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I am a member of a quirky WhatsApp group named ‘The
Real Saints.’ With only 15 members, the group is unusually vibrant with one
post or another popping up every now and then. Everything under the sun is
grist to this group’s carnivalesque mill whose members belong to diverse
professions: banker, lawyer, businessman, jeweller, entrepreneur, teacher, and –
believe it or not – a Catholic priest.
All of us had studied together for
two years in the mid-1970s in Kochi. That was probably the only thing that
united us. Otherwise, we were all as different from each other as oil and
vinegar. But there is a streak of eccentricity in all of us, I think. Probably,
it is that eccentricity that keeps us together. One is a staunch Modi supporter
and one (that’s me) is an equally staunch Modi-basher. There are hardcore Congressmen
and equally hardcore Marxists. But we have never had a fight at any time
anywhere – neither in real physical plains nor in the digital realms.
A couple of months back eleven of us
came together at the palatial residence of one of the members. The
America-returned host had kept a couple of bottles of exquisite brandy ready. A
few members brought along with them whisky, including a Johnnie Walker Blue
Label. Drink as much as you wish. Another member had sponsored the food. We
spent hours together drinking, sharing experiences, telling jokes and stories,
even questioning some views. But, all that intoxication notwithstanding, there
never was any raucous moment. It remained a gentlemen’s affair till the end,
except that we laughed a bit louder than usual occasionally. We were all happy,
contented. With our unique friendships. In spite of the glaring differences in
our views and attitudes.
Why I chose to write about this is
only to show how people can believe in whatever they like, be entirely
different from others, and yet share an unparalleled spirit of camaraderie. Why
on earth will a country of 1.4 billion people aim for ONE RELIGION, ONE
LANGUAGE, ONE WHATEVER? Impossible to understand. More impossible to make it
practical. I would like to present our group, which one member ingeniously
named THE REAL SAINTS, to our Prime Minister as a model for building up his
nation.
Ours is not a new group. This has been
in existence for over ten years. We met many times earlier too in different
places. This time, when someone mentioned to add more members who wished to
join, a few others objected like the Renaissance Freemasons. Not everyone can
imbibe the spirit of THE REAL SAINTS. ‘Saintliness’ is not a frivolous matter.
When the name of a particular person who wished to join was mentioned, I
threatened to walk out of the group if he was admitted. So, we are exclusive
too in spite of our cosmic large-heartedness.
I’ll tell you why. There are certain
people who will ruin an entire group and its spirit with their meanness which
they perceive as spirituality. Just imagine this aspirant – let’s call him Jim –
attending a meeting (party, really) of ours. Jim is a confirmed (or confounded,
as Shaw would say) teetotaller. Anything that is spoken against Christianity is
satanic blasphemy for him. Jim is likely to die of a massive stroke after
spending five minutes with us, THE REAL SAINTS.
We move between irreverence and
solemnity, seriousness and levity, philosophy and plebeianism, bourgeoisies and
proletariats, heaven and hell, all with the grace of a ballerina. We have internalised
that art. That is why we are ‘saints.’
Well, not one of us in the group
actually thinks of ourselves as greater than any other person out there. But we
know that we are comfortable to be together, without others, occasionally, and
that we can do that ballet just for the fun of it. We know that life is
ultimately as absurd as that meaningless ballet, but as graceful too.
A beautiful article except for the confusion over Jim
ReplyDelete"We move between irreverence and solemnity, seriousness and levity, philosophy and plebeianism, bourgeoisies and proletariats, heaven and hell..." That's why Jims can't ever fit in groups like this. They are too bigoted to absorb any of that diversity in views.
DeleteThe great thing about the great piece is the mode and mood of the camaraderie, the mode of Ballet and the imagery of the bellarina. And of course grace and cosmopolitanism, albeit the acknowlwdgement of the streak the self-enclosed monadism.
ReplyDeleteCertain boundaries have to be clearcut for the quality to remain steady.
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteThe ability to remain on the intellectual plane while discussing opposing views is a charm indeed and to be applauded. To then not extend that mental largesse to another, to let them learn from the example... makes of the group precisely what you decry of government. It is elitism in micro. To be truly diverse, to permit another to air their views, and then 15 against one show how things are in your 'community', which the incomer can adjust to or opt to leave for other places, might have shown you in a better light. YAM xx
Without that elitism, the group won't survive at all as it is. With more members, not of the same caliber, the group will become just another quotidian mishmash.
DeleteThere are so many WhatsApp groups one member expresses radical views, totally unsolicited; and there are half a dozen people jumping in to either support or oppose those views. And then mostly it's a virutal free for all.
ReplyDeleteLive and let live, is easier said that done!
(My latest post: Fiction, non-fiction: Why I read what I read)
The most interesting thing about this particular group I mentioned is that it's free for all without any rancour, rather there is an exceptional level of mutual acceptance.
DeleteIt's nice you've got a group that you can just be with. Yeah, there are some people who would ruin that vibe, and you wouldn't realize it until it was too late to save it.
ReplyDeleteWe consciously keep such people out that can ruin the vibe.
Delete