Thought Crimes

There’s been this huge hue and cry over the “new 7 wonders”, and the “duty” of every Indian, everyone who’s proud of the Taj Mahal to vote for it so that it can be included in the prestigious list. Everyone, from A.R. Rehman to Khurafaati Nitin on 93.5 Red FM (they've not paid me to write this, the slot is still open) is telling anyone who cares to listen to vote, vote and vote again. News channels are dedicating special episodes to the purpose. A committee has also been created whose sole purpose is to ensure that the Taj makes it to the list which will be unveiled on 7/7/7. Net users from India have decided to make it their prerogative to flood everyone’s inbox they know with e-mails reminding them to vote. Everyday Lefty’s scrapbook gets an increment from some kind soul who thinks it necessary to urge Lefty to vote, and I have to take the trouble of deleting it to maintain my scrap count at a respectable, albeit rebellious 4.

It’ll be evident to the reader by now that I’m not exactly supportive of this whole brouhaha. Mind you, I don’t dissuade anyone from fulfilling his duty. It’s just that I have no intention of casting my vote towards the declaration of the new 7 wonders. It’s not only a matter of principle, as the Raps of his pre-Lords days would say. There are many reasons, some of which I feel are pretty good.

This whole hullabaloo is not a UNESCO initiative. There’s some private NGO which is conducting it. Therefore, the first question that arises is, “Is it even necessary to recognize such a poll?” And the very fact that the new 7 wonders are going to be decided by means of a poll raises a huge question mark over their merit. For I am not one of those who feel that the only way to make such a list is through popular opinion. I believe that to make such a list, a team of experts should be nominated, who would study each monument before meeting together and deciding.

I have seen the Taj Mahal. I am a great admirer of it. I definitely feel that it should be one of the seven wonders. But my opinion should ideally count for naught. For I have not seen Machu Pichu, the Great Wall of China, the Church at Hagia Sophia or for that matter, any of the 20 other monuments that are in the reckoning. How then, am I even fit to decide if the Taj deserves to be in that august list which is to be prepared? And I don’t even know the first thing about architecture or beauty, from an expert’s point of view. And I am supposed to take part in making this list? How ridiculous!

Another thing which aggravates me is the frequent announcements that can be heard on TV or the radio or can be seen in any newspapers, “Show your national pride. Vote for the Taj.” Why should national pride be a factor in voting? Sadly, this poll is nothing but a contest of national pride. For an Indian will only vote for the Taj, a Chinese for the Great Wall and a Yankee for the Statue of Liberty. This despite the fact that an Indian will not have seen that Great Wall, a Chinese wouldn’t have seen the Statue of Liberty and Mr. Clinton is probably the only Yankee to have seen the Taj. Apart from the idiot who got conned by Bunty and Babli in the same movie. This is not the way it’s supposed to work. And this whole process is supposed to decide the new 7 wonders.

Most importantly, the medium of voting being the internet makes it certain that countries which are heavyweights as far as no. of users who have access to the net are concerned (read USA) are basically deciding which the new 7 wonders are going to be. According to ET Forecasts, as of 2004, 19.7% of internet users were American. Next on the list was China accounting for 9.98% of users, almost half of USA. India was 6th on the list accounting for a mere 4%. Little wonder then that the Statue of Liberty is almost certain to be a new wonder, and also the Great Wall of China. In fact, if the house Mr. John Robinson of Brooklyn had also been among the nominees, it would probably have made it to the final 7 as well.

All Indians are insanely proud of the Taj, as we should be. It’s one of the greatest symbols of our national pride and an epitome of everlasting love. There is no doubt in out minds that it rightly deserves to be one of the 7 wonders. But do we need a poll and such a biased one at that, to tell us this. Will the Taj be any less in its magnificence and grandeur if it doesn’t make it to the final 7? Will that be a slap on the face of Indian patriotism? Why then are we so obsessed with this whole meaningless exercise? Enthusiastic voters would wax lyrical about the importance this list has assumed and how great it’ll be for Indian tourism if the Taj is included, but I believe that the India of 2007 has enough clout to publicly assert that she does not recognize such polls instead of pandering to such idiocy.

After all the hue and cry that has taken place, I sincerely hope that the Taj makes it to the list. I wish that the papers on 7/7/7 show the headline “Taj Mahal- A new wonder” under a magnificent picture of Mumtaz’s tomb. And if it does happen, it wouldn’t be victory of the Taj’s beauty or charm.

It would be a victory of jhingoism.

And come to think of it, that isn’t too bad either.