I REFUSE TO BE YOUR SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE!

                                                            NOT THIS 

Javed Akhtar, in a recent speech of his, was asked about the recent film, "Animal", to which he had replied, "Hero of any generation represents two things of that generation: The contemporary aspiration and that contemporary morality." The Protagonist, and not the Hero, as Hero is a word with Fascist tendencies. The Protagonist, in any age represents the current aspiration as well as current morality. 

Who is the Protagonist of today? Today's society is confused about the contemporary morality; however, it was never ever surer about contemporary aspirations. Someone wants to be a millionaire, someone wants to be an academic, someone wants to be a bureaucrat, someone wants to earn respect in society. One thing common about these aspirations is that these are extremely individual centric. It underlies within itself an extremely dangerous fear of the other, be it of another religion, another caste or even the state for that matter. The more and more our Border security is growing, the more fearful we have become of our internal otherness that is the result of our partisan politics. The protagonist of today, is a selfish aspirational man, who may be, because of his lower middle-class upbringing, is insecure about his job prospects and might be preparing for a government exam because of the monetary security needs that the job provides. This protagonist constantly gets compared with his peers of the society and this has made him extremely sensitive towards societal criticism. His individual aspirations have lost a touch of communitarian consciousness, and a kind of obnoxious self-centeredness has taken its place. He wants to be a government servant, not to serve, but because it is an empty aspiration, filled in him, by an ego that he was academically smart and that he is a good social capital for his father's aspirations who work as a labor in the labor-supply or may be a tuition teacher. Aspiration for aspiration's sake is precisely the definition of narcissistic tendencies. The intellectual and monetary insecurity has taken over the curiosity and the conscience to change the wrongs of the society, eventually corrupting the modern-day morality to be a, "Apna Apna Dekho" morality or "Tumko Baitha Ke Khila Thody Dega koi" morality. In short, the neo-liberal mindset has made every proletariat a bourgeois with conscience. He dreams to be a bourgeois someday. I am not accusing him for that. I am accusing the aspirational psychology that has corrupted the contemporary morality. All his present concerns are about his family and friends. If he is concerned about something wrong in society, it is to have an effect on the judge judging him in the debate competition he took part or the interviewer he wants to impress. Individual aspirations have killed morality today. 

Some might argue that no, these are not that bad times. There are still good people left. People do charity and all. To them I will say, this is exactly my point. What is the difference between Charity and Welfare. Have you ever thought about it? Charity is individual centric. The person who does charity, does it with a superiority complex and a certain condescension hidden in the very concept of it. A rich person pities the poor. I say, it is your guilt that is making you do that. I am not in Favour of this spiritual charity. Because this is precisely the charity which makes the poor believe that we are destined to be like this, and this man is God. On the other hand, Welfare, my friends, is done by people who do it for their own duty. They do it, because they are paid for it. They do not take the credit for it. Ideally, they are not supposed to at least. Their return is the salary after a month. The servant remains a servant and the poor feels obliged to the state which is an invisible machinery for him. Do you know what does it mean when a poor person starts worshipping another person who he, sub-consciously knows that he is no different from him? He starts losing respect for himself. If he is the same as me, a human, still he has more wealth, what might be the reason? I am lesser human. This sub-human conscience is what we are talking about. It is found in all semi-urban to rural places. 

What is the way out of this neo-liberal trap? This system is bribing you with individual aspirations. Refuse! I will prefer not to! I will prefer not to be your Slumdog millionaire. As the title of the book, "The Adivasi will not dance", I want to begin a consciousness among the poor, "The poor will not be "Sada Jeevan Ucha Vichar", I will not be your Slumdog millionaire who after receiving bait from you will give a humble speech about my struggles and how I, from my childhood, was an extraordinary child. I will be arrogant. I will not listen to your praises." Why? Because my struggles are not exclusive. My people have struggled with me. They had their own systemic struggles. Hence, anything lesser than emancipation will not be celebrated. This, I claim, should be the attitude of today's Hero, Today's protagonist. A victor who prefers not to celebrate his struggles in a bourgeois celebration party where his achievement is being celebrated.