gimme a chaddi

So we belong to various groups, communities and such from when we start to exist correct? Some we want, some thrust onto us, and some because we believe in the higher cause it will bring us. There’s a magnanimity rolled around our selfish base interests at different points in time.

Our online lives are an extension of our real lives. No matter what and how one can argue there is no denying that for a blogger or an online person, our thoughts, ideas and valuable time become flagella reaching out, grasping and fusing it to become ourselves. It is but hard to deny how much of our online time and experiences we gather here do not impact us in real life. After awhile it’s hard to distinguish where you read, heard or why we behave or work the way we do. It doesn’t matter too in a way.

Bringing it down to compassion, care and belief, all we need is one whining sad post and most of us reach out. We “hug” virtually, and we offer a good word, a kind word, a reach. For us bloggers, words are our speech. Words are what we are made of. Words take form and words define us. The images we create of each other is filled not with blood, bones, and skin, but with expression, thought and story, packaged by words.

Virtually, I have hugged random bloggers in need, and I have had some thoughtful folks stop to check on me. As comforting it is for the person at the receiving end, I think and speak now of the folks actually extending a hand out to the person in question.

Last week I heard this line “I don’t reach out mostly because I know I can’t help much.” It pained to read that line. To think that the person in question did not trust enough to know that they could of course help. Taken out of context, interpretation can vary by degrees, but that isn’t the point really now, is it? It is the initiative, the drive, and the thought to want to make a difference.

When one doesn’t, no matter the why, it’s apathy.

To be at the receiving end of such apathy, hurts. (On a personal note, I have been there and to see yourself once cared for and not anymore, well, it’s a b*tch. To see yourself bypassed for newer campaigns, now that just sucks.) In any case, the reasons behind the in-action really don’t matter anymore. They just don’t hold ground to the more immediate happening.

There is a crowd offering comfort. There is a crowd protesting. There is a crowd signing petitions. There is a crowd helping drowning helpless soul. Does one other person matter? What if you walked away considering that the situation seemed well in control from what you see from far? What if yours was the final one that actually makes a difference?

What if you had the faith in you to say “I make a difference” To the situation, to the person in need.

I matter.

Isn’t that what the campaigners say? To convince us to exercise our voting rights? Didn’t most of us who originally were apathetic to politics, make a difference this US elections to swing Democrat? We took that effort to make a difference. A single voice counts a heck of a lot more than most people give credit for. Countless ad campaigns, memos, researches, experiments and movements have been based on this one single slogan.

“You matter. Your voice matters.”

A word. The power of the word.

An action. Every single action matters.

There have been protests against ridiculous and astounding threats to our basic freedom of rights and ways of our lives, and we have come together to make a difference. If one does not believe in the cause, and there is strong opposition to the movement, all’s well. But surely, apathy is no reason to be silent?

There’s a call for a Pink Chaddi. Please click link here. Also, I paste below a note I received on Facebook.

Dear all,

To maximise the impact of the first stage of our campaign, that is, the chaddi collection, may I suggest a minor change in plans.

Participants in Bangalore have agreed to draw fire from the Sri Ram Sena by organising a press conference on February 13. What would be great fun and also useful as a tactic is to send all our collections to Bangalore. There the packages that everyone has sent will be pooled in front of the national media and publicly sent to the Sena. You can imagine the scene, can’t you? A giant heap of pink chaddis and a very serious press conference where we tell Mr Muthalik what we think of him?

So like I said, a slight change in plans. The chaddis are now to be sent to the following address.

The Pink Chaddi Campaign,
C/O Alternate Law Forum,
122/4 Infantry Road
(opposite Infantry Wedding House)
Bangalore 560001
Karnataka
Contact person: Nithin (9886081269)

More soon! And keep thinking of what we can do after the event. How can we get our elected leaders to discount our votes?

hugs,
Nisha

If you’re in desh, go ahead and mail one in. Not quite sure if mine’s going to reach by Friday the 13th to Bangalore, and perhaps I may just ask a friend there to mail one in for me, but yea, go ahead sign up, blog about it, email forward out to all your girlfriends, do whatever. Whatever you do, just please don’t shut up and remain silent. That’s just so wrong and horribly frikkin’ frustrating.

(note: Last night I searched for an appropriate pinkness to load it ere, but didn’t for different reasons. Since the ladies came up with this, am using it!)

It’s not about Valentine’s day or for the love sick. At this point in time, am the last person to be romantic, or swoon in love or the sickness of it, but it’s the stupidity of it all that I mock.

Say what? “One pink chaddi coming right up!”