Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (Gen. 1:26). And so we became human beings, the pinnacle of God’s creation!
I always enjoyed the cartoon humour of the late, great Laxman, but he committed one gross error – he referred to us as The Common Man – and we are far from common; we are extra ordinary! Unfortunately, we have somehow been bullied, deceived or however changed into believing that we don’t exist in the manner that God intended, and that other mere mortals (whom we have allowed to be exalted) are greater than ourselves!
This is one great fallacy that needs to be corrected throughout India, and indeed throughout much of the developing continents. If we don’t, then we have NO God-given right to moan later about our insecurities and lack!
What I mean is this: the so-called ‘common man’ has extraordinary powers to elect representatives to Government, to even hold referendums to oust them from their ivory towers in certain countries, we can start physical and online petitions, to demand change, we can peacefully protest – hell, the ‘common man’ can do most everything he sets his mind to! And yet, he seems content to be labelled a wimp, a pushover, someone who willfully gets neglected and rejected by the same peers he has set up in ivory towers, someone who allows great injustices to be meted out to him!
India, and Indians, indulge in ICON worshiping. This makes them weak and wimpy, easily manipulated and, sometimes, coerced into beliefs and actions that seem irrational. Otherwise, why would someone elect an MP or MLA and then treat them as a god? And why do we allow VVIP’s to be created and sustained even when we know they are corrupt and bleeding the resources that are technically for our benefit? Why do we pay obeisance to people when they should actually be paying obeisance to us?(as just an example!).
Some profiles and tags cannot easily be shaken off, but this one can: it involves massive re-education of the masses, and this can only be achieved by the media in the cheapest and most cost-effective way! My request is that the print and electronic media stop referring to most of us a ‘common man’, and to the miniscule percentage of others as VVIP’s, superstars, icons, magnates, and top so-and-so. God created us all equal, and who is anyone to tamper with that God-given privilege?
