I doubt blogging in India for socio-political causes has any effect whatsoever. Are blog newpapers? Does anybody read a blog for "breaking news"? Hell, its not even a "media" (like the print, or visual media) that people recognize. Do blogs have any credibility or authenticity? Does it have mass reach?
Exactly how many people in India are Internet savvy? A measly 4.5%, and thats a liberal estimate. Out of this exactly how many people even know the word BLOG, and actively read them? Maybe 5% of that. Take a simple opinion poll around you, say in your workplace. There might be 1 blogger for every 20-odd people, if that. So we are at 0.255% of India's population. And finally out of these many bloggers, exactly how many believe that they can solve an Indian socio-political problem using blogs? Ha ha.. what a farce.
For crying out loud... a problem does not get solved by sitting on your bum and adding your piddly voice to a few bloggers. Has anybody heard of vox populi? 0.255% of India's population does NOT make vox populi. 0.255% is made of India's elite, sitting in AC offices and homes, travelling about in cars, India's new jet-setting crowd, the Super A category. You are so far removed from reality, you might as well be in a different India. Come down from your clouds, pals and smell the fucking charred earth and the smoke. Smoke from a million injustices that take place everyday. If you really want to make a difference, then work with the NGOs, make field visits, donate your time and money to social causes. Give your support to the social entrepreneurs who are working to change the laws of the country, getting such landmark laws like the RTI passed, worked to stop water privatization in the country, and a hundred big issues. Above all keep your mouths shut, and dont send around silly messages exhorting the elite "to make a difference" by blogging about an issue.
The real India does not visit your blogs to see how many have blogged about it, and pat you on the back about your wonderful "suppport". The lawmakers in this country do not get influenced by a few blogs writing same old I-am-outraged-how-can-this-happen stories.
Blogging is for the elite and might achieve to bring awareness about some elite problems, like the recent fuss over IIPM. Not for real socio-political problems that plague India.
5 comments:
I don't agree with you entirely there. The lesson of the last fifty years has been that ideas shape the policies of a nation and hence the consequences.
And Amit, it is great to see you blogging! I was expecting the Dracula tag instead of Hawkeye:-)
Thanks for sharing the link, but unfortunately it seems to be offline... Does anybody have a mirror or another source? Please reply to my post if you do!
I would appreciate if a staff member here at blog.zehawk.in could post it.
Thanks,
William
Interesting view-point, and forcefully presented.I wonder 7 years+ later you stand by wt you said above...or You hv changed ur opinion. It wud be interesting to know. And do you blog now... Where, aboutv what???? -SubiNagpal
I still blog here... but not as much as earlier... on whatever catches my fancy :)
There's of course been an Internet and social media revolution in the last few years, so it's much easier to mobilize public opinion via this new age media. But the fact remains that people like us get all overly excited, sign some petitions, share some links when anything happens. And do fuck all real stuff, like protesting, participating, engaging. So yeah, my opinion remains by and large the same.
This is very true,India is Internet savvy country so this is very genuine that people are in contact with the social media.as result Politics also not different from that.
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