Food for thought...

                 It was a Sunday with much needed leisure. Right from the morning I was into newspapers, not just of that day but some old ones. To be very specific all those were with obituaries for Late Govindrao Talwalkar, ex-editor of Maharashtra Times. The man of great erudition and courage. A modern thinker who had set the benchmarks for editors. From editorials to articles written in his memory I kept on reading. All finished the loss sunk into me. An hour later I was on the dining table. Almost everybody had noticed that I didn’t move close to three hours while reading newspapers. I broke into conversation and said to my elder daughter I was concerned about her for I felt she belonged to starved generation. She was surprised by the comment and burst into laughter. The word starved was the reason for it as there was no rationale to put her in that category. I realized and clarified. It is not about food but food for thought, you are not getting nutritious food for thought but more often you relish junk food even garbage at times. What you read and think about, comes from social media whose quality and authenticity is never verified. You accept it, make opinion, and share it with others on social media. Then I took her thirty-thirty five years back.

                    My father was in teaching profession as well as journalism. At home we had subscribed at least two newspapers from Nagpur and one from Mumbai. The one from Mumbai came a day late. Though younger I fought with my uncles to get first reading. There was unwritten rule which all followed that nobody would mess with pages, all pages would stay in the bunch. In the beginning I was fascinated by the news related to crime, accidents. This reading gave me enough information to participate in discussions with friends who also would come with their own share of information. Discussions lead to opinions. I don’t even remember when I gradually shifted to editorial page. Here luck smiled on me. Maharashtra Times though would reach us a day late was a treat to read. The editor was the man with giant personality Shri Govindrao Talwalkar. I that age I didn’t realize his greatness but his editorials were a reading delight. Sunday supplements were eagerly awaited.

                     I was into newspapers right from childhood and that was the primary source of information. Moreover three to four newspapers were available so the difference in approach to events national as well as international was easily discernable. The political ideology I did not miss. The lessons on interpretation of news were unknowingly taught to me by these newspapers. That there is news and there are views, this idea I could conceive. It was simple what was close to my way was good. But most importantly the opinion, different views and formation of your own opinion developed. It was not deliberate but it happened. Fortunately my friends circle was also equipped with arsenal of differing views so we often broke into fight. Hot discussions and strong egos would ultimately divert the discussion to inconclusive arid domain but this helped me understand when to withdraw from the discussion.

                       It is not a unique process. Almost everybody has his own way of thinking and forming opinion. Where I find myself lucky was that I read Maharashtra Times lead by Late Talwalkar. The significance I realized later in life. By the time I finished engineering and joined teaching profession he almost retired and later shifted to US. But he kept on writing and I kept on relishing whenever opportunity knocked. In my formative years I read his editorials, half understood but was fascinated by grandeur of the language and the razor sharp intellectual approach. His erudition was beyond my comprehension but it cultivated the way I thought. I was intellectually well nourished thanks to this great man. Reading newspapers of different ideological bent taught me existence and acceptance of different views. The different view in the beginning met with my rejection but as my thought process matured I learned the art of acceptance without agreement. When I ran debaters club in my dept where I met with students loaded with sharp intellect this background of mine helped me. This one activity always gave me a window to understand how those young minds thought. I came across some really brilliant debaters, sharp, witty and dynamic, their association I still cherish. It was intellectually enriching experience.   

                    My opinion about starvation of mind was against this backdrop. Young minds don’t usually respond they react. Given the age and associated dynamism what nourishes their minds is extremely important. The acceptance of opinion even without agreement is the key to intellectual development. The junk food is bad for our physical health and junk food for thought is detrimental to intellectual growth. Young minds must have intellectual aggression, dynamic thinking but the resources are important. We have unlimited information source through internet but choice is left with user. The social media is replete with venomous material vitiating young minds. The intellectually starved mind is emotionally vulnerable. It is an easy but potent instrument that can be emotionally charged and used to serve vested interests.

                       If young minds react sharply it is their characteristic but intellectual starvation can put emotions in dominance over rational thinking closing the doors for intellectual correction. Intellectual correction doesn’t mean all thinking in same direction rather it is opposite of it. There may be some having diverse opinions but others will deal them with a sense of acceptance. If the acceptance of difference is lost and intellectual starvation is exploited then any ideology that is detrimental to society can easily dominate mind. If junk food destroys healthy growth of our body then junk food for thought hampers healthy opinion making.

                     The abstract contents on facebook walls cannot be nourishment for mind. There are people who are using there fb walls for projecting healthy, sound opinions emerging out of research but there are many propagandists who use easy access to social media to promote hatred. There are many whatssapp groups with posts full of vitriolic content against particular community, cast, and religion. Once under the influence we stop checking authenticity, applicability in contemporary situation, conceive it as reality and share. Worst we add our own prejudices. But if we read from books, ponder over diverse opinions and then form opinion not only that it will be intellectually rewarding but will be an emotionally enriching experience for then we will have satisfaction of connecting with more people.

                      Facebook or whatsapp may be for fun but random status changes and sharing of poisonous content cannot be construed as source for intellectual food. Share the content that is good for society else simply ignore it, block the propagation. Allow its peaceful burial by neglect. But just don’t react to anything on social media; respond in the interest of society. Neglect is the best weapon to deal with propaganda. Those who emotionally react never lead and those who calmly, thoughtfully respond lead the flock.

 A smarter generation has to make a choice. And I have full faith in their aptitude.