Ji Huzoor/Yes Sir
We humans have always been obsessed with obedience. Initially as a non-negotiable value expected in younger children, then with respect to societal norms, and finally towards the religious vassals. “Obedience” is something which makes a child the gold standard — your typical ‘Sharma ji ka ladka’. It is something which transforms an outspoken, progressive woman to a sanskaari bahu. It is something which makes a liberal/pragmatist person to an andhbhakt (p.s. a literal, non-political interpretation is intended by the author). And this transformation isn’t spontaneous; it takes place through Persuasion 101 — reward and punishment.
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Obedience is more often than not rewarded — through material, transactory gains (post-retirement parliamentary nominees would agree) or by inflating one’s ego with medals, accolades and honours. Either way, it kills one’s appetite to question the substructure, investigate the mundane, let alone uproot the exploitative system. The last time (some 400 years ago) someone challenged a religious orthodoxy, faced a house arrest for the remainder of his life, forced to live in the darkness (quite ironical that he was the same person that allowed us humans to look far beyond the solar system through telescope). Question the established belief, and you’re labelled woke; Deny compliance — you’re suddenly a selfish, narcissistic person; Express your political views without conformity- ICE agents knocking your door. The only allowed questions are to yourselves.
This obsession with obedience is so deeply ingrained in our psychology that it often surfaces as seemingly harmless outbursts. Obedience sugarcoated as duty, docility and quite recently, lawfulness. The oft-forgiving public attitude towards police personnel — raining down lathis, using tear gas and rubber pellet guns — since they are “following orders” is nothing but an evil facet of obsession with rewarding obedience. This is quite surprising in a world where Nuremberg trials of 1945–46 established that obedience does not erase responsibility when human rights are at stake. More surprising in a country where Dandi March, a crucial element of Civil Disobedience Movement, was featured on one of its currency notes for decades. And unacceptable in a city where the 1857 rebellion paved way for colonial independence.
The only thing that differentiates humans from angels (alternatively — robots, if you’re an atheist) is free will — the human ability to act according to its own wisdom. Replace free will with obedience and you are left with an army of yes sirs. It overstretches the Marxian vision — “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” to — each according to what he is ordered. As You Like it or not (sic), rather than being choreographers, obedience and conformity have reduced men and women to merely being players in a Shakespearean stage, completely devoid of autonomy.
Obsession is good, but only as long as it is rated 7.8/10 on IMDb.
