I am an ardent fan of the concept of Pagalguy. Besides being a wonderful platform for all Bschool aspirants , it all provides growing Bschools an oppurtunity to connect with prospective students. Above all this, student community trusts PG and treats it with reverence.
A recently posted video, showing girls of one premier Bschool hurling abuses at the students of another premier Bschool, has created quite a stir. As the people incharge of PG have come out with a well timed riposte to all those accusing them of sensationalism, the broader question of moral degradation and moral policing have largely been left unanswered.
There can be no absolute standards when it comes to morals... and hence, whats ok/right/normal for me might be despicable/stupid/obnoxious to you. Moral policing is possibly the most customised and dynamic consulting industry and also the shadiest of regulatory systems. And surprisingly just as the biggest question in morality is "where do we draw the line?" the biggest question in moral policing is also the same. At what point does any moral brigade turn into an obstructive force and by virtue of its actions become a liability to the very society it seeks to protect.
Now people may argue that the case in point here, PG's infamous video may be a trivial incident in the magnum opus called "moral policing" and that debating the bigger question in light of this incident would be irrelevant. I agree we have seen bigger cases, and with more serious consequences, of moral policing but then since this issue has generated nothing short of a controversy on a reputed forum like PG, automatically qualifies this as a candidate for discussion.
The whole prelude above, kind off simplifies the question I wish to answer here... Where does moral policing draw a line in a country, which is keen on discarding its sexual inhibitions, discovering the joy of being expressive and finally not afraid of calling a spade a spade ??
As a introduction to this, let me introduce you to the biggest sham (of course, we discount the democratic system, we claim to have) running around in the country. Welcome to the world of the B-schools. Every year students of prestigious B-schools get into the limelight with million dollar packages and a never-ending grin on their faces. Almost all TV channels line up outside the haloed portals of certain traditionally great B-schools to get those beaming faces on camera, talking about Wall Street jobs, Hollywood lifestyles. Brain drain probably was never more glorified, I guess. The constant bombardment of these faces creates a dreamy eyed aspirant in almost every home, which has a TV. Of course, in a country where you either need that kind of a lifestyle or a politically motivated reservation quota to take you somewhere, there is not much of a choice. But spare a thought to the trials and tribulations that beaming face on the news channel faced during the 2 years, and even before that, to get to that place. There have been tears, anguish and tempers have flared, words have been exchanged. To say that the competition is cut throat is an understatement.Listening from first hand experiences, I can evidence that the guys ( no gender bias here...just that it comes more naturally to me !!!) are no angels, not out of their predilection for selfish behavior but more because of the system's structure. Hence, higher we go in the value chain of B-schools we have more competition and everyone wants to be that beaming beacon of capitalistic glory. It doesn't matter how many heads are crushed as you step over them or how many backs have been stabbed en route. It is natural that such journey will leave you bruised, battle-scarred and with scant respect for your fellow mates or competitors (whichever way you wish to see them!!!).
Should our sensibilities get hurt when we see girls leading the way in hurling abuses at mothers and sisters of others ? Well these are well-bred, well-educated girls coming from reputed families. Families similar to that of ours, perhaps someone we know. Surely the morals imparted to them by their families can't be so shallow. It sounds male chauvinistic rhetoric but if the role models of the country, our cricketers, can go around swearing on their competitor's mothers then such an incident can't be too far behind. Indeed it is strange that the same country which once supported its cricketers swearing on the field as a rise of the new world against against old-world capitalists, has now abandoned the same reasoning to gain moral high ground. Can't the expression of emotion have been a heat-of-the-moment act ? Even if the event was preplanned then it just represents the off-the-field maneuvering which happens in against every guest team by home team supporters.
TO BE CONTINUED....
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