A
DANCE OF DEATH...
Another day, another month, another year –
and yet another display of cruel insensitivity by us Indians, this time
watching as a person burns to his death on a crowded street, with no one coming
forward to help. It is one thing if you try to help, and were not able to – or if
you try to help but were prevented by the intensity of the fire, but just
standing and watching is quite another. What were you watching? It wasn’t a
street drama; it was a dance of death being played. Either you stop to help –
or bloody well move on so that other, better people than you can help!
Insensitivity, callousness, fear – or all of
the above? Just what is the problem that causes incidents like the one in the
article from The Indian Express below? We have seen many, many such sad and cruel
responses from the public over the years, some of which I myself have
documented on my blog from time to time. Each time, I think and, rather, hope –
that these are isolated incidents, ones which are reported due to their
transparently callous and cruel nature; that we are a nation of 1.3 Billion
plus, and that isolated incidents aren’t the barometer...
IS
SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH US?
But when similar happenings take place again
and again and again – one has to conclude that there is something seriously
wrong with at least some people among us; that we need to look in a mirror and
see for ourselves what we are increasingly becoming. We have seen it before –
driving on by a couple of victims, watching accident victims and more; and have
demonstrated magnificent inaction and the ardent followership of
it-isnt-my-problem-so-why-should-I-care.
But what happened in this episode just beggars
belief; a display of inhumanity and cruelty beyond words, beyond description
and beyond comprehension. I am frankly stunned, with bile rising in my throat
and shocked numbness in my mind as I read the unbelievably shocking display of inhumanity,
crass selfishness, callousness & total lack of empathy, and mind-numbing insensitivity
on display in this terrifying episode. People just standing and watching!
If this was all there was to it – it would
have been routine for India – as we shall observe later in this article; what
takes the cake here is that not only were people watching, they were taking
videos and further uploading them on Youtube! This is something that you want
to have a Video of? What for, pray tell? What makes it so fascinating? A human
being is burning to death, an agonizing and horrific way to go, and the best
you can think of is taking a video? What happened to plain human decency and
feelings? And let us not forget common sense, which, by current evidence, is highly
uncommon?
THIS
IS A HABIT WITH US...
We have seen this many, many time before;
this shocking inhuman behaviour by Indians of all hues, colors, education,
livelihood, age and gender. Everytime there is a small road accident- even a biker
falling – you will see crowds gathering and watching. Watching – mind it; doing
nothing, precisely nothing, and just watching. In doing so, they clog up roads,
disturb and delay people, waste resources as well as time – but they watch all
the same.
What curious fascination, what amazing pull
others’ misfortune holds for us as a people, isn’t it? We unfailingly watch,
each and every time. But no- we never, ever, stop forward to help, to lend a
helping hand. Why do you watch – do tell? Is it fun? Someone is hurt, is in
pain, or is dying – and you stand and watch? How does that help? What
satisfaction do you get from it? And if it is curiosity – what good will
satisfying your curiosity do? Why don’t you help – or move on, if you don’t want
to help? Moving on it actually preferable if you cannot actually do anything to
change the status quo!
WHY
BYSTANDING IS WRONG
In fact, the act of standing, of just
watching, satisfying your “curiosity”, is actually quite harmful to the
situation. This first of all prevents access to those people who are real “men”
so to speak {sorry, ladies, no insult intended – just using an old English
idiom}. These real men or women can help, want to help – isn’t it possible that
their access is prevented by no-good bystanders who are creating a crowd?
Further, crowd inaction might also dissuade those in the crowd with real
humanity and guts, those who have feelings, but don’t act since the crowd isn’t
doing so.
Not only that – let me go further. If you
stop to watch even a small accident on the road just out of curiosity – please don’t.
What good can you do? Either help – or don’t stop, be selfish – and move on.
Clear the space for those who can help; that will be your contribution to the
cause, and will be genuinely appreciated. What gets me is why be curious at
all? It is fine to be curious, see and then lend a hand; it is not so fine if
your curiosity leads to you watching! Why watch? You have seen the misfortune –
so move on; why does someone else’s misfortune hold such a magnetic attraction?
What does it say of you as a person? Not a lot, to be brutally frank.
If this article has touched you in any way –
please think of how you respond and behave under such circumstances. This
applies to me as well – I have also soul-searched, and asked myself – what would
my response be? I know for a fact that I don’t stop if there are bystanders or
a crowd, since it will only add to the clog and confusion; but how will I react
when I am the first on the scene? I hope I never have to answer that. Whatever
the reason for your inaction – callousness, cruelty, fear, other issues – they are
your problems; the best you can do is not stop to watch, leaving the space for
others who can help. And videos – boss, it isn’t cool to take videos of others’
suffering; it is cruel, callous, inhuman and shockingly sad....
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