Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal movement, Terrorism, News coverage on any issue by our TRP loving news channels etc. etc. – Wondering what am I talking about? How can all these things have any relation at all, right? WRONG! There is a small but very important thread which connects these things which are generally as diverse as chalk and cheese. Joining the bandwagon is often referred to as ‘copycat’ behaviour in blunt terms. But is copycat behaviour really bad? Obviously for something like the Anna Hazare movement or cricket fanaticism it shouldn’t be bad, right?
A lot of people in this world are normally jobless. Obviously jobless really doesn’t mean the people who are actually ‘Below the Poverty Line’ and don’t really have any work at all. I am referring to people who have jobs but just love to fight for a cause however good or bad it may be. And they may fight for a cause despite the fact that they may not know much about it.
If one considers the Anna Hazare movement, I really wonder how many of us knew what we were fighting for? How many knew what were the consequences of the same? How many knew what the Jan Lokpal Bill contained? There are many more questions out there. But then the pressure of everyone from Anna Hazare to your local kirana shop owner was so much that you had to join the movement because everyone was there. Obviously there were many who joined because of their own free will.
But then did people think on their own what were the consquences of the bill? Did individuals think what happened after all the protests and media coverage of the entire saga died down? Did individuals think on their own whether fasting is the right way to solve this problem? I really wonder!
Then there are another kind of people who really can’t think on their own. It’s so easy to brainwash them that you can make them kill their own sisters, brothers, mothers, children and they won’t bat an eyelid. For terror master minders, joining the bandwagon for a cause is an indirect process as they are made to think in a particular way. But then they are so weak that their thinking process can be changed at the click of ones fingers.
Don’t these terrorists have minds of their own? Today many of them are educated and from well to do families. Don’t they think of their parents and everyone else? Are they so weak to not have minds of their own??
News channels are always on the lookout for more news which can boost their TRPs. Whether it is Genelia in love with John’s body or covering the grief of the Sikkim earthquake victims over and over again, news channels never seem to get enough of it. When they achieve success by always running to be the first ones to reach the spot in case of every incident or accident, why wouldn’t they join the bandwagon in showing the news? When the public gets voyeuristic pleasures by watching Poonam Pandey’s assets why wouldn’t news channels show them??
Joining a bandwagon for any cause altogether is not the solution for anything in my opinion. Many times people join a bandwagon to keep everyone happy especially in cases when he / she wants to just please his / her friend and so accepts whatever they say. Many times people join a bandwagon to be accepted in society. And finally at other times, people join a bandwagon because of the publicity they know they would get it say in case of news channels or Anna Hazare or terrorism!
Do you join the bandwagon for everything in life??
kartikulations
this is so true! completely agree with you on these points…i myself saw many such people during the Anna Hazare fast movement…I just asked them that you are supporting/joining the movement but do you completely know what the Bill is about and most of them didn’t have any idea about it. they were just joining the ‘bandwagon’!
aseemrastogi2
Seriously maan, it was really crappy hearing people just agreeing to the Anna Hazare thing just so that they aren’t criticised for joining the bandwagon. I mean if you don’t agree to something, why not voice your opinion? Hypocrisy at its best in my opinion.
Victor
Or sometimes people jump on the bandwagon to help a cause move forward as long as there are no negative adverse affects such as supporting the cure for breast cancer/cancer, autism, diabetes, supporting the troops (and this one I have a personal tie to), etc. My family has not been affected by breast cancer but I would do what I can to make sure others are aware and that if they need information I can point them in the right direction rather than sitting on the sidelines. I do not know much about breast cancer but I will stand by my friends and get the movement going.
Jumping on the bandwagon can be a good thing. There is power in numbers and this is how any country has gained independence. I can choose to jump from the bandwagon and on to the horse if I wanted to. The bandwagon could be used as a vehicle to propel anyone who is willing to open his heart or mind to something that is much greater than him. When this happens he becomes a rider, an active proponent, a supporter, he becomes the change people hope in, dream for, act on.
As for the Anna hazare, I know nothing about it. I was just commenting on the bandwagon title. People have their opinions and beliefs, if people jump on that bandwagon I’m sure they hears something about it whether true or false. Either way we make up our own minds. From there we have a choice of dealing with it in a civil way or we can act on emotions and destroy things. I choose the former.
Thank you for listening 🙂
aseemrastogi2
Oh yeah I agree with your point of view. Obviously joining the bandwagon has its good reasons in such cases. I was just saying that in case where there are two opinions on an issue, people need to ensure that they voice their opinions loud and clear rather than accepting everything at face value.