From the Editors
The wars we wage:
A reflection on how the world outside leads to conflict within
-Snigdha Dhameja
War is a word that instigates fear. Anxiety. Sadness. It carries with it a sense of negativity, a notion of violence and our own irrevocable mortality. The turning points in history have almost always been wars, which serves to tell us how powerful it is, and how dangerously and ferociously it affects lives.
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In George Orwell’s novel 1984, we are introduced to three slogans: ‘War is peace’, ‘Freedom is slavery’, and ‘Ignorance is strength’. These words, once a part of Orwell’s commentary on government structures now rest uneasily in minds. In today’s world, is war so commonplace that it is likened to peace? Are we so ignorant to the social injustices and evils in society that we not only give them the power to grow, but from it garner strength for ourselves? Our actions, our words, our voices tie as one, as that of the human race. But in our fight to reclaim supremacy and power, we pick out our differences and create conflict. Is war a norm, that without it our lives are stripped of purpose and meaning?
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In this year itself, war has had a showstopping performance, with encores all around the world. A World War III was promised to us in the beginning of January, as countries were threatening to deploy nuclear weapons. Soon thereafter, the onslaught of a pandemic gripped the world, and this battle currently has no end in sight. If that wasn’t enough for this year, clashes at the Indo-China border have created a dispute with a ripple effect in the economy because of the boycott of Chinese products and apps. Half of the year has passed, with catastrophes and unprecedented circumstances becoming an almost daily part of our lives. Newspapers need not go far to find sensationalism, because everything that is happening in the world right now is nothing short of evoking fear, paranoia and shock.
In a sense, we are all fighting a war. Day in and day out, we evade the possibility of contracting COVID-19. The pressure and sudden shifts in lifestyle caused by quarantine and lockdown shouldn’t be overlooked. The advocacy for mental health and wellbeing increases with its need as people feel distraught when faced with the status quo. But for how long do we live a life where wars are waged upon us and society, and we are forced to fight the evil that resides in the depths of our mind, and lurks freely in the world outside?
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According to the WHO, countries in the South-East Asia region need to pay higher attention to mental health and suicide prevention, as the number of cases increases. With heightened anxiety plaguing the population, the number of suicides is bound to increase, especially as the WHO South-East Asia Region accounts for 39% of global suicide mortality. The Massachusetts General Hospital reports that depression rates are on a rise due to several reasons, such as trauma from widespread disease, grief over losses of life, fear of getting sick, unprecedented physical distancing and financial concerns (including unemployment and housing insecurity).
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A battle of wit and conscience, of gaining control over the demons that live inside us. Anxiety and depression are only two, but both strike a harder punch than anything. It is the war outside that makes us vulnerable inside, inciting mental instability. In today’s world, with its fast pace, exceedingly high expectations and blowing winds of social and economic recession, it isn’t rare to see someone crack under pressure or feel overwhelmed.
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Articles show the big picture, with death rates and figures emblazoned on the front page in large, bold font. What about the stock market crashing and economic growth dipping, shares of companies falling and the number of cases rising? See anything in common? These are all part of what we call ‘the big picture’. One that is framed, gilded and remembered for all of history. But are we incredulous to the social and emotional consequences of these events, that are threatening to bring the world down?
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It is not just another statistic, another person who ‘couldn’t cope with the times’. It is real, and it is very much happening, if not to you, but to someone else. Anxiety and depression rates are rising, and there isn’t much being done about it. Uncertainty and panic roam and pollute minds. All because of the wars we wage, upon us and society, where we are forced to fight the evil that resides in the depths of our mind, and lurks freely in the world outside.
We are on our own:
Where does the division in society stem from?
-Devansh Mishra
Our world is full of a diverse set of people. The broad set of permutations and combinations that are possible from a simple process of reproduction is unimaginable. From the fingerprint on the tip of your finger to your retinal colour, everything you have is a distinguishing and defining feature of your existence. But these features are not in your control. Your skin colour, your height, your weight is all determined by your family heritage and many other factors. Now think that people shun you, desert you and leave you in the middle of the road because of these uncontrollable factors. Our world is doing this to everyone, criticising every single feature and grouping them into specific categories subsequently, just because they think it's better that way.
The building block for our society is the concept of division. Putting people into specific categories and boxes according to a particular aspect of theirs is the only thing the society is made to do. In the name of efficiency because of an environment composed of 'like-minded people', there are specific categories made for everyone to stay in and live the rest of their lives in. And the crazy part is, people adhere to these norms. If anyone happens to step out of line, they are criticised and scrutinised until they return to their compartment.
Division of society, created by society
The first box in their checklist of division is according to the colour of your skin, because that's the first thing everyone sees - how you look. For decades, people with fair skin lived in one part of the city and people with dark skin lived in another part. Mind you; there was nothing wrong with this system until the 'whites' self-proclaimed themselves to be of a better race. Then came the everlasting battle between the whites and people of colour, as the latter was desperately trying to gain their fundamental human rights. At the same time, the former suppressed them and almost mind-washed them till they thought they were of an inferior race.
This is a before-and-after picture of a computational model built to prove division in society. The different shapes represent different kinds of people. Before (Left): The people were all segregated well, and they represent the original society. After (Right): A clear line of demarcation has been formed, and everyone seems to be sorted with people of their own kind. It shows an inherent bias in society for everyone to be with people like themselves. Source: CT-STEM, Parable of Polygons
Second in line came family background, because people wanted to know where a person comes from. Under that came division by culture, ethnicity, religion and caste along with many others. People that came from similar backgrounds went together, while others who were different got stranded in the middle. In 1947, this is what happened in India - 'Here are two lines dividing your country. Hindus go on one side, and Muslims go on the other.' And everyone was again split up from some other people who were different from them and ended up with some who were alike.
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Another checkbox on their list is economic status - how much money do you have to survive. The rich side of the spectrum ended up with giant mansions and an exquisite lifestyle. In contrast, the other extreme ended up lying on the sidewalk with hardly enough even to sustain themselves. Some could just about get enough for their survival, while others are living in luxury in a secluded part of town. Everyone else is just somewhere in between these two extremes, but that doesn't make them any less separated from everyone else. Another way we are separated from the world around us.
They could go on and on about this, segregating people into categories, infinitely. What we don’t realise is that the society actually pits us against one another by placing us into these boxes. After the checklist of division is sufficiently filled up by the people around us, we are invariably left alone. In the end, it will just be us against the world. There’s an inherent fear inside of us of things we are unfamiliar of, and we won’t know anyone inside our boxes given to us. This is where the famous saying - ‘Survival of the fittest’ - comes. Our world has been made by us, categorised by us and destroyed by us. And, I’m afraid to say this, is just the beginning of a million other problems for our world.
No matter where we go or choose to settle in this universe, this loneliness will forever be ingrained in our species, as we will end up doing a similar process in a new place. This fundamental source of greed in us; we just want everything for ourselves and our survival, because, evidently no one else will be willing to help us out when we are alone. Gripped with the fear of different people and places, wanting to stay within the cozy comfort zone, exploration will become almost impossible. These are just a few problems that we are facing at the moment, and it may become a much more grave danger in the future. This is the point where we have to change it. Here and now.