Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Freedom?

May 1 is International Labour Day. Some call it 'May Day'.

For most of us, it's a 'holiday'. Like most of these observances, the actual significance is lost somewhere along the tedium of labouring over our daily lives.

We're all so 'busy'.
So busy deciding what to do and what not to do of and with our lives.
So busy deciding what the future is going to be, even though no one's ever seen it.
So busy thinking and not feeling.
So busy forgetting even as we strive to make memories.
So busy just being busy.
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I've been trying to get a link to this article on moral policing in Iran. It's in the TOI International section, but the e-paper is accessible only to registered members. So I'll just give you a brief glimpse of what is so chillingly true and horrifying:

The religious police were polite but insistent. The mannequin in the boutique window was too busty and her white plastic breasts might endanger the “security and dignity of young men”. The shop’s owner chopped them off, sealed the two holes with masking tape, and draped the red, lowcut gown back over her now acceptably flat chest.

There's more where that came from, and you'd do well to read it. It's taken from the Sunday Times London, but my search hasn't yielded the said article. I'm not really sure, how to react. Should I be outraged, aggrieved, dismissive, cynical and skeptical, or completely unaffected?

I know this article affected me. I know that this article made me think and value my freedom. A freedom that I take so much for granted. I know that I'm reacting like this, because it's not just the women who're targetted but men too. I know that there are worse situations and people affected by much more than just this. But this affected me. Because food, clothing and shelter I thought are the very basic needs of a man and we've all evolved and fought and continue to fight for this. But then the deeper question here then becomes the social propriety, the dogmas and the paradigms that govern all of us and what are the chalk lines that we're supposed to walk on. I don't know really. It's a debate that rages on. It's a debate that will encompass not just the right to wear, but the right to be heard too. It's about the right and therefore freedom to choose to live a certain way.

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We celebrate May Day, a day of the working class people the world over. So who is the 'working class'? Aren't we all? After all we're so busy working aren't we? :) At everything and anything.

Queen's title of that foot tapping number seems appropriate really to end this post here - 'I want to break free'.Think about the lyrics and it could seem true of anything that you love really, not just a person.

So are we all really free?

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The above paragraphs may seem disjointed, yet like the line above, it in some ways also connects. Perhaps? :)

Post Script:-
For those interested in how Labour Day came about, here are a couple of sites you could visit for more information -
May Day - The Labor Day
May Day (the ubiquitous wikipedia of course).

10 comments:

Livin said...

>> Biby >> Thank you. Appreciate it. You're welcome.

Anonymous said...

i heard the "cat's out of the bag"

:D

hi!

Livin said...

>>sanjana>> Hi! What cat? Am I missing something here?:)

Tell me more. I'm a bit 'slow' and duh you know.

Anonymous said...

well... you know by NOW anyway :D

Livin said...

Sanjana>> That you and I know someone in common. :). Yup! Small world. Hope you're doing well and getting some sleep :).

Anonymous said...

HMPH! i see that Someone has a big mouth! :P take care. don't shoulder any big responsibilites for now. :D

Livin said...

Sanjana>> Am really not sure what you mean. I have very narrow shoulders :). But a big heart! Dunno who's shouldering what now, but yeah, it's not easy.

Livin said...

Sanjana>> :). Ok so someone we know has been blabbing a lot eh? Hmmm...so what else has this someone told you? :)

Thanks for the clarity by the way.

Anonymous said...

what do u wanna know? :)

Livin said...

Well, whatever you wanna tell. :)