Opinion Fasting virus

Of late it has become fashionable for our netas to embark upon fasts unto death until their demands are conceded by the government.

Soli J. Sorabjee

June 19, 2011 02:23 AM IST First published on: Jun 19, 2011 at 02:23 AM IST

Fasting virus

Of late it has become fashionable for our netas to embark upon fasts unto death until their demands are conceded by the government. Anna Hazare started the ball rolling. Not to be outdone,Baba Ramdev followed suit. The curious part is that their fasts ended well before the occasion for the ultimate sacrifice. This is in contrast to Swami Nigamanand whose 114-day fast seeking a ban on quarrying in and around the Ganga in the Kumbh area,ended in his death. Recently,scribes have threatened to go on a chain hunger strike if their demands for a CBI probe into the murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey and resignation of the Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil are not met. One wonders whether lawyers and doctors will ever undertake a hunger strike.

History’s pleasant surprises

It is incredible that ever since her grandfather,George V,crossed the Irish sea Queen Elizabeth,the reigning monarch of England,set foot on Ireland last month. More astonishing was her laying of the wreath at the Garden of Remembrance to honour the Irish patriots who fought against the British. This was a salutary step to ensure that historical events,however painful,do not hamper friendly relations between countries in the future. Witness the friendship between France and Germany who were bitter foes in the last two World Wars. Prime Minister Vajpayee’s Lahore bus trip was a step forward and was actuated by a genuine desire to promote friendship between India and Pakistan. Unfortunately,this laudable aim was not achieved largely owing to the regrettable Pakistani mindset that regards India as its enemy No.1. We must learn to redeem the future without raking up the bitter past.

Dress Code

A Dress Code is not inherently objectionable. It is inappropriate to attend a funeral service in shorts or jeans. Invitations by embassies to receptions for their National Day stipulate dress code as national or a lounge suit,a request blatantly disregarded by quite a few invitees. The problem is that there are varying perceptions about a proper dress code. The full veil burqa is banned in Turkey. In France,the ban on the hijab is sought to be justified on grounds of secularism and also national security because some terrorists allegedly tried to sneak in by donning a full burqa. Critics oppose a dress code on the ground that one should be free,subject to considerations of decency,to wear what one likes and there should be no compulsion in this matter because that impairs their right of making a choice.

Recently,a ruling which made it mandatory for women to wear skirts or dresses for participation in badminton tournaments caused an uproar from countries including China and India. The badminton chiefs have indefinitely shelved the controversial ruling pending a new proposal ‘with a broader scope’. The general thinking is that if some girls want to wear shorts because they find it more comfortable,they should not be compelled to wear skirts. The Calcutta Club,suffering from colonial hangover,has its strict dress code owing to which a renowned painter was denied entry because he was not properly dressed. Fortunately,members of a nudist society are spared these pressing problems.

Art of doing nothing

After curtains came down on her iconic chat show,television super star Oprah Winfrey said that she has been spending her new found free time relaxing at home and doing nothing. It is a mistake to equate doing nothing with laziness. It is a state of mind which is not restless because you are not always up and doing,without knowing what ought to be done. J B Priestley in his delightful essay tells us that it is not laziness that has brought the world in a muddle. It is not the active virtues that it lacks but the passive ones,the capacity for kindness and a little steady thought. There is plenty of energy in the world which is mostly misdirected. And the misconception is that if you are not furiously busy making a fortune,you are missing out on life.