Sunday, March 13, 2011

Of freedom, fests and seniors!


The last blog created quite a flutter. It was not supposed to be a piece of unearthing journalism. But it did turn out to be one roughly 17 hours after being posted.

It was supposed to be an article about an artist’s dilemmas about his art. Unfortunately my doubts did not quite go down well with the Moksha team. The following evening I was called to jeeto for a discussion. What followed was not quite a discussion but a threat.

Delete that post or you’d be beaten up.

More than anything else I was taken by surprise. Hello! Whatever happened to freedom of expression? Our forefathers fought and laid down their lives for an independent India, where mind is without fear, and head is held high (oh! Tagore).

I thought about our primary class lessons, and thought of the consequences of not taking them seriously.

“It’s better to lose an arm, than to lose your soul”- Anju Sinha ma’am, from 9th standard!

I used to tell my colleagues how NSIT is a much better place than DCE, because law of the land prevails here. Hooligan forces do not command respect. Yesterday was an eye opener. More so, because the rogue forces here are the influential people who’re governing the fest.

When we say Moksha’09 was a GOOD fest, we don’t say it in terms of the budget, or decoration. It was a good fest, because it had a soul.

Ability to take criticism contributes to the soul of a team, ability to prove critics wrong contributes to the soul of a team, to let actions speak-contributes to the soul of a team.

I deleted the post initially, because I did not know what better to do. I repost it now, because I revere my freedom of expression. I may have to take a beating and go down with it, but I know if I do, the morals of the Moksha team would have to go down first. And I know all juniors and students of NSIT, who respect their college, principles and freedom, would stand by me.

I Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
Though you've belted me and flayed me,
By the livin' Gawd that made you,
I’m a better man than you are, Gunga Din!
-Rudyard Kipling, quoted a bit differently.

7 comments:

fishappear said...

Good job Braw! Let's get beaten together. I support your article.

Hellamps said...

Their principles would have to take a beating first, as i said!

Ritwik said...

why is your name hellamps?

Saumya Kulshreshtha said...

"Ability to take criticism contributes to the soul of a team, ability to prove critics wrong contributes to the soul of a team, to let actions speak-contributes to the soul of a team."

Heard about it through Mittal.

Kudos for the way you write, and what you write.
:)

dernhelm said...

Keep writing.
Interesting blog you have here, with very thought-provoking and insightful and --need I add ? -- courageous posts.

Hellamps said...

@ritwik. Hell, the darkest place in the universe. Lamps, you know what. Hellamps is my tendency preach changes, where i see them least likely!
@sumya. Thanks a lot woman! Feels good!
@dern. Well thank you! :)

Ascendio said...

Freedom of Expression yeah! We'll teach the world again! Cheers!