I'm feeeeelin' it... You??

You might have seen/heard several incidents that signify the title of this post - ONLY IN INDIA.. But here is something that you might have never come across.. Yep, and its very interesting too..This probably might be the only post that examines the way people deal with Death of a politician/film star in India.. Read along!!!Almost all the newsmedia across the world, including the CBSs, CNNs, BBCs, etc., shown those violent images from Bangalore as the funeral for the kannda actor Rajkumar was in progress..(Thanks to Dinamalar, BBC, CBS, & other news magazines for these shocking images)..Now, thsese images leave me asking a question why violence in a funeral?? What's the need for violence in a place that's already soaked in grief? Just the previous day, the news media was filled with stories announcing RajKumar's demise and how his fans/followers/admirers from Karnataka have been thrown in a state of utter sadness..Now within 24 hrs, sadness gives way to anger..Anger over what?? No clue yet..I'm yet to understand why this sudden turn of events..

As we try to understand the reasons behind this, let me explain something basic about the violent, unIndian way of "mourning":In general, when people are left to mourn the death of the(ir) loved one(s), it presents an opportunity for them to sit back and cherish those moments they shared with the man/woman that's now lying dead.. Its an opportunity to say their final good bye in a very intimate way..It is a very personal a way to mourn the loss of someone who will be missed for ever in their life ..In India, like many parts of the world, death/loss is not dealt/managed with in a peaceful way..We are noisy/loud people..

So, what is "death-managment" ( a new term I coined here) for a normal Indian househould? The following is my personal experience and can be similar to many Indian regions when some non-celebrity dies (like you and me). When my father died, I was greeted by the loud screams and shreiks of the mourning relatives as I arrived home after hearing the news. They exploded in tears & screams as I walked closer to see my dad's body lying ready for burial and some women whom I don't even know/seen before were astanding all tears and singing the traiditional songs (typical of our region to see people singing some folk lore praising the dead man/woman)..The situation was already gloomy and it was made even worse with all this crying and wailing that seem to be picking up in intensity by the fade of each minute..It was shocking for me initially as I was thrown in the middle of all this for the first time in my life and left to deal with death staring up close and that too in such a noisy way ..Gotta agree that it was a true moment of agony ..

I was not crying but was deeply disturbed to think about the loss of my dad..There I stood grappling with my feelings and emotions, wondering how will be my tomorrow & the days after without this man I have come to call Dad & shared things with for several years..A man that raised me through several hardships and imbibed those values of life and everything else a boy should know gowing up to be an adult.. But there was no time to deal with all my personal feelings..No time for me to reflect my sorrow with my family (mom or my sibling(s)) and other close friends.. It all took place mechanically and by the time all this was over and the house got emptied, we are left all alone to deal with this loss.. I found that lonely moment where I could sit and reflect on all the good time I had with this man and had an intense personal moment where I said a heart-felt thank you..It was trruly sad as I cried myself to sleep and woke up next morning knowing that my dad will never be there physically in my life..

Now, this whole thing changes when you are a film star/politican in India.. This won't just be a family affair anymore.. The loved ones will be left to deal with this loss at a more personal level later while they are confronted with the reality of the situation that just has started to take shape..The crowds swell on the day of the funeral and somehow there will be a bit of unrest during the entire time - from the moment the media delivers the news till the burial/cremation, sometimes even past that..Slowly, the unrest shapes into a skirmish, and then a brutal exchange of words, followed suit by the stone throwing and damaging of property & threat to human lives..Traders were forced to close the shops all over the city, buses stop plying, gates closed at all schools, factories, banks, offices, etc., etc., everything comes to a grinding halt.. Normal life was thrown outta gear and people scramble for their essentials while the "mourning" takes place..Now, comes the best part.. With a lot of anger and availability of huge numbers of people (for God's sake, this is India) the situation becomes volatile and is ready to explode with the slightest of the disturbance..

Of course, Police will be summoned.. Riot Control forces will be positioned along the route as the family/fans prepare for the final march .. The family will be busy managing the heavy influx of dignitaries and the fellow "who is who" in the industry/field .. the state police will be on standby awaiting orders from their bosses on what to do and what not do if things get outta hand..As unpredictable as the way the sun sets, the crowds will be worked into a frenzy as the funeral starts..The cycle of violence starts with the first stone thrown at someone/or something (usually a car/bus)..Cracked windows and shattered glasses litter the streets along the path of the funeral procession.. People hide behind their closed dooors clinging to their dear life praying to all the gods out there to make sure the crowds don't destroy anything on their property or for heaven's sake come inside and butcher the families .. As all hell breaks loos, police are finally authorized to "control" the chaos and they reign in the "Indian ishtyle".. The level of control (read as brute force) exercised by the police increases in the following order:

• Water Cannons
• Firing tear gas shells
• Lathi Charge (Baton weilding police officers just thrashing around with no sympathy whatsoever).. You gotta believe it to see it.. It will be a masterful shot for any Kung Fu movie as the people dodge these skull crushing blows by ducking/running/jumping around, etc)..
• Firing Rubber Bullets
• Finally, the REAL DEAL (real bullets)

In this latest episode, as reported in The Hindu, the police fired 100 tear gas shells and then resorted to repeated lathi charging.. When none of this sort worked in controlling the situation which is already outta hand, the police resported to lethal force and started firing real bullets .. When all this chaos came to an end, the living folks were left to deal with the following:

• 5 dead people, including a police constable (4 died from police firing);
• 25 damaged cars;
• a burnt-out gas station (petrol bunk, as its called in India),
• innumerable cracked windsheilds,
• lost business that's worth crores and crores of rupees (or in dollar terms - millions and millions, mind you this is B'lore the Software/Outsourcing industry hub),
• countless human lives that endured so much misery without the basic services..

