Rather than focusing on practical and most needed grass-root solutions, we are going higher and higher, each time we are posed with a problem. Certainly this is not the correct approach.
Whilst it is true that the one at the top should be responsible for what his/her subordinates do, it does not mean that the former should be made to bear the brunt for the mistakes committed by the latter.
We as a society are vexed by a faulty system within which we have to work and live. We witness social, economic and political problems everywhere around us. Over the years, we have crossed the state of equilibrium and have been saturated with these ills, so much so that we often tend to give knee-jerk reactions. These overflow with grief, anger and vendetta, which often come as a sudden explosion and at the same time subside in the same rate.
A slow release of these mixed feelings (read pressure), for a prolonged period, may turn out to be meaningful and fruitful. The longer we prolong, the better are we able to device strategies to release the pressure in ways which are sure of making the desired changes. What ensues is a win-win situation. For the ones who react - a slower release allows their stressed mind to come to a state of well being in a phased manner. For the ones who were the causal factor for these ills - it is a better experience, to learn and reform.
Anything which is done at a faster pace than what it is intended to, faces a premature death. More so, it is forgotten by all at the same faster rate with which it unfolded.
Besides the rate of the reaction, equally important are our demands. A sudden inertia does not give us enough time to think and make legitimate demands.
Putting things in perspective, I would like to draw the reader's attention to the recent wide spread demonstrations and a myriad reactions that broke out in the aftermath of the December 16, 2012 Delhi gang rape case and the rape of a 5 year old girl, that happened last week.
As soon as the news of the gang rape case broke, the capital city witnessed some days of intense reaction and people from all sections of the society screamed blue murder. The government reacted to the pressure, initially with force, which was highly regrettable, but later, by appointing a committee to suggest reforms in the prevailing laws related to sexual assault. The committee showed utmost commitment and submitted a comprehensive report to the government, and there ended the saga. The demonstrations, the pointing of fingers, the media debates, the anger amongst the public, all subsided, almost instantaneously. To expect rapes to completely come to an end with this sort of a soap opera was by all means preposterous.
Soon the national capital woke up with the news of the rape of a 5 year old girl. The same outrage, the same reactions, the same blame game, all occupied centre stage. The fact that the victim's parents was bribed to hush up the case and that a lady protester was slapped by a police officer exacerbated the intensity of reactions.
Rather than focusing their energies, and limiting their demands to result oriented ones, people put forth a long list, akin to an election manifesto of a political party, which had more decorated words than content that could be put to practice. Demands by some were that the accused be left in the hands of people (as if no laws existed), others reiterated capital punishment. Some even went to extent of putting forth a demand for the resignation of the Delhi police commissioner.
It is this what happens when our reactions are knee-jerk. Little thought to this will make us understand how we tend to demand the extremes.
Rather than small, but effective demands like community policing, better police training for a people sensitive police force, more interaction between the political class and the people (read voters), need for more people to people interaction and debates, we put forth massive demands.
Instead of trying to clear up the problems at the bottom of the pyramid we go directly to it's summit. For most problems, especially the ones involving the society as a whole, a bottom-up approach is what will work. This is the rule of the game and any attempts to change this will lead to nothing but anarchy.
