Dangerous Trends & Kolaveri

There seems to be alarming trends witnessed across the world - a kind of activism with not much purpose and intent. And in India, I can think of 2 big trends - one, its fashionable to be negative and oppose everything. The second big trend is that anyone and everyone thinks he or she is an expert on everything - from nuclear energy to FDI in retail to Mullaiperiyar dam to genetically modified crops to rupee value against the dollar and the list is really endless.

While it maybe good timepass to have such pseudo experts discuss these grave issues over a cup of tea or cocktails, the sad part is that its taken to the streets and such unconstructive activism is at an alltime high. If the concerns were genuine, there is scope for improvement, but if its to agitate for the sake of agitation, growth and development suffer. I mean, there are more Karan Thapars playing the Devil's Advocate today and setting up imaginary arguments.

I am alarmed at this trend, just this past year has seen many such cases  in the country. We had this absolutely ridiculous controversy over Bt brinjal from those who didn't know the abc of the technology. The ongoing agitation at Kudankulam is a perfect example of people on the street pretending to be nuclear experts. Two days back Shashi Tharoor wrote a column on rediff where he has categorically stated that the Mullaperiyar dam is unsafe!! When did he become an expert to comment on structural safety of dams? His only claim to being an expert is that he hails from Kerala. Then, there have been endless fasts and agitations for Telangana, corruption, Lokpal, etc.

My theory is that intolerance has peaked and all of us have streaks of these, in varying degrees! So many incidents of shootouts at toll plazas, tea shops, murders over petty issues, road rage have become common place, across the country.

So, there appears to be a Kolaveri in all of us, probably why the song went viral and every Indian could relate to it!!