Dare Speak
What a queer and bizarre this world has turned out to be now! One really fails to comprehend why and what has gone wrong with it? It seems to be in a fierce and colossal war with itself. It is really Herculean a task these days to distinguish between friends and foes in this megalomaniac a world which for the past some decades used to be deemed a global village in wake of revolutionary technological advances, nations coming together and very closer.
Ironically, Sans an iota of doubt, this demonish dance of death, dread, disaster, destruction, deprivation, displacement and trauma for the past couple of years did scatter and shatter the world with the “divine nod” as innocent men, women and kids are brutally killed, targeting hospitals, schools and civilian bases by bombing, drones, firing missiles and sophisticated weapons alike with impunity. Eminent English poet Robert Browning is very relevant here in this context to cite who in his poem “Pipa Passes” remarks,
“God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world.” The Almighty is there but under His watch everything is fine in this world we can well imagine and see.
While undertaking my M.Phil. in English course at Punjabi University Patiala in mid 1980s,I had to encounter Ferdinand de Saussure- the father of modern linguistics, the man who re-organised the systematic study of language and languages in such a way as to make possible the achievements of twentieth century linguistics.
It was he who did make many startling revelations that the history of languages is full of examples of concepts shifting, changing their boundaries. He made it crystal clear that the word CATTLE for instance at one point meant property in general, then gradually came to be restricted to four footed only( a new category) and finally attained its modern sense of domesticated bovines. Again, word SILLY person was once happy, blessed and pious. Gradually this particular concept altered; the old concept of “silliness” transformed itself and by the beginning of sixteenth century a silly person was innocent, helpless even deserving of pity.The alteration of the concept continued until eventually a silly person was a simple, foolish, perhaps stupid.
Unlike Saussure’s history as well as theory of altering and twisting languages gradually, in the present day world, the words and phrases undergo alteration in their contours and connotations instantly just within the twinkling of an eye.
Pertinent here to peruse the global organisations ‘ and leaders’ inferences and interpretations of words and phrases. Do the UNO, UNICEF, UNESCO, UN Security Council, International Court of Justice, WHO,IMF, World Bank,G-20,G-7,BRICS, QUAD, SCO, so on and so forth really imply in the letter and spirit what their title banner stands for? Are these justifying and proving true to their aims, objects and stipulated roles is a million-dollar question?
The absurdity, instinctivity, theatrics and megalomania galore creeping often into the utterances and rhetorics of world leaders has now twisted this world into a “Theatre of The Absurd, Insensitive and Bumptious.” In such a world, there is no room at all for values,grace,magnanimity, humility, amity, credibility, humanity and morality.
How distressing to find apostle of peace and non-violence Mahatma Gandhi’s India abstaining from the voting in UN Security Council on the issue of ceasefire between Iran and Israel! Even then Iran showed a fine gesture of allowing air space for the evacuation of Indian students but India did not care to condemn unwarranted attack on Iran at any forum.
During his campaign for the second term in office President Donald Trump did focus on the theme “Make America Great Again” but soon after winning and taking over the reins began deviating and dithering with thrust on sheer personal popularity stooping very low to yearn for Nobel Peace Prize on flimsy pretexts of being instrumental in mediating peace missions and ceasefires but at the same time threatening Iran to dance to his tunes within twenty four hours or face the awful- disastrous consequences, now that dead line extended to two weeks. No denying the fact that Trump and Modi do not like to miss any opportunity in displaying the art of “optics” and “theatrics” as and when they like, both in a neck-to-neck contest to outsmart one another. Trump vehemently and repeatedly claiming that he mediated in effecting the May 10 ceasefire between India and Pakistan but Modi tight lipped on the same just rebuts it through Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Quite amazingly, Putin himself and his nation involved in war with Ukraine for years offers for mediation for ceasefire between Iran-Israel.
What reigns supreme is vested interests everywhere as all other virtues relegate instantly into oblivion! Trumps, Putins, Jinpings, Macrons, Starmers five big world veto powers personas have always their axes to grind, hence words and phrases change their nuances like the changes in weather frequently. In the international relations nowadays, there are no permanent friends and foes but “interests”. Thus, swapping of words foes and friends has become regular and interesting feature.
These words for example, “bi-lateral”, “credibility,” “integrity,” “mediation” “faith” “trust,” “friends,” “foes,” “sincerity,” “cooperation,” “truth,” “shame,” “peaceful co-existence,” “permanent,” “ceasefire,” and “self-reliance” are the worst casualties these days as these not only change their contours startlingly but assume mocking as well as foxy proportions too.
Once both very self-styled two intimate friends US President Donald Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi have of late offered a new twist and turn to the popular adage, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” Modi ditched Trump when during his campaign to enter White House for the second time, Trump had claimed very confidently that his friend Modi will meet him during his visit to the USA in September 2024 but Modi then preferred to turn a cold shoulder in a bid not to offend the then US President Joe Biden. Badly offended and bruised Trump has now been leaving no stone unturned to pay Modi in the same coin during his second stint in office. India has to face the music bearing the brunt and bashing for Modi’s optics, pompousness and inability to understand Trump in his true colours. John Calvin Maxwell, a famous American thinker and journalist haunts in this context who remarked, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
The same is true in case of Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping who are well known for changing colours like a chameleon for safeguarding their own and nation’s vested interests. Five Veto Power nations very strangely at their wits end do not see eye to eye on the peaceful co-existence of this world-be it the Russia-Ukraine war, Hamas-Israel conflict, India-Pakistan Strife and Israel-Iran Tug of War. On the brink of third world war, there is a mad contest among three veto power nations USA, Russia, France for sale of modern war weapons with now China too jumping the fray of sale of warfare arms and ammunition along with boosting up of its trade items sale as well.
These five nations at regular intervals play their tricks and guiles to outsmart each other making developing nations fall in their trap of their fictitious groups like G-20, G-7, BRICS, QUAD, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation from time to time to keep their so-called wavering allies in good humour. Their leitmotif so far has been to assert their positions by dominating the world trade scene be it sale of either various commercial goods or warfare equipment not in any manner to usher this world into everlasting peaceful, amiable, harmonious and humane loving an era.
If these five veto powers of the world with the grace of God very sincerely, objectively, impartially and honestly wish and mean business, there cannot be any reason that virtues of harmony, peace, brotherhood and amity will ever illude this grand world.
Contributed by :
Prof PK Sharma Freelance Journalist, Associate Professor of English (Retired),
Pom Anm Nest, BARNALA(Punjab) Mobile: 94170-02504 E-Mail: profpksharma3040@ gmail.com