I never heard of Kailash Satyarthi! I consider that as my failure as an Indian and also of the media at large. Well the positive side is, this does bring about the important role of the media –and by that I mean print, electronic, regional, national- every kind. When it almost seemed that social media with a P2P approach was turning out to be an alternative for conventional media, the news about Kailash comes out as a silver lining. While social media is effective, it lacks penetration. No wonder why the twitter account of the PM increases by millions while Kailash is largely unheard of! To give an analogy, while big banner films spend lacs, even crores on promotion of mediocre films, it takes a genuine film critic to bring forth a masterpiece though a low budget film. Of course, the problem with both remains the same – Credibility. So the institutions are still relevant, it’ just that the people responsible have lost credibility and are not taken seriously. The Nobel Prize for Kailash Satyarthi is indeed a recognition of his lifelong contribution (again read from the media AFTER Nobel is announced) as it is about the inherent ‘goodness’ that prevails in the society. To add, it surprises me that he has not received any of the ‘Padma *’ awards. Perhaps the Government of India never considered the effort worthy enough. Or Kailash lacked the necessary ‘influence’.
Malala’s case is different. Though, her efforts and courage are definitely noteworthy, she did have the world media by her side. She has been a household name for past couple of years and it was a matter of time that she was considered for Nobel. Of course, this privilege doesn’t make her prize any less important. She braved her life for a cause and instead of being subdued by the attack, has used her celebrity status to promote her cause. The irony is that while she is admired worldwide, her own people seems to condemn her.
Nevertheless, ignoring (or lauding – whichever way you want to see it) the political statement the Nobel committee wanted to make, it is indeed a proud moment for India and Pakistan. But then the commonality stops right here! Moving away from ideality to reality, this should not be linked to the border situation in any way. We are witnessing the largest cross border firing between India and Pakistan in a decade. Although Malala has expressed her concern for peace on border, I would dismiss her suggestion as that of a sweet kid with idealistic views. Politics demands a pragmatic approach to achieve stated targets. Unfortunately there is nothing called as absolute right or wrong in international politics , certainly not during war (which by the way is an extension of state policy). It’s all about right moves. And so far, gods seems to be favoring India!. Both the nations are acting in their ‘national interest’ and we will witness such skirmishes till both find a confluence of national interests or realize the sheer irrationality of the conflict. All I can say is – Hope for the best !
