Public opinion
The word ’public’ is very publicly used. But who all is public? And whoever the public may be, do they always have an opinion? One of England’s Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, used to say.’ Let’s sleep in a dog’s den.’ Socrates who was condemned to death by the public opinion of Athens called the public a many-headed beast.
Public opinion is sometimes hypocritical and uses double language. We condemn the caste-system and in ninety-nine per cent cases strictly observe it. We condemn communal riots, every now and then we either indulge in it or when they occur, we mentally take sides. We condemn dowry system and demand dowry. We advocate socialism and indulge in black marketing. Double-dealing by large sections of the public is not an unknown thing.
Public opinion imperceptibly changes in certain circumstances or with the change of environment. The railways, the growth and conditions of city life, hostels and restaurants within a few decades in the present century have very largely done away with many of the structures and rigidities of the caste system. Inter-dining is today a common thing, though not inter-marriage. Akbar failed to stop the Sati system but Lord Canning with the active support of men like Raja Ram Mohan Roy rooted out this evil. And now public opinion would not tolerate this atrocities and inhuman custom. Early marriage was banned legally by the Sharda Act, but it still goes on merrily. Vaccination was not given a favorable reception when first introduced in India; now the hostility to it has all but died. Public opinion in today’s India swears by Hindi as the Rashtra Bhasha. But all its high-placed advocates send their children to English schools.
Public opinion is very often a dormant thing. It has to be aroused by the right kind of leadership. There is no end to human endurance. The public helplessly suffers injustice, misery and privation until a leader arises and gives the call. And then the time should be ripe for a change or for public opinion to make itself fell. The First World War resulted in the fall of many monarchies and several countries becoming free. The Second World War put an end to colonialism and imperialism in many parts of the world. The revolution in Russia and China has divided world public opinion nearly all over the world. In our own country the Indian National Congress has split with each part having public support from different sections of the public. There is such a thing as a world public opinion which for a time remains undecided or half-decided but which goes on gathering momentum and which ultimately asserts itself.
Public opinion is often helpless. Mahatma Gandhi was murdered and so were the two Kennedys and Martin Luther King. There was condemnation world-wide. And yet in India those very communal forces and fanatical religious feeling which caused the death of Mahatma Gandhi are still active. The wicked passion which caused the death of Kennedy brothers and of Martin Luther King in America have not yet died. American public opinion was dead-set against Americans in Vietnam and Cambodia and yet the American Senate voted by thumping majority fabulous sums of money for the prosecution of these wars. Humanity, during period of crisis, becomes a house divided against itself.
We in India are prisoners of indecision. Even in such vital matters as our land policy, price –control, fighting corruption and bribery, education, tackling the unemployment and the over-population problem, we do seem to know our mind, or talk big and do nothing.
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