Dear Readers,
FC #59 on Inspiration and Motivation inspired and motivated many to write back appreciating the narrative.
S G Murali was inspired by the patriotic fervour that filled the air at the Atari border and he managed to get on to the road and ran up and down like a kid carrying the national flag and screaming Jai Hind! I can relate to that as I too had goosebumps when I witnessed the retreat at Atari. If you have not had a chance to witness it yet, please see this video: Beating Retreat ceremony held at Attari-Wagah border with patriotic fervour. The beating the retreat ceremony on the 75th I-Day was rather subdued due to Covid restrictions.
J J Nereyeth loved the Groucho Marx quote and he says he is Groucho’s big fan. He shared this link which has many other humorous quotes of Groucho, enjoy: Top 25 Quotes by Groucho Marx.
FC #60 marks the Diamond Jubilee edition. But the Diamond Jubilee has a greater significance. It is the commemoration of a very important event concerning a person or an institution. Two of the British Monarchs celebrated the diamond jubilee of their accession to the throne, Queen Victoria in June 1897 and Queen Elizabeth II in February 2012. Interestingly, Blue Sapphire Jubilee was coined to celebrate her 65th year as the Queen. She will celebrate the Platinum Jubilee (70 years) in February 2022!
Interestingly, QE II has played host to 14 US Presidents, from Truman to Joe Biden (she could not play host to Lyndon Johnson). If you are a history buff you may like to click on this link to know more: All the Queen's presidents: From Truman to Biden.
There are other famous persons who celebrated the diamond jubilee of their office — Hiro Hito, the Emperor of Japan, The King Of Thailand and The Aga Khan IV.
✒ Drawing the Line
The other day I heard the embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announcing his resignation after 11 women accused him of sexual harassment. “I have been too familiar with people,” he said. “I hug and kiss people casually, women and men. I have done it all my life.”
“In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone,” he added, “But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
‘Drawing the line’ simply means to put a limit on what you will do or allow to happen when you feel something is not right. Cuomo had assumed that he would not be crossing the line when he kissed and hugged but when it became all too evident that this was inappropriate behaviour, he bemoaned that ‘the lines had been redrawn’. In other words, what was acceptable in the past as a platonic gesture was now improper and amounted to sexual harassment.
There’s an ongoing investigation into the allegations against Cuