keep hearing from seniors or it was on that chain email list being circulated around “books you must read”.

And I have absolutely no humiliation in saying that I would have even skimmed through a few pages back then without contemplating too much about what was written and what was being said. It is a dystopian novel; earphones, rooms with flat TV screens, mechanical dogs, all of this I did understand and I knew it back then that this was not something too absurd because I had seen the evolution of at least some of these things- from Walkman to fancy CD player, pagers to mobile phones and so on.

As I am reading it again, after almost a decade it does not seem dystopian at all. We have air pods, LED TVs, robotics, virtual reality. Nearly all the people in tram and buses have earphones on them; on a given gathering we are very rarely mentally present for an occasion, we are flooded with information and facts -that have and make absolutely no sense.

And reading Fahrenheit was as if I finally had words for my thoughts!

We are so used to instant gratification that if the other person does not reply you back, we feel less validated. I am not really sure as to how many of us actually enjoy (the definition and emotion associated with this word might vary here :P) the place or people while we are still there? You met your friends like 5 minutes ago and you see pictures being uploaded already. I know it feels happy and you want to share it but it can at least wait till the end of the day, when you’re back and thinking about how good the day was that you post a picture? Your friends and family deserve more time and attention from you rather than a hundred people knowing that you are having fun. It is the same for places. We are robbed of our experiences because we have already seen that place through somebody else’s eyes. You would not put in much effort to see something that really pleases you but you are bound to see and click what others saw. For instance, I might be intrigued by an old dilapidated building, but my friend puts up a picture from a fancy graffiti wall. And now when I am at that place, I will unknowingly notice that graffiti first over what I actually like.

And forget these things; they seem too trivial compared to what follows next. Or to simply put, thoughts I have when re-reading Fahrenheit 451. 

It essentially talks about a society where people are highly educated but not well- educated, censorship or controlled enforcement, surveillance, suppression of information and brutal government investigations and so on. If this does not ring a bell to you I don’t know what will. And now that I have already written so much I might as well write a little more about what has been the quintessential topic amongst all my informal discussions over the past few months :P the Indian political system ( a-system/disorder)

The election mandate, as most of us agree isn’t surprising. But we all have different reasons for it. I have not seen many people from my ‘friend’ list criticizing the practices of the said govt. How can you not see what kind of decisions/reforms they have slyly introduced? How many books have been recalled, dialogues censored, movies banned, apologies demanded from people, protests that have been called, riots that have been started, and inciting speeches in the name of religion?

The inclusion of religion/caste selective texts in high school textbooks, the ever-rising demand and approval of quotas, the building of statues (which I guess is all time favorite thing and BTW just 1 year after its inauguration there are puddles and dripping ceilings at Statue of Unity; in case you live under a rock), the candid interviews, rising unemployment… the list goes on. And finally, “Free” speech now needs to come with a clause: “free, so long as you agree.”

And if you come up with crap like what did the other party do all these years and stuff; keep your views to yourself.

Agreed the other alternative party lacks a reliable and strong personality but that does not give the selected one to stay mum on all these issues. By not strongly condemning these acts amongst people, the “leader” should know that he is actually condoning it. Most followers see “him” as an icon because they see “him” as personifying the strong leadership India needs, but it would be a grievous error to equate strength with an aptitude for muzzling criticism. To be strong does not mean to be unopposed and silencing the voices of your detractors does not make you louder, it only makes you a bully and chills the volume of the democratic process.

Although largely I have no interest in the aforementioned things; the political system is, in fact, a smartly designed stupid system that is designed by us, for us, to give a sense of participation whereas it does not really matters who comes into power because as a country, you will not deviate much and there are legislators and bureaucrats who will take care of the decision making.  

I am always juggling between two very extreme stances to things such as these. To pay no heed, which is what I do most of the times. Or challenge and point out that you make no sense what so ever. And each time I have tried to follow the second path, I have been disappointed because people are largely meh xD

The problem with us (globally actually) is that by keeping everyone mediocre, brainwashed and entertained, the leaders in power or they have a population that they can mobilize easily. And that’s what they are very good at doing. As for me, every once in a while I enjoy commenting on posts and almost always enjoy the comedy and stand up acts it leads to.

Fahrenheit 451 is a small book of 160 odd pages. But what follows during and after is indeed quite deep and thought-provoking (as you can see)