#MeTooMiddleClass: Why we should wear this tag with pride
Do you smell the hypocrisy of hashtag activists? Do you think terms like 'tolerance', ' secularism', 'Urban Naxals' are created to divide the country for vote-bank politics? Do you think your nation is not as bad as they paint it to be? And, an average Indian doesn't spit this much hatred in real life? Congratulations, #YouTooMiddleClass like #MeTooMiddleClass. Deviating from the traditional definition of middle-class (which is strictly based on economic stature), here we redefine what it means to be middle-class.
But, why are we talking about this today?
On Tuesday, Pune police raided the houses of a few activists and arrested some 'intellectuals'. The suspects were detained in connection with alleged Maoist involvement in the Elgaar Parishad event in Pune, that reportedly sparked off violence across Maharashtra, in January this year. And, since yesterday all hell has broken loose. A bunch of people are being called 'Urban Naxals', and a group of people are proudly calling themselves 'Urban Naxals.' But, we are not discussing them, we are discussing us - the middle-class.
Privilege is not our birth-right, and caste not our end-game
A person belonging to middle-class never talks about privilege, because we don't know what it means. While growing up, our closest brush with privilege was being allowed to watch extra TV over weekends, or given permission to play video-games during summer breaks. We were always taught to earn the so-called privilege. Everything in our lives was then a function of 'ache marks', and now a function of 'achi life'. We are so busy discussing the promotion/lavish cars/lifestyle of the guy-next-door that we never think about his caste.
You can afford activism, we have to earn a living
Just so we are clear, earning a living is not about 'roti, kapda aur makaan' for us. It is about upward mobility, upliftment and enlightenment. It is also about being unabashedly capitalist, and even materialistic, if you may. And, it begins from home. We don't give ourselves that importance wherein we think we can change the society. We change ourselves, our family, and educate our maids' kids. We are not activists, just an average Joe who dreams big.
If we were intolerant, we could not have existed
We don't have to return any awards (first of all, whom should we return the 400-meter relay race prizes to?) to prove if we are tolerant or not. We exemplify tolerance, and we don't complain. We tolerate when our bosses ask us to work through the night and deliver, or when our subordinates leave abruptly because they are being over-worked. On a more serious note, we tolerate when prices increase, governments fail us, or when you divide our nation.
Nothing comes easy to us, and we know that
All our lives, we slog, hustle and make things happen. Nothing comes easy to us, but we can't even say that out loud. The moment we say this, the activists would intellectually lynch us (yes, that's the word I use) for being insensitive. We believe there is only one way to grow, and that's through hardwork. Not job quotas, not caste-politics, and certainly not by being an arm-chair activist. You ask how we are so sure? Because we live it everyday.
And, for us, logic is sacrosanct
Keep fighting, we've bought popcorn and paid GST on it
In conclusion, I have two things to say. For secular, tolerant lot: If you are able to say your government is fascist without getting arrested or sent to labor camps, then most likely your government is not even close to being one. (Borrowed line) For the extremists: Do us a favor and take a step back, let police do it job. Believe in the courts of this country. Meanwhile, we have bought popcorn and are all set to witness your Twitter fight, while commuting to work.
