After a real dull one year with no social celebrations, due to Covid19 threat, our community slowly coming to normal track. Lot many weddings, engagements, roce, Jubilees etc are taking place and this summer thought to be hectic one with severe heat and humidity. Heap of Invitations, that too on Saturdays / Sundays more than 2 – 3 functions. It so happened, we missed few by oversight that is why now we made a Calendar of Engagements and who will go where and when….?
Yes, that is not my subject of writing these few lines. In one of these functions met few good old friends. After exchanging pleasantries, a straight question, ‘what you are doing now..?’ with true concerns, ‘nothing serious….’ a polite reply from my side. ‘How you spend your time or engage yourselves…..?’ ‘Lot many things, including a small effort here and there, to write about a few unsung heroes of yester years….?’ After a pause, ‘Do you think anyone is interested in reading them….?’ ‘My friend, its none of our, business, let us do our part of work….’, was the answer, crept my mind, as the last question, though softly hit the ego….but refrained.
What followed was an interesting debate which truly an eye opener for us and to summarize:
v No one have time or patience to read long articles and even books.
v News Papers are not the stuff one eagerly waiting in the morning. Moreover they lost their trust and credibility, both as a conscious keeper or the fourth pillar of a democratic set up.
v Face Book, Twitter, whatsapp group, You Tube - are the media for news / information and unknowingly ruling the mind set of younger ones.
v Popular websites too have lost their attraction, compared to previous decade, but smart and quick to realise the change or shift in taste and preferences, in these days promoted their own you tube, news channels etc.
v TV News will be last resort or option to have dependable un-biased information as most of its debates are singing hosanna to the ruling hands or a particular party. Today in many homes TV set is reserved only to watch Cricket match on a larger screen and enjoy events like IPL etc.
v Most unfortunately, all big media houses today are either influenced or owned by political heavy weights and criticism never tolerated or allowed to be highlighted.
v There is very little or absence of dedicated professionalism in both social and print media. No reliable or investigative reporting, going down to the root or origin of any news item. Press conferences or briefing have no credibility as the news shared over here already out or stale one.
v Regional channels too, now tow the same line. They were started as real news givers and once emerged or successful to attract few viewers, their voice was thwarted or at times key persons were lured……!
v There are very few to be branded as independent media if at all there, its reach is restricted.
v Radio sound never heard in any house hold now…Few have the habit of listening to Radio Mirchi or like that while on a long drive….that’s all.
One ‘Smart iPhone’ does the magic. Its everything – a camera, voice recorder, telephone, TV, radio, source of all information, News paper, magazines etc. People are now depending on it for all religious ceremonies, retreats, Holy Mass etc. All entertainments, movies, songs, music, skits are readily available and watched over here.
It’s time for us to adjust to the changing world. Otherwise we will be left behind. Not long ago, a radio was a luxury, watching a movie in a theatre was a thrill and be a spectator for a musical concert in an auditorium was a proud moment, turning the pages of a photo album was an experience of revisiting the nostalgic moments……
Time has come to message or to call children in the upstairs informing them breakfast or lunch is ready. No eagerness to wait for relatives to visit their homes…..in the end ”apun apnak, dev somestank….” One question haunts me… or we are forgetting is, whether the potentials within us is greater than the obstacles around us and we are accustomed to easy life or happy go lucky attitudes……? In a long run, adjustments with wrong people will not at all better than argument with right one, as its already our meaningful silence taken for granted as weakness…..Let us also not surrender to artificial intelligence and lose our thinking power…!.
Now I am thinking very seriously, is it worth to write a book…..?
P. Archibald Furtado, 9th April, 2021,
archibarkur@gmail.com, 9845742750.