Modernity-what some pretend to have while others aspire to have!!! But are we really progressing towards it? Just ponder….
What kind of modernity do we have?
Is this an illusion or are we disillusioned
Our thoughts are full of filth
Our heart is full of hate
Tongue is full of abuses
System is full of discrimination, corruption and fraud
Society is full of intolerance, riots and fear.
This is what we the ‘modern people’ have in wake of modernity
Everything for us is nothing more than a commercial advertisement.
Modernity in true sense is based on pillars of emancipation, selflessness, caring, respect for all, sharing, harmony and sustainable co-existence with everyone irrespective of caste, gender, religion, region or culture. It is about doing away with soiled, fraudulent and unjust mindset and living standards.
In the name of modernization, man has industrialized, urbanized and materialized. He has brought a makeover in his dressing style, food habits, house decoration and accent of speaking. The luster of modernity has sparkled the artificial life of man but the darkness in his thoughts still prevail. The shimmer of modernization has failed to reach the orthodox, superstitious, patriarchal, discriminatory and sectarian ideologies of the present society.
Our dresses have modernized but the heart is still pumping the blood full of stereotypes and prejudices. Even today people just care for their own respect, dignity and agency and have inhumane attitude towards others. Intolerance towards different caste and religious groups have still captured our mind.
We claim that the present world is recognized by equal treatment for equals, proportionate justice and recognition of special needs.However we fail to see that the social structure of present society is handcuffed by the monster of entrenched inequality. These inequalities have given space to social crimes like social discrimination, poverty, child labor, forced labor, human trafficking, unemployment, social unrest, etc. The society is victim of alcoholism, drug abuse, materialism, superstitions and many such issues. The world is witnessingconflicts, physical attacks, riots, assassinations and structural violence like caste hierarchy, class disparity, patriarchy, and communalism. So is this the modernity we are proud of?
What a ‘great modernization’ we have achieved where females are still suffering from survival inequality, natality inequality, ownership inequality, domestic violence & physical victimization, unequal access to opportunities and unequal sharing of household benefits & chores. Her political voice is still suppressed behind the voice of male members of her family. Great is the modernity we have adopted where dressing of girls; her friendship with boys and attending late night parties is still questioned.
Modernity that we believe in has given us pleasure of collecting materialistic goods but it has failed to give us true happiness. Even in the crowded world we are lonely. In achieving modernity we are moving towards nuclear lifestyle whereby we are leaving our loved ones behind. To be part of modernizing world, we are dissociating from our responsibilities to showcase our fake independence. In this modernizing world, love and care are no longer emotions but are agents of control and dominance.
Charity, selflessness, helping the needy have become merely an agenda of populism rather than the positive intent of working for welfare of others. They have become a new tool of becoming social media star or mechanisms of human trafficking, drug trafficking, etc.
Modernization has made us keep our houses clean but could not teach us to keep our streets and roads clean. The litter, filth and garbage dumped by us on the running roads is a living example of our fake modernization. We are depleting green lungs; polluting air, water and land and deteriorating our beautiful environment. In the name of modernity, there has been a paradigm shift in consumerism. The ‘throw away culture’ has taken over reduce-reuse-recycle. Wastage has become a new norm.
Via our modernization we have gifted the smoggy skies, polluted air & rivers, extensive barren and unproductive land, depleting green lungs, unpredictable and irregular rainfall, changing climatic patterns, global warming, ozone depletion, etc. to our environment. There are numerous incidences of man-animal conflict, hunting, poaching or loss of biodiversity. Modernization is about creativity and innovation, it’s not destruction and deterioration.
So let’s stop pretending to be modern and adopt modernity of thoughts and behavior which will make us truly modern.
A modern world is one………………
Where there may not be treasuries of gold and silver
But there are jewels of kindness, empathy and generosity.
Where everyone may not have luxury
But everyone believes in equity, compassion, harmony and fraternity.
Where Stereotypes and prejudices have no place
Objectivity, unbiasedness and open-mindedness makes it way.
Where materialism has become null and void
The world is run by fuel of sustainability.
By: DEEPIKA SINGLA
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