Sunday, May 21, 2006

dylan

my sister went to watch a film on bob dylan yesterday and today. i missed it..for various reasons. but heres a poem by another dylan. dylan thomas.

clown in the moon - dylan thomas

my tears are like the quiet drift
of petals from some magic rose;
and all my grief flows from the rift
of unremembered skies and snows.
i think, that if i touched the earth,
it would crumble;
it is so sad and beautiful,
so tremulously like a dream.

read this almost a year ago, but i think it made sense to me, now. to me, it describes that sad-happy-confusion terribly well.

today, as i walked down mg rd, i watched students line up by the side holding hands, from one end of mg rd to the other. a cop was talking to one of the boys, and he actively and animatedly explained stuff to the cop. more cops were gathering around them. each of them had a banner pinned to his/chest that read 'im against reservation'. i looked and said 'wow. theres someone doing something about it, i want to join them.' but that was it. i didnt join them. i continued walking, all the time watching and feeling proud that somebody was out there, being proactive, doing something. everybody talks about it, at home, at college, at coffee day..but finally i had actually seen an active protest in bangalore. solidarity facing up to injustice. and i wanted to be part of it. but i didnt cross the road to go find out more, or to join them. i proceeded on to coffee day, where i sat across the road from the human chain. still watching, sipping my cafe frappe and discussing the latest developments of this reservation issue with friends.

and i came back home, and felt like shit. ashamed, that i chose to give up my chance to be a part of the movement, to actively stand up for something i believe in, against something that has the potential to affect my life if enforced. something iv been following up pretty closely, and something i feel for. and these chances dont come everyday. im ashamed of myself.

im looking for that something thats going to tip the scales back to being normal again. my days are still confused and whirring by. im looking for some peace of mind.

3 comments:

Manu said...

frappe aa RRICH people no, they dont lift a finger to improve the plight of poor oppressed minorities like suntikoppa architects. DIS. GUST. ING.

But seriously, I dont know what to make of it when I dont feel strongly for a particular issue. I am selfish in that way, I dont bother my head with issues that dont directly affect me. But even if I decided to be an activist, what issues better deserve my attention? How do you weigh, say, reservation, against something like sex trafficing? At the end of the day, all activism is either selfish, misinformed, or lucky.

Manu said...

Thats my point of view, but I havent given it as much thought as i probably should. And I meant to say DIS. GUS. TING not DIS. GUST. ING. okbye

Dr. Pissed said...

I got this brilliant message the other day and fortunately enough, I've saved it. Think I'll let you in on it, if you havent read it already. It goes:

New rules of Quota system introduced in Indian Cricket.

1. Boundary will be 15 yards shorter for SC/ST players.
2. SC/ST can take one bounce catch of any batsman.
3. SC/ST scoring 20 runs in practice match will qualify for National Team.
4. SC/ST player scoring 60 will be counted as century.
5. Over for SC/ST bowler is of 5 balls.
6. 40% players in cricket team will be SC/ST

____

That apart, I really dont think too much will come off these movements or anyone will even give a ear or eye to them. Much like another youth thing that I am associated with which works out a Richmond Road office.

But I am all for them with the hope that someday, something will happen!