Monday 10 April 2017

Of suppressed libido and Indian taboos



Everyone, at some point in their lives, have heard legends that encapsulate how the human species evolved and how men, since time immemorial, have embodied the role of food gatherers, whereas women, on the other hand, have immortalized their role as nurturers. As much as both the genders have depended on their instinctive roles which, not to forget, have ably seen them through over the years, there has hardly been any buzz about how the male and female species have evolved over the last few years, and how the male dominance has presented itself in the 21st century.

It is barely a surprise that when porn was banned in India, three years ago, fewer women were affected than their male counterparts. Pornography was one of the channels that gave an aggressive boost to the male hormones and placated their sexual urges, while motivating them to replicate the actions from porn films in bed. So, when there was a blanket ban on porn across India, a long round of Chinese whispers about the repercussions of the ban and worries about what other exciting activity should the 9 p.m. slot be replaced with were inevitable. And the worry was totally justified, especially when there was a multitude of things at stake, including nightfall, fear of suffering from erectile dysfunction or, for that matter, the chance to inadvertently assume the right to a woman's naked body. And forgoing so much just to keep the sanity of the sacrosanct Indian culture intact did not seem viable for Indian men, especially when men are known to view sex as a basic human requirement, which is independent of a marital bond.

Somewhere down the line, Indians have failed themselves by assuming that by putting a ban on pornography, a person's wild fantasies cannot be tamed, and that its consumption cannot be totally stopped. On the contrary, thanks to the burgeoning Internet scene, enough vulnerable and naive minds have been lured to see the likes of Sunny Leone and Mia Khalifa at their best, and access sex tapes from sources other than porn websites to satisfy their desperate hormones. And to add to the woes of the common man, the news of a few politicians, who were caught watching porn inside their cabins managed to make the social fabric of the country all the more creaky. I think it's high time the country got awakened and let democracy reign supreme at a time when the the youth's libido and their sexual hormones demand a concrete outlet.

I just realized that although the taboo attached to sex is still widespread in India, there is a significant decline in people's refusal to discuss the topic that facilitates reproduction every time it is broached. Nonetheless, most Indian kids still avoid talking about sex with their parents who once told them that babies are gifts sent by god from heaven, who take a landing on the mother's abdomen from the skies.

Sunday 2 April 2017

Muted genius

Golden Sniffer - Lucky

I've stated on many an occasion, through my writing and otherwise, my love for animals.  And as staunchly and passionately as I believe in animal causes, surprisingly, this wasn't the case until a few years ago. Why, you may ask? I have been motivated to be kind and considerate towards the non-human species by my 8-year-old, prodigal golden retriever. For someone whose life has been enough of a revelation, and has managed to tap into my family's unexplored love for animals, he (using "it" for animals is one of the greatest miseries of life) has ably managed to convey what the purpose of his existence is in a way that would ask for altering every individual's outlook, when he/she takes into consideration the animal race. So, after having been a witness to my pooch's concerns and servile demeanor for over eight years, I've decided to make an attempt to decipher his emotions and idiosyncrasies through his letter I imagine him to write to the human species.

Hello humans,

I'm an eight-year-old, four-legged being, or as y'all call me, "dog". My life revolves around my human family, food, and my toys. Although I love to play fetch, I often end up running away with the ball/frisbee. I dread going to the vet and being put on a diet. I like being called well-behaved and disciplined by people, and that's because it helps me believe that I have not let my family down. I get deeply pained when I see stray dogs being ill-treated and abused. I sometimes feel like asking if y'all are doing the right thing by breeding us, when there are thousands among us who are severely disregarded and often left to die a dog's death. Literally.

I was bought by my family from a breeder in Pune when I was 6 weeks old. I feel fortunate to have come into a family who loves me and shows concern for me, but there are animals who have been abandoned just because their families found it rather difficult to look after them. My sincere request to y'all is that please don't make us a part of your life just to look cool or to up your status. You may move on in life after abandoning us, but our lives become a wreck. We feel like our soul has been sold. Not many people would be aware about the impact of abuse in our lives. We obey your commands out of love and respect, and, at times, out of fear, but that in no way takes away from the instances when we are forced to dance to your tunes. We are not puppets.

I have often seen people lift us up and run after those that fear us for their own entertainment. We get absolutely terrified, and often fear for our lives, when this stunt is performed. Have you experienced the irritation of loud music that is blaring from a speaker placed right next to your ear, combined with someone screaming his/her lungs out at the same time? That's exactly how much the noise gets amplified, when it reaches our ears, every time crackers are burst. A lot of you may wonder why it is difficult for us to accept the permanent entry of other animals into our foster homes. In this case, we are just like those kids who remain the cynosure of their parents' eyes for a long time until a younger sibling comes into their lives and takes away all the attention from them, except, in our case, we face a much worse battle, and, sometimes, we find it almost impossible to part with our family's care and attention.

I have no qualms in admitting that the human species is the most superior and developed of the animal species, but do you ever wonder what the point of being the most evolved species is if all that we see happening around are wars. We, animals, are grateful to all of you for supporting the non-human race in the way that y'all have, but there are times when your ego levels inflate to such an extent that y'all end up relegating us to a place under the carpet, and consider us to be second-handers, who, because of their inability to convey emotions, are thought to be mere spectators. All I would like to say, through this note, is that let us all work towards creating a world that is truly fair and compassionate towards all the species that form a part of our life's journey.

Regards,
A muted soul