My sleeps are generally haunted by nightmares.
Amorphous creatures who pretend to be benign lead me on familiar paths and
leave me in alien territories. I had a surprise last night, however. I was
abandoned in some kind of a wonderland where everyone smiled like angels who
were carrying some happy message to some Virgin Mary somewhere. Yet another
virgin birth. The dream left me in a half-awake state. I knew I wasn’t
dreaming. I knew I was fantasising. And I found it all quite amusing. Here are
some of those delightful fantasies of semi-wokeness.
One
All the money in the world’s banks, all banks
included, is distributed equally to all the adults in the world. Ambani, Adani,
Advani, Kolani, Indrani, Malini, Shalini… everyone on earth now has equal
wealth. And everyone is told by some mysterious angel that they will always
have the same wealth as anyone else on earth as long as they don’t misuse it.
If they misuse it – on drugs, for example – then the amount spent won’t be
replenished. Instead an equal amount will be deducted from their amount. If
they use it for helping someone else – taking an accident victim to hospital,
for example – then double the amount will be reimbursed.
Wah, Wah! I muttered in my dream – or
whatever it was. Imagine what will happen to those who show off merely because
they have more wealth than the neighbours. Imagine what will happen to the GDP
of countries. What will the world be like without superpowers trying to impose
their whims on weaker powers. Imagine the beggar next-door building a house
just like yours. What will Forbes do with their lists?
Two
Anyone who speaks words of hate, however convincingly
and eloquently, will get a slap for each phrase uttered in hate. Nobody will
see who is slapping you though you may be addressing a rally of a few thousand
party-workers or audience taken on rent. Mysterious angels have their way of
slapping you left and right and you keep getting it throughout your speech
which you thought was stealing the ground from beneath the feet of your
perceived enemies.
Religions suddenly become
meaningless. What are they without hatred of those who belong to other faiths?
Political parties become useless. What are they without differences of truths? Leaders
become redundant. Who are they when everyone knows the facts?
Truth is love. Then John Keats comes
and says, “Truth is beauty.” And you know that love is beauty. Then Saint Augustine
comes claiming that love is God. And you agree. You see clearly. Where the
vision is clear, dissensions are welcome. Because you know what honest differences
mean.
Three
There is no politics. No parties, no rallies, no slogans…
But the world runs smoothly. Because you are good.
I woke up feeling exuberant. And then I felt WOKE.
Utopia!
ReplyDeleteIn dreams only 🙄
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteWe're all allowed a bit of Dreamland now and then... YAM xx
Life would be unbearable otherwise.
DeleteWe must imagine worlds like this, for we can't bring into being that which we can't imagine.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Let's hope that some of our dreams become reality too.
DeleteEven Sir and Saint Thomas More had an Utopia, grounded enough to challenge the Royal Whims of Henry VIII.
ReplyDeleteThat motivates us!
DeleteWell written
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteFantasy is the other side of a reality. We all shuttle between the two.
ReplyDeleteYes, shuttle between desire and reality.
DeleteNature likes everything in balance. Atleast that's what a dragon in one of the book I'm reading said. Even though the wealth is distributed equally, don't you think it'll go back to how it was earlier. People are all different. They have different capabilities, talents and weaknesses. Some of them will surely find a way to increase their income. Others won't. But then again, what is life if it isn't for problems. It'll get boring.
ReplyDeleteEdit: don't mind the grammatical errors. I noticed it afterwards.
DeleteThis was fantasy, dear Diya. A longing at best. It can't be real. However, as Liz commented above, we need to imagine. As poet Browning said, our search should exceed our grasp or else what's heaven for?
Delete