We are all part of some or the other WhatsApp group out of the sake of social courtesy. Generally the silly jokes shared or totally sexist and overall wrong remarks being made are ignored by me. But as the volatile situation in Afghanistan is unfurling a whole new arena of horrors await us very close home.
I generally do not write about politics, or opinions that people express in these groups - these could be memes, jokes, videos or even news (fake news). If grown up people have decided to feel in a certain way they will. You can take a certain line of argument, but that is about all. But I am going to break this rule today. I am appalled at the way that people have reacted to the crisis a nation is facing. It’s closer home than we realise.
Forget the political bigots and the uneducated. When I see absolutely/apparently educated and accomplished citizens be insensitive it boils my blood. Over the last two days, I saw so many posts all over social media which parade as jokes but are downright disgusting. They are to the tune of “they had it coming” right to being insensitive at a whole new level. People who speak out asking for solidarity of the world (read celebs) are trolled as to why they were quiet on other issues. how does it matter if they were quiet on another issue. Right now - this is the burning issue, do you have anything meaningful to contribute? If not, kindly shut up.
If you feel forwarding jokes about cheaply available real estate in Kabul is witty, I really can’t even begin to list the number of things wrong about it. Forget the Islamophobia latent in it, this is a slap on the face of humanity. There are people dying, families being torn apart, I cannot bring myself to believe I actually saw a video of people falling from the sky. What kind of apocalyptic helplessness must he have felt, that he chose to tie himself to an aircraft rather than stay on the ground? Yet, we sitting in our comfortable homes, watching our plush TV sets can’t spare an ounce of humanity, we senselessly forward sick jokes. Jokes which come at the expense of dead children and a very very scared country. And all this from us, Indians who know what the pain of being uprooted is. Some of us have families which know how moving everything you called your own overnight feels like - are we dead inside?
Have some shame. If you do not have an opinion, keep quiet. If you do not know what to do, don’t do anything. Don’t spew hate.
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