Gautam John wrote, [on 5/12/2008 10:16 AM]:
Reading the recent stories on the Delhi High Court judgement [1]
vis-a-vis the MF Husain paintings what struck me was that attempts to
change traditions, as it were, judicially or legislatively were
probably doomed to failure; to with caste discrimination.
Is there, then, a better way? Education but that has a long lead
times. Any catalytic methods that come to mind?
[1] http://www.indianexpress.com/story/307248.html
Repeating the response to this I made elsewhere:
The best "catalytic" method of achieving a social change is, in my mind,
to make the desired change cool. That is, to make it fashionable - as a
first step.
One example I can immediately think of is Indian English (Hinglish,
Kanlish, Tamlish et al). All of us used it but I didn't see it enter the
mainstream until MTV India made it cool (the trigger event being the
_Quick Gun Murugun_ spots in the early 90s).
Another, more recent, example is climate change. Decades of
alarm-sounding by academics did not make much headway until various
events conspired to make this a *fashionable* cause.
The above is, of course, oversimplified - but I think making something
cool (to a sufficiently large audience) is a necessary first step.
Udhay
--
((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))
