Confusion is the key

It has been some time that Nobel Prizes were announced. Fir sure, it was heartening to know that an Indian and a Pakistani shared the prize for peace. Being an Indian, it is always nice to know that a fellow Indian won something somewhere. For a country of a billion plus, it is a shot in arm. 
After the euphoria having subsided, I would like to sit and wonder if the Nobel prize to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala were truly deserving. Not that I’m trying to be a party spoiler, but then what did the seventeen year old girl do to deserve this highest award? I am sure we all would agree that in this world there would be much deserving candidates. Or is it right to assume that it was not Malala ‘the girl’ but Malala the ‘idea; that was been awarded? Similarly, even Kailash’s claim to the fame was not very convincing.
This raises another question. Are we as good or as bad as the award that we get? For sure, Nobel prize could not have happened overnight. Till the awards were declared how many of us knew of Kailash or Malala. At least I didn’t. I remember being a part of a book launch—From the Streets of Kathmandu, organized by a friend of mine; Renu, where Kailash was a guest of honor. A vividly remember him coming across as a social worker dressed in white kurta-pajama, too eager to convince the Europeans present there. For sure, funds from Geneva requires that kind of outreach effort. Coming back to the question, was media blind to his efforts on child labor or was child labor not even an issue? Arnabs and Rajdeeps of this world, who cry themselves hoarse over every issue did not think it to be apt to let the nation know of a man who had been working tirelessly for bettering the lives of young kids? Wasn’t it  a news worthy or was the TRP hungry prime time too big for nobel prize deserving people?
I guess the time has come when the so-called 'free media,' the anything but 'fair media' needs to be put under some kind of policing. Friends out there will hate me for saying this. But come to think of it. In today’s world, media is the biggest source of information. We have no doubts how every single media house have its own likings and alliances owing to the business interests it needs to protect. From Raj TV to Sun TV, Times Now to NDTV, we understand that none of them are half as unbiased as they claim to be. In such large democracy, how could you have the biggest source of information with no guidelines, not control? Morality is too weak a virtue to control such a monolith monster.
 Another monster which should have tamed long back was ‘Consumerism.” The effect of its impact further accentuated by the ‘mall culture’ was evident during my recent visit to Delhi Hatt . It was maybe after twenty years that I was visiting the iconic, potpourri of Indian craft and art, the only place which was the authentic kaleidoscope to the Indian culture. Fearing heavy traffic, I was there early. It took me awhile rto realsie that anytime of the day at Dilli Haat was early as the footfalls were too busy exploring the glitzy malls, its alluring window display and succumbing to the charm of one of its eatery or cafes. NOw, the so called famous food stalls were anything but authentic. Most of them now sell everything—dosa to chowmein, burger to vada. For God’s sake, who goes to a Dilli Haat to have a burger or a pizza?
Phew, too much confusion and it continues in my mind to. My fifth title is progressing at a steady, confused speed. Not happy with either my effort or the way it’s shaping. But I understand that it will take some time before it can show its true narrative prowess. 
Tell me something, why do writers, who are supposed to be free souls, wanderers, confine their writing styles or even their genre? From Dan Brown to John Grisham each one of them have been so typecast. I understand that it helps in creating a reader base, a market and eases the sales cycle. But these silos were the primary reason for a mortal turning into a writer. Do I make sense? Who is a writer? To me, a recluse who is fed up of everything—his own existence included, and decides to express his viewpoint using the pen; please read keyboard. So why should this disgruntled soul stick to telling one kind of story only? To me it belies the whole purpose of being a writer, a storyteller.
It is never too late to learn. No wonder, at the ripe age of forty I was told that now story telling does not happen only through books but also through radio. It is not that I have not been a radio fan. In our times, radio was the only source of legal entertainment and Ameen Sayani the only voice we recognized.  But story over the airwave? I explored. My desire to research the same was further fuelled by an event where some storyteller was supposed to present his story punctuated by songs.  As far as the event was concerned, the videos posted did prove my apprehension that it was nothing but a dignified orchestra program and that too with the orchestra being bad to the extent of being off key and off rhythm. To further worsen the matter the storyteller also sang. Sounds like a recipe for sure disaster?  Coming to the story telling part. Yes, there are storytellers on radio now. And they do enjoy a dedicated fan following. This slot mostly caters to the large middle class section; the bourgeois class of the ‘A' and ‘B' class town and cities. Delivered in a sugary, made up voice, most of the stories are as good or as bad as a daily TV soap plot. With Sharma ji and Gupta ji being an intrinsic part of the story, it validates the reason for Ved Prakash Sharma still being a best-selling author. Kotler was right when he said ‘don’t sell what you can make, make what you can sell.’
But what if  this world had taken his doctrine seriously?I shudder at the thought, as it would have been the surest way of pushing the society towards unyielding mediocrity.  A world sans Monalisa, The Fountainhead, Jazz, Blues, Personal computers, Apple, Microsoft, Airplanes, and as a matter of fact everything which supports our being today? Whatever is cherished today—in art, literature, music, technology was not an answer to the market need but was way ahead of its time. No wonder it created a market of its own and this market defined the future of mankind. Going by the market need or demand no one would have dared to make personal computer or for that matter even aircraft, railway train or cars. Mr. Kotler, thankfully the society is propelled by path breaking ideas and innovations and not by mediocre theories propagated by mediocre academicians like you.
“Sir, what is love?”“Why do you ask me?”“You are a writer and have written and spoken so much on love.”“Well, have you read any of my work?”“I have read the reviews on Facebook.”“Don’t you think it’s not fair to judge me or my work basis Facebook.”“It is the fastest way to decide and to form an opinion.”“Hmmm.”“Sir, please tell me what is love?”“Elaborate, well planned and most long drawn way of inflicting sure shot injury upon oneself.”