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Fence sitting, the fine art of never taking any stand for anything. Often considered a sign of lacking a spine or lacking conviction, I feel this is truly something our times need today. I see most of the folks around me making a habit of taking a stand. Taking a stand about issues today reminds me of scenes in movies of the yore. In some of those movies there used to be this rich villain, usually a zamindar, who would throw money out of his window and commonfolk would scamper around to lay their hands on whatever they could. In the mad scramble, people would get trampled upon, fights would break out, blood spilled, even the money notes torn. I will let you draw the comparisons of who symbolizes whom.
Growing up, I have been in situations where I've felt very angry at some of fence sitters. My dad, for example, when asked by Mom about burnt sambar. I could tell that the sambar was bad but Dad had to think of the next meal too. Ok, that was exaggerated, my mom never burnt Sambars. Even I have to think of my next meal sometimes. Anyways, the point is fence sitting is an art for sure. I remember this scene during my college days when we rebelled against our students council and brought them down. Distrust was brewing for a long time and we kept discussing about it all the time. There was this one guy in our group who was particularly vocal about it and I was convinced that I've to take it upon myself to go to war and martyr myself on the battlefield. I followed whatever this particular friend of mine said. I even imagined him leading us in a procession with slogans ringing all around and finally achieving a change in system. Yes, I was a certified idiot those days. Finally, we were called in for a vote of confidence motion. I was all pumped up and couldn't wait to raise my hand against the council. First they called out the students who were for the council to continue. I counted frantically the hands that went up, looking at them with disgust, who reciprocated with same fervor. Ok, good, we have one hand more than them. We will win by one vote but, win we will. So the bated breath moment came and the hands that were against the council were called. I remember feeling ecstatic exuberant and exotic for having taken quarter of a sec to raise my hand. The counting began and I frantically waved my hand to be counted in. Can't believe these counters, what if they were bribed. Seconds felt like hours as the counting continued. Finally it was done and he announced. I was already jumping, but, soon realized the heavy silence around me. Finally when I mellowed, it dawned upon me that we had run into a tie. What? A tie, for God's sake. That was not possible, I did the math again and did a mental flashback of the all the hands that went up against the council. There was Shilpa, Rajan, Chota Rajan, Shakespeare..... And of course the final vote of my friend and our leader of sorts. Hey wait a sec, I rewound the reel to let the frame rest on my friend. U..2 ....? Alas he had not raised his hand. What? How could that be? Of all of homo sapiens, him? Yeah I'm total drama inside. Anyways, I quickly pulled my chair near him and asked him why? He just said "I don't have to tell anyone my stand". What? Dude, I just rebelled against the council on your word. These guys can mess up my campus placements if they win. He just sat there with no expression, as though having attained Nirvana. Butterflies fluttered somewhere near my abdomen area. Could I tell that I had a brainfart during the vote. I recall those days with a sense of disownment. Yeah I wish I could disown those days to someone else. Have an auction or something to give it away to the biggest bidder or something.
Anyways the point is, I understand why my friend did what he did. He knew that nothing was going to change and he didn't want to unnecessarily expose his position on the subject and alienate people. Alienation breeds further alienation. So he decided to perch upon the fence when it mattered.
Today, as people have started taking stands, the fence looks forlorn and abandoned. It would be wonderful if it was abandoned for the right reasons. Reasons like some mouths were fed, lives saved, love spread. If not, then what difference does it make if you take a stand or not. You are just another # tag statistic.
Anyways, looks like I am also veering towards a stand of not making a stand. So let me stop any further Brainfarts and perch quickly upon the cosy place I have set up in my fence. It is called the “No OF'FENCE'”
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