Though it was the death of one man that caused all this chaos, all the fingers point to one thing: We live in a society that allows people to think that violence is an acceptable way of "celebrating" one's death. We have become a society that revels in thinking this is the best form of expressing affection you had for someone who is not around anymore..Ever since I was a child, I have witnessed these scenes repeatedly while these politicians and actors got their exit tickets and stamped the passports to heaven/hell (wherever they are destined to go)..When Indira Gandhi got muurdered, the sikhs were butchered all across India..Business were down for days.. The same scenes repeated during the death of her son Rajiv Gandhi too.. The scenes were not different when the tamil actor turned politician MGR passed away.. This repeated itself every time when someone "elite" passed away..

All this for WHATTTT? Just to mourn a human that is not even alive anymore.. Morons, I say! Can't folks find a better way to let the world know how deeply we loved this man? Can't we be a bit more civilized in the eyes of the rest of the World while grieving the death of an actor/politician? Can't we be a bit more human by allowing people to deal with this loss in their own tersm? Can't we allow those children to live a life that's not scarred for ever by this level of violence?? Can't we find a better way to spend the money lost from all these shut-out business hours across the entire state of Karnataka?

Everyone knew that this inevitability is to happen someday..But the response to this inevitability never changed a bit.. It was the same everyime a celebrity passed away..Everyone dies..Be it Rajkumar or you, or me, for that matter any human on earth will die some day in his/her life..No question about that .. But happens after that? This is where I pose a question to all those celebreties of India/world over that are still alive.. What do you want to leave after you die? Do you want People to spend their days crouched behind their doors and pondering what/who is ggoing to come through that door? Do you want the nation's best minds to stay locked in their houses as they can't go to school/do business during the days you lay dead in the public view? Do you want people to remember you as someone who caused so much misery that they dispise you even after your death?? Do you want people to remember you as someone that left his/her loved ones suffering like this?

As we stand here today pondering this inevitability of "death" to happen someday in our lives, I think the solution lies with the celebreties themselves.. I strongly believe they have the power to control their masses when they are alive and hence can use their clout and charisma to reachout to their fans and tell them "If I die, celebrate me silently.. Don't bring shame to me by doing all the bad things.."

I hear some of you say, most of these rioters are hooligans and not even real admirers/fans..I agree that these are some miscreants/abberant souls in the society who try to make the best of the situation.. Making use of the opportunity, they come out in force, flexing their muscle, forcing traders to shut their business, stopping movement of people, & disrupting pretty much every aspect of a normal human life .. Sometimes this happens at a regional scale.. or sometimes this happensWhat I foresee in the future? The political climate and the cultural dimensions of this society in TN point out that the same scenes are to repeat if anyone of these celebreties listed below were to die:1. Jayalalitha Jeyaram -- Current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu2. M. K. Karunandhi --Past Chief minister of Tamilnadu and the leading oppsotion leader3. Rajinikanth - Most celebrated ever actor of TN4. Ramadoss-- A man with a mob of mindless followers that number in thousands5. Vijay, Ajit, Vikram, Vijayakanth, etc , etc..

Its unfortunate to point specifically to some of these celebreties of Tamilnadu (listed below) but these are some "definitely" candidates who can influence their cadres wisely and address this issue before they pass away. Where in the world is the Peace in the middle of all this chaos? For all the good things to begin, this mindless thuggery to stop.. And for this to happen, the leaders of the present should step up and "educate" their masses and ensure that they leave a lasting impression even after his death..Tell your people to stop this nonsense...Tell them its unacceptable for you to see them doing things that you never supported .. Tell them to be good citizens who respected their leader's words.. Tell them to be part of a society where they learn to "REALLY" celebrate death..Celebrate the good things about the person..If anything, IMHO, it might be worth an effort to save a few lives after you die..

The other day I happened to see how America/Americans CELEBRATED the death of Corretta Scott King, the Widow of Dr. Martin Luther King... When I say celebrate, I really mean it.. Actually, it was no different from any American Funeral of the present/past.. I saw people lined up to pay their last respects peacefully filing past the casket..weeping in silence and not making a scene..Not a stone was thrown.. Not a shutter was forced to stay closed.. Not a soul was leftc omplaining" Ms. Scott, its becos you I suffered in your death"..

As they prepared for her services before the funeral, the who is who of black America, for that matter every race in America was there irrespective of their color/nationality/creed, turned out in force and remembered the best things they shared with Mrs. King..Eulogies after Eulogies piled up and the mourners happily remembered what they knew about Mrs. King.. Reveled & shared the moments they considered precious..It was the true joy of knowing her with everyone around..It was smiles and tears at the same time as they said how much they respected & cherished her.. A sight that I never will forget as they concluded their homage by taking the body of Mrs. King with their final goodbye.. Now, that's what I call a civilized nation..Of course, the cultural differences between India and America are abound.. We differ in the way we celebrate death like any part of the World..

But one thing that stood out in contrast to Dr. Rajkumar's funeral was that it was an occasion where I saw a dead woman being loved even after her death in such an adorable way.. A way no one was hurt physically expressing their sorrows, no property was destroyed as the funeral procession took place, no blood was spilt on the streets of Atlanta when the tears rolled down the cheeks of these mourners..Now, that's what I envy about America..I have linked this article from WashingtonPost that talked about this wonderful thing:

Leaves me to yearn why is that we Indians are not copying some of these best and most wanted qualities (In my view!!!) from the West.. Why is that we only love to import the violence and gore through the media from West..Come on India(n)! We gotta do better than this..