"Is there a Sound
In the forest
When a tree crashes
And there is no one to hear it?"
Profound statement- by an unknown Zen of yesteryears. I have two parallel thoughts running across on this issue..
How does it matter whether there is anyone to hear? There are numerous (in fact Infinite) things, more around in this world, that raises an eye brow. My presence or absence in a particular system, need not necessarily define it. Even without anybody there, those things would keep happening.
The second thought goes something like this:
When you tell this, it is just that “Sound” has been defined by men. The action “Occurs” only, when it is sensed to have happened or is happening, else do we really know what happens in far-off stars? – No without knowing, what has happened there, every opinion about that place would just be a speculation. The same logic applies here too. Only when there is a receiver to record the occurrence of an event, we can tell that the event has occurred. This also follows my earlier thought “All that is sensed need not necessarily be understood, But all that is understood must have been sensed”
Moving on to a different plane, I was reading some excerpts of the forthcoming book of Mr. Arun Maira (Chairman BCG India) – Remaking India- One Country, One Destiny”. Certain wonderful thoughts there, were the answers to some of the questions that I had in my mind. The most intriguing question of them, goes like this: How can you make the net, more truth based? Now with the advent of Internet, Police Departments and increasingly militant and terrorist organizations are using the medium to reach more people and to spread their ideology. Ofcourse I cannot pass a value judgment on this because every one would have a view of their own and all their actions would be justifiable with their logic. With the explosion of Internet, I have an array of sites to choose to source my information. However, not all sites give me completely fair, Objective and impartial or neutral information. This might lead to me getting attracted towards those sites that would suit my prejudices or notions or perceptions. These sources would do nothing to expand my horizon but rather they would narrow me down by reinforcing my thoughts many times. I might get hardened in my beliefs (though not necessarily right).There would form special interest groups and further their own cause. How will I then can claim to have really used the Internet when all that I have done is to narrow down my perspective and in the process lost the use of vast information on the net. This is paradox that has to be answered in India, what with already existing factions all in the name of religion, caste, language creed, economic strata, simply anything under the sun. India though politically has matured as a democracy, socially it is still a feudal system, with caste creed and the above mentioned factors ruling the roost. With this sort of unique situation, it becomes all the more important for us Indians to devise methods by which there would be self-censor or self restriction (Morally as well as a social responsibility). Will that happen and how long would it take?