White is the new grey - An Abstract

What does white signify? Is it the archaic insignia, representing tranquility, truth and knowledge? Or has it become a rhetoric device in modern times, to hide under the veil of delusion?

We have got accustomed to live in a dogmatic society where the government tries to control our cognitive and independent thinking by rationalizing horrors and atrocities. The justification of killing innocent civilians, in the name of fight against terrorism, is just one of the inundations of incidents that have changed the idea of what’s right. The continued drone attacks in Pakistan, the conflict between Palestine and Israel, the massacre of innocent women and children in Sri Lanka for the supposed need for harmony and peace, has become nothing but, collateral damage. A society, which gives noble peace prize to the same nations (Eurozone) who have been bombarding the highly turbulent parts of the world (NATO), and who also, instigated a catastrophic financial crisis by acting fiscally irresponsible, vindicates the idea of white becoming the new grey.

The democratic foundation of our very own nation, which was billed as a "tryst with destiny", was a result of insurmountable toll on human life. The untold story of how Hyderabad, in the name of a united and independent Indian nation, was overpowered by the Indian Armed forces back in 1948, as reported in the highly confidential Sundarlal report, is an example of lines between what’s right and what’s wrong getting blurred. The communal pogroms in 1984 and 2002 were a consequence of the seeds of disparity sown during the initial years of country’s inception.

The transformation from white to grey is not only an act from the government, but how we as ordinary citizens too, are redefining the idea of justice and peace. What Kasab did in 26/11 tragedy, by all means, was a barbaric act against humanity and a threat to nation’s sovereignty. However, the air of cynicism that surrounded Kasab’s trial, along with the pressure from every strata of society to hang him, showed the transformation of society that once was governed under Ram Rajya to the one that thrived on insatiable need for vengeance. A loss of life of an individual, who was perhaps made the way because of the society he lived in, was celebrated as a form of catharsis that further pushed the developing democracy towards its nadir.

In the contemporary culture, the recent Indian movie, “Oh My God!” touched upon an important issue that has deeply enrooted itself in India. Religion has indeed become a business. Here the color white, representing spirituality, which India had been known for, has been dwindling due to unscrupulous deeds of the so called guardians of religion. In the book “The White Tiger”, the author pointed out another transformation which the traditional Indian bourgeoisie had been going through in the age of globalization. The emphasis on materialism over the societal good, gives further credence of white’s venture in the grey territory.