So Whatz New ?

This might sound a little like a movie review, which it might as well become. Adjusting my time and bunking office part time. I did go out to watch the 5 star rated“My Name is Khan”. Looking at the concept one would imagine that this is a big step for Karan Johar who so far hadn’t thought beyond love stories. Alas...This message oriented movie takes the same turns as any other Karan Johar movie. The theme is the relatively common one ‘’All Muslims are not terrorists”. Although the theme did have a lot of potential it was not put to use. Having been from the DDLJ era I should confess I’m a huge Sharukh-Kajol fan and of course had a lot of expectations from the movie. Sharukh does a good job as a person with Asperger’s syndrome. But inspite of good acting the movie doesnot stand upto my expectations. Johar needs to do a lot more work to carry off a movie like this, after all not all can be Amir Khan.

The one positive effect of this movie on me was probably that it forced me to think. What is the fuss about? I had probably not even heard the term terrorism before 9/11. So is it really new? Are terrorists’ people who sit in remote corners of earth planning to bring humanity to its knees and strike terror in the heart of the common man? Well...Think again, the term terrorist might be a new entry, especially the one referring to Islamic terror. But being terrorized is not new to us. From the bully is school who used to snatch our lunch box to the local rowdy who makes every shopkeeper pay hafta, we are terrorized all the time. Someone wise has said “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”. Not surprised that so many Sena’s are around.
So the bigger question is why do people terrorize? Somehow it seems completely unnatural and inhumane to imagine someone would terrorize for the sheer pleasure of seeing a person in trouble. Yet probably this is the most human tendency of all. I know not many of us would accept that we do experience pleasure by someone else’s downfall. But it is indeed true, from the Roman gladiators to the local cock and bull fights and our very own reality shows and video games in our living rooms. We all engage in practical jokes where someone else’s humiliation is our joy .The market today cleverly caters to our urge for the adrenaline rush. They allow you to get close to terror, danger and humiliation. But the main key to this concept is that its not “You”. A whole range of emotions can be experienced at the cost of someone else.

For a change lets give our Osama’s a break. It’s time for some introspection. What can we do to bring about a change?
Well I guess there is something we all can do to transform ourselves, Kindness and Love need not be the words we learn and forget in our school moral science books. It can be something we enjoy, experience and share.

“Teaching a child not to stamp on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar” – Bradley Millar

We all have been taught in schools to mug up, score lot of marks and get ranks. It’s time to change it. Lets teach our children a few lessons on humanity. Let Kindness and love take precedence over money and power, Well who knows .. terrorism could as well be a thing of the past.