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This year brought with it some monumental moments that have forever changed the social, political and cultural fabric of Indian society. Some positive such as the decriminalisation of queer sex, and the floodgates opening for victims of sexual abuse to share their stories, and some negative such as the Momo Challenge, which left us shaken and worried about the effect of technology on the health and safety of India’s youth. Of course, these events are never in a clear binary, and often represent a confusing reality of what the country can be – the good, bad and everything in between.
What these events did was make us reflect upon the things we tend to ignore, such as the alarming rate of environmental degradation. It also made us reconsider ideologies and mindsets that were ingrained in us since childhood, such as the meaning of nationalism and what it means to be a ‘good’ citizen. Here is a recollection of some of those moments and events, which have left a mark on society—the effects of which we will carry forth into the new year that awaits us.
I. National Anthem In Movie Theatres
In January, the Supreme Court reversed its controversial decision, that the national anthem must be played compulsorily in movie theatres before the screening of the film began. First put in place in 2016, it initiated an important discussion on the nature and presence of nationalism and its symbols in the everyday lives of the citizens, if such an act simply promoted patriotism or was blatantly unnecessary.
II. Plastic Ban
In response to the alarming rates of plastic waste clogging up landfills and choking the rivers of the country, the Ministry of Environment released a new policy in June banning all single-use plastics, with the larger agenda of completely eliminating single-use plastics by 2022. The state of Maharashtra went further to ban plastic throughout, including straws, takeout boxes, styrofoam containers and more. The state government even issued guidelines on what kind of plastic is permissible and what kind is not.
The ban forced people to acknowledge and reconsider how much plastic they were using in their everyday lives, and what consequences it was having on the environment. People started looking for more sustainable solutions, whether it was replacing their everyday products or even going the zero-waste route. It was definitely a start in assimilating environmentalism in our lives, even if it was through small, yet steady changes.
III. Momo Challenge
Parents and caregivers sighed with relief with what they thought the worst of the Blue Whale Challenge was over but were soon put to alarm again. The Momo Challenge started surfacing in India around August, across social media platforms but especially notorious on Whatsapp. It involved children and youngsters getting in contact with an unknown girl called “Momo”, who incites them to do a series of violent acts, and even some fatal ones.
The death of a 12-year old in Ajmer, who committed suicide in the same month is linked to her being involved with Momo and the supposed challenges she posed. Subsequently, the Ministry of Women and Child Development released an advisory statement to parents. “Monitor your children’s online and social media activity to ensure they are not engaging with this challenge. Parents should take reports from child counsellor present in the school at regular intervals,” they said.
IV. Kerala Floods
The devastating floods that hit the region brought forth much support, it got youth on the ground with aiding relief and rescue, as well as raising funds and supplies for the victims of the state. While immense support and aid poured in from across regions, it also bought out the ugliest faces of Indian society, along with hate, politics, bigotry, communalism and casual sexism. Hate mongers dissuaded people from donating to relief and helping out, as they felt Kerala “deserved” it for a range of reasons, from Lord Ayyappa’s rage at women entering the Sabarimala Temple shrine to the ‘cleansing of beef-eaters.’ A round of fake news and inaccurate information also made its presence during this trying time.
V. Urban Naxals
Narratives of ‘Urban Naxals’ flooded the airwaves and social media after the arrest of five people – Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha happened on the 25th of August 2018. Coordinated teams of Pune police raided the homes and offices of lawyers, trade unionists, writers and human rights activists across Ranchi, Hyderabad, Delhi, Goa, Faridabad and Mumbai. Pegged as fanatical anti-nationalists and staunch leftists, the government alleged that these people had links to maoists and naxals and apparently were even involved in a plan to kill the Prime Minister.
What it did, most importantly, was show us a disappointing and worrying view of how dissent and healthy criticism of the government is dealt it with by the state and its machinery. The government created fear in the minds of people with a propaganda that discredited a lifetime of achievements that these people had accomplished and forever tainted them in the eyes of society. It also created such a stir that it distracted us from the many very real issues the country was facing. It left the youth thinking about the true characteristics of Indian democracy, and if the government was truly safeguarding it.
VI. #MeToo
The #MeToo movement in India, which started around September, shook the very foundation of our society, confronting structures that have been in place since the country’s inception. There is no doubt that it was an emotional time for many, especially the brave women and men who have come out with personal stories of sexual harassment and assault. These are stories of trauma, fear and discomfort as much as they are products of long-overdue anger and a vehement demand for equality and accountability.
It started a huge dialogue on important things such as the nature of consent, toxic environments of work-places, the state of legal structures to counter harassment and how we can do better to support victims. The discourse on social media even translated into physical spaces, with meet-ups and rallies. It also generated a lot of resources for victims of abuse.
VII. Smash Brahmanical Patriarchy
In November, CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey uploaded a picture with a panel of women journalists, whom he had gathered to understand their experience of the platform. One of them, Sanghapali Aruna, an anti-caste activist had gifted him a poster with the phrase “Smash Brahminical Patriarchy”, which was present in the picture he uploaded. The rage started then, with Twitter users accusing the CEO of inciting violence against a ‘minority’ community (The Brahmins), and an IPS officer even commented that it could incite communal violence.
What followed was a conversation on the interpretation of the phrase itself, how though words like ‘Brahminism’ have been used in academic and activist circles, their context is unknown to the common masses. It also started an important discourse on the social media site on the aspects of caste politics we ignore in our everyday lives.
VIII. Decriminalisation Of Homosexuality
September 6, 2018, will be etched in Indian history as the day when love triumphed. At 11:30 am, the Supreme Court issued its verdict on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) subsequently decriminalising homosexuality and gay sex. This verdict is groundbreaking for all those who have lived with concealed identities all their lives and a massive step forward towards redefining the meaning of democracy for India.
Delhi Queer Pride in November 2018 was unlike any other, celebrating the decriminalisation of homosexuality with much pomp and fare. People crowded the streets in large numbers holding up signs like ‘Adios 377!’ celebrating the historic moment that hopefully paves way for a whole body of rights, promising a brighter future for queer citizens of the country.
Feature image courtesy of Lawz Magazine (L) and The Conversation (R)
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