1984. The word was Fear. We had Operation Blue Star, the subsequent assassination of Indira Gandhi, the resulting Sikh Riots and the completely unrelated but equally devastating Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Events which instilled all kinds of fear in our minds. Fear of fanatics using religion as a universal justification. Fear of safety of our lives irrespective of who we are. Fear of being targeted as individuals / communities for ours or others beliefs. Fear of unexpected ‘negligent’ events scarring generations to come.
Half a century ago George Orwell had artistically fantasized that 1984 would be the year when perhaps the worst Fears of all would come true. Where will you run or hide? Big brother is watching. What is it that actually happened? History and facts change everyday. What is right and what is wrong? It is all Doublethink. What do you think? Doesn’t matter there is Newspeak.
Orwellian 1984 is yet to come alive but the Fears that it brought to life are not hard to imagine. And therein lies an interesting thought. Innumerable times in life we are held back by our Fears. But more often than not these Fears are imagined. They reside in our minds and prevent us from doing so many things that we want to do. We hesitate. We procrastinate. We deliberate. Time flies by and our Fears keep growing. Bit by bit they bear us down until we are dragging ourselves through life.
Amidst all these Fears, 1984 was also the year Queen came out with one of my favourite songs. The opening line is enough. We all want to break free. Break free from all our Fears. Most people try. Some succeed. And then there are those who even fear trying because of their fear of failure. The cycle is vicious. And I am caught in it.
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