Meaning in the time of fraudulence
We live in a political system that reduces us into
mere numbers. In India, your Aadhar number is your identity. Whether you want
to travel by train or flight, you need this number. In fact, you can do nothing
without that one number which in turn is connected to a host of other numbers
like your bank account, driving license and income tax payments. Even to be
admitted in a hospital for treatment, you need your Aadhar.
What this number implies is that the
political system is not interested in you as an individual. Its sole interest
is what it can extract out of you: taxes and votes. Have you ever received a
birthday greeting from your government? A get-well wish when you are in
hospital, let alone a query whether you need any assistance? Votes and taxes. You
are valuable only for the sake of those two things. Otherwise, you are just
another pawn on the board or a cog on a gear.
To make sure that you remain just
that – a pawn, a cog – the system bombards you with all sorts of propaganda.
The propaganda in the present India has reached such levels that even your gods
are being replaced without a tinge of subtlety. Your food choices are delimited
by the system. A particular language is imposed on you. In short, you are being
redefined day after day until you become something like the untouchables in the
old caste system.
Old age can be particularly painful
in such a system. As long as you have a job, your identity is associated with
that job. What are you? A doctor, an engineer, a teacher… And then, one day,
you retire. Now when the question is put – what are you? – the answer is:
“Retired.” That very word ‘retired’ implies that you have no identity beyond your
profession.
We need to create a new meaning for
our life as we move on, particularly to old age when you won’t have the solaces
of a professional identity.
Someone sent me the following message on WhatsApp the other day.
What this means is that even if you
are not ‘retired,’ your identity is at stake in this country which inevitably
distorts your very essence. You are being fraudified, so to say, every
moment here. You need a lot of courage apart from clarity of vision to preserve
your own integrity as an individual, to retain the meaning of your life as you
would want it.
Previous Post: Dealing with Regret
It's sad when we are identified by our roles. It seems that we think of ourselves that way, too.
ReplyDeleteYes, we think so too. We are conditioned to think so.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDelete...and that all too often, on retirement, our roles are forgotten; somehow we are classed as being among the unlearned once more...and we are treated as fools. YAM xx
So true. Loneliness becomes the lot of the older ones.
DeleteWell why don't we just don't care of how they treat us, just live a life and die someday!
ReplyDeleteWe're doing that, i guess.
DeleteI would guess by now, every country has some type of number system to identify their people. Our is our social security number. It has 9 numbers in it.
ReplyDeleteYour number brings you some benefits, ours take away something from us.
DeleteThis is really something to wonder about. Right now im young, a career to identify with is much needed. But what after? Luckily, during my certain phases of "unemployment" i had to identify myself everyday so that i didn't fall into a black hole. Those days, taught me principles through which i really identify with now.
ReplyDeleteThose principles will abide with you in hard times (if they choose to come).
Delete