Discrimination

 "No discrimination" is the mantra these days. Yes, indeed, discrimination is deadly, dangerous, and downright wrong. Discriminatory praxis has no rationale.

Who are the most discriminated? Let me give you a few hints, some clear clues. Let us see if you  can arrive at the right answer. These individuals, most harassed and discriminated, are helpless. They are ill-treated in the public sphere, but much worse in the private spaces. No, gender wise, there is not much of a difference as far as discrimination goes, though, undoubtedly, the so-called fairer sex as usual suffers more unfairly. 

Caste, creed or class do not seem to make much of a difference as far as this mode of discrimination is involved. Harassment of this variety may differ degree wise as far as caste, creed or class go. Difficult to think though that there is any difference typologically as far as this variety of discrimination is involved. 

Oh, yes, this discrimination resists any attempt at glossification as people would shudder to assign any glamour to the victims of this horrific manner of discrimination. Any guesses how it is named?

Well, yes, it is AGEISM. Indeed viciously rampant it is in India. Once upon a time, the elderly were respected and revered hereabouts. That traditional role of honour is absolutely lost now. The elderly appear comic to most, appear laugh worthy to very many.

The family as an institution is coming apart in multiple ways. That traditional familial support is being denied to parents themselves. The question of accomodating  any other relative would be unimaginable to most! Amongst the older generation, very few would have a stable source of income as the informal mode of economy, rampant in India, has no  net (work  or worth) to support the elderly.

What is vicious and truly toxic is the attitude. A young person, for example, may know how to run a computer application. Nothing original or creative in it, right? Even a child can manage it after a few trials and errors. Currently, however, such simplistic skills seem to matter  the most.

The elderly are the new anathema. During the Covid years, it was difficult, nay, impossible to get any treatment for the normal age-related problems of the old. That prejudice seems to linger, even when the deadly disease seems to have disappeared from the public imaginary! 

Actually, the old, at least in cities (the rural old face the bitterest discrimination, even humiliation, especially because given the huge urbanisation, they are every which way left to tend for themselves!) these days are quite independent and absolutely healthy both physically and psychologically. I suppose, the best response to AGEISM would be to re-invent oneself constantly, to continue being creative, relevant and resilient. When every day is a new start-up of sorts, life is sheer joy. Down, dastardly discrimination! 

Pratima@ Amitabh Bacchan shows quite impressively how to beat AGEISM, right?