The years pass by in a blur, especially for those whose focus is on somehow getting through their workday to put food on the table and pay the bills. In an environment that is increasingly distancing individuals from family and social networks owing to deterioration of village life and spreading urban anonymity, the points of cohesion are getting fewer. The impoverished, the working class and the lower middle class have their particular sets of problems that prevent integration with a greater identity. It is no wonder, therefore, that politicians thrive on exploiting the fractures and people are happy with the small slices of cake they are offered as pre-election freebies. And there were a lot of these in 2024.
The closer one is to the edge of the precipice, the less feeling of responsibility one will have for others. Even the tiniest support is better than nothing. The desperate are identified in various categories, which are getting quite numerous with the inclusion of woke classifications, and they are promised handouts in manifestos. Who cares if these will provide any lasting relief – not many are looking beyond the present day.
The networking that does exist – the echo chambers of social media – acts more like an addiction, further distancing one from the real world. We are promised that things will only get worse in this regard, even children are falling prey. The AI algorithms identify our ‘preferences’, further strengthening bias by blocking out the alternatives. The road ahead gets even narrower.
Is this too grim a picture of the reality? Indians stand somewhere in between places where children are being killed on a daily basis, and others where social welfare is actually functioning, giving people the opportunity to make their own choices. Which direction will India take in 2025, further strife or greater integration?
Do not those who celebrate the coming New Year exhibit a certain desperation as though there may not be such opportunities in the future? Perhaps those who can make merry should spread the cheer a bit wider so that something can be restored of the community spirit that existed before. Traditions should be transformed to meet present requirements; they should not be allowed to die of neglect. May the new year bring hope and mercy for all in a very troubled world and let India lead in that effort.
