The justification of violence
I felt only pity and disgust yesterday when bloody violence erupted through Bangalore's streets.
The all 7.5 million inhabitants were held hostage on Thursday as no one dared to venture out of their homes. Gangs of unruly, angry men stormed the pavement, stoning policemen who attemped to pacify the crowd, hijacking and torching buses, and even vandalizing downtown IT offices (Microsoft included). Aggressive riots broke out spontaneously throughout the day, as swarms of men destroyed everything in their sight.
What could be the cause of such ugliness from citizens of "the next Silicon Valley"?
It would seem that the thick, suffocating pollution coating and poisoning the throats and lungs of millions, the inefficiency of elected officials to complete innumerable delayed infrasturcture projects, or the ignored orphaned children trapped in a world of begging, could be possible reasons. It's probable and expected that citizens fight such injustices.
However, it was the death of a local Kannada film star who passed away from a heart attack at 77 years old.
Maybe my outsider status prevents me from tapping into the fanatical worship of Bollywood and film stars. Or maybe my Westernized priviledged background affords me the luxury to berate the larger social issues which plague the developing world. Either way, I would definitely relegate the death of a cinematic icon as simply a minor tragedy.
Bangalore Shuts Down, Mourning Death of South Indian Actor (Bloomberg News)
The all 7.5 million inhabitants were held hostage on Thursday as no one dared to venture out of their homes. Gangs of unruly, angry men stormed the pavement, stoning policemen who attemped to pacify the crowd, hijacking and torching buses, and even vandalizing downtown IT offices (Microsoft included). Aggressive riots broke out spontaneously throughout the day, as swarms of men destroyed everything in their sight.
What could be the cause of such ugliness from citizens of "the next Silicon Valley"?
It would seem that the thick, suffocating pollution coating and poisoning the throats and lungs of millions, the inefficiency of elected officials to complete innumerable delayed infrasturcture projects, or the ignored orphaned children trapped in a world of begging, could be possible reasons. It's probable and expected that citizens fight such injustices.
However, it was the death of a local Kannada film star who passed away from a heart attack at 77 years old.
Maybe my outsider status prevents me from tapping into the fanatical worship of Bollywood and film stars. Or maybe my Westernized priviledged background affords me the luxury to berate the larger social issues which plague the developing world. Either way, I would definitely relegate the death of a cinematic icon as simply a minor tragedy.
Bangalore Shuts Down, Mourning Death of South Indian Actor (Bloomberg News)
posted by Laura | 3:51 AM
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