Everyone has the right to an opinion, but every opinion need not matter. But if it happens to be a celebrity voicing his view on a matter of public interest, it cannot but matter. In fact the personality would do well to prepare his defences in advance and promptly engage a capable legal team to handle matters when the shit hits the ceiling. This is of course for the honest opinions, for the others they would already have done the math and ensured the returns on their investment.
A burgeoning metro is the issue with the greens at stake. With the world rapidly approaching a state of no return the battle for our survival has begun to resemble a warzone with opposing groups facing off and in no mood to make that compromise or soften their stance. So when the Big B decided to tweet in support of the Metro (entitled to his opinion) laced with a tongue-in-cheek afterthought about planting some saplings in his garden (absolutely unwarranted) it did not go very well with the pro-green lobby. This overenthusiasm cost the megastar dear and his Juhu castle was besieged even as colleague Akshay Kumar also came out with a tweet endorsing the Metro.
Pro-green is the way to go and that is for everybody to see but pro-green vigilantism which seeks to dominate the counter-voice is a phenomenon that demands to be arrested. The aggression though understandable is definitely not on, because of the damaging effects that the suppression of the individual voice entails whatever the compulsion. A group of individuals with vested interests could very well masquerade as a public interest group and hijack popular opinion. The state is also reluctant to resort to strong measures to stop these groups ostensibly because they represent public interest. Fringe elements run rampant in this scenario and the chaos are the order of the day. But more importantly the real issue is diluted as the focus shifts to the people rather than the problem.
The latest celebrity in the green movement is a 16-year-old Swedish child who answers to the name of Greta Thunberg. It took one innocuous question from her to set the media wheels on overdrive as they sought answers from the world leaders on the big climate question. If the annals of controversy are any indication then this is another incident ready to be consigned to the dustbin as we forget all about it in much the same way that we have conveniently disregarded all the warning signs that have been flashing incessantly for much of our adult lives. We have been forced to invoke the common sense of a 16 year old on a crucial world-changing issue. There is a significant focus shift from the issue to the protestor. This will in the process take quite a lot of heat off the matter at hand as the authorities seek innovative ways to deal with the youth insurrection coming their way. The question is – do we necessarily need a champion when the onus is on every one of us to make significant efforts at an individual level to stem the precarious tides.
The trend of seeking poster boys is something that every concept or movement has necessarily needed to increase its marketability. But in this case, at this particular stage this will be self-defeating, as we focus on non-issues and compromise on time. “How dare you?” while being extremely evocative and suitably angst-ridden probably has come years much later given the magnitude of the crisis we are facing. The voice of a teenage crusader of a country with one of the highest QOL indexes, suitably tutored to deliver an impassioned appeal to her brethren is probably not the way to take the battle ahead.
As we gather speed towards an uncertain future we would be required to press on the emergency brakes and also reverse conditions in double quick time if we are to extend our stay in our fast degenerating paradise. Bestselling author Carrie Ryan probably said it best “Survivors aren’t always the strongest; sometimes they are the smartest, but more often simply the luckiest.” With the first quality being rendered meaningless as it were and the second a delusion if there ever was one, luck remains the singular boon to perpetuate, nay extend our prodigal existence.

Article By : Shantanu Sharma 

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