January is that time of the year, when many insist on cloaking everything with a patina of putrid positivity. Most resolve to work on their ‘negativity’, resolute in their conviction that all the real troubles in the world are merely the offspring of the wrong mental attitude and simply correcting this faulty state of mind would lead to the manifestation of all things worth having such as private jets, super yachts, routine trips to Mars, de-ageing chambers, optimal health preservation pods, and a flat stomach. A brittle commitment to looking only at the bright side of things and generating good vibes only is bound to boomerang on the determinedly buoyant when reality bites. And it always does, stripping away the veneer of pretend good cheer to reveal the simmering anxiety, nastiness, and hopelessness within.
On the other side of the rainbow bridge, the cynical and the curmudgeonly among us steadfastly insist on seeing reality for what it really is. And paying attention to painfully unpalatable facts and inconvenient truths. Not everyone brought in the New Year holidaying in exotic locales, enjoying immersive yoga retreats, bespoke experiences and resolving to think positive. Most were too busy dealing with the beastly business of living. It entails trying to understand why we are all embroiled in pointless culture wars of astounding levels of stupidity when real wars are being fought. While we argued pointlessly over the merits of Dhurandhar vs Ikkis with unnecessary fervour, a baby in Bhagirathpura, Indore, died because the poor mite was fed packaged milk mixed with tap water. Unsurprisingly it was revealed that the municipal water supply was contaminated with sewage. Even less surprisingly, it seems highly unlikely that heads will roll over such criminal levels of institutional negligence. After all, trivialising the suffering of others is something we all specialise in. It is simpler to deflect responsibility and shrug off tragedy as the inevitable outcome of extreme poverty and ignorance without ever bothering to address pressing issues in a meaningful way.
Besides nobody has time for micro issues when the Earth is overheating and Indians (not just Delhiites) no longer have the luxury of drawing in a lung full of clean air. It is a public health emergency the government as well as the citizens of this great nation refuse to deal with because it would require cleaning up our act, literally and metaphorically. Nobody can be bothered with that sort of thing, of course. These things are every bit as tedious to focus on as collapsing ropeways and roads that were newly built at the taxpayer’s expense. It makes more sense to grouse in vain, look the other way and hope that pranayama and air filters will do the trick to help us muddle along in the muck, the way we always have. Needless to say, negative noodleheads don’t help much either.
Peddlers of positivity as well as sellers of cynicism have one thing in common: they are equally inept at making a difference. Which is why the year ahead as well as the ones after are unlikely to be an improvement on the ones before. Better or bitter, we have no choice but to plod on and make the best of it, without being insufferably perky or pissy about our prospects. Belated new year wishes folks!