The year 2020, as we’ve seen, is a witness of various tragedies, movements and protests happening around the world. Most of us have heard about the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement that happened in America after the death of George Floyd (unjustified killing by the authorities). But how many of us are actually aware of the killings of Jayaraj and Fenix who were tortured and then killed by the police? Police brutality on Jayraj and Fenix will give you all that you need to know about the case.
The fact that we’re so concerned about the injustices happening in the west that we forgot about our own country shows how selective we are, and this is what is called Selective Activism. The practice of raising our voices only when we find ‘convenient’ and ‘worthy’ for specific social issues only is called Selective Activism.
Not only the general public but also various celebrities supported the BLM Movement and blatantly ignored the case of police brutalities happening in their own country. It’s not only just a political issue but also a point to be noted that we’re so much in the influence of the American culture that we’re on the verge of forgetting our own.
The Underlying Problem
The fact that India’s history has been subjected to casteism, racism, and colorism, it’s imperative to realize the importance of activism and educate ourselves better before we are in a position to educate others. It’s not morally correct if you’re tweeting about George Floyd but being ignorant about the injustices that happened during the CAA and NRC movement. Intentional or unintentional, selective activism is just a way to be ‘socially acceptable’ rather than spreading awareness about a social issue. The Selective Woke-ness harms the spirit of democracy as dissent merely gets recognition in our own country because of the lack of awareness of the injustices happening in our own country.
Explaining Selective Activism – An Example
Selective Activism can also be explained through the notion of Selective Feminism. Feminism, as an ideology, has received a lot of recognition and is a successful movement as well. But is it actually inclusive? Some Feminists try to dismantle patriarchy but forget about the caste system which is the root cause of the patriarchal norms existing for centuries in our country.
While Feminism around the world has helped a lot of women to raise voices and rise to their fullest potential, the benefits still haven’t reached to the poor of lower sections of the women in society. For an upper-class woman, the issue is just gender. But, for Dalit or Transgender women, gender and social status in the society are the factors that lead to discrimination.
Is Privilege an Issue?
We tend to be active for those issues which directly affect us or are the ones that we can relate to. While most women might relate to Feminism and Mental Health, there are chances they do not care as much as about Toxic Masculinity and expectations the society has for boys which hinder their mental health. It may be unintentional but it’s never too late to realize the problem. If we’re the ones being ignorant and unsympathetic, we’re part of the problem too.
You can always use your privilege as a solution to the problem than your privilege being the actual problem. Use it as a means of educating yourself first and then others. While it’s not pragmatically possible to physically voice their opinions, one can always use digital activation as a tool to make a significant change and be useful.
How to Transform Selective Activism into Inclusive Activism?
We already know how harmful it is for any democracy to be selectively active. The real question, however, is how to reduce or curb this selective activism?
The most basic concept to start with is to start making yourself ‘aware’ about literally everything that is happening around. Although it’s not possible to keep a check on everything, one can always try to seek insights from what others have to stay.
The second thing one can do is to ‘compare' the injustices happening in one’s own country and abroad and shape out the differences and similarities in the situation. This way, you can educate yourself as well as the people around you.
The third thing to do is to ‘analyze’ whether the comparison you made has some practical notions or not. Usually, many scholars suggest that the thumb rule for comparison should be to always compare the ‘comparable’ and not the ‘incomparable’.
Conclusion
It is imperative to understand that social injustices have existed and are continuing to exist. Directly changing the system is not in our hands. But, the least we can do is to indirectly be a change-maker and help our fellow companions by educating ourselves and standing for what’s just and take action when something doesn’t seem right.
An article on Delhi Police will help you gather more political insights.
Written By – Kashish Chadha
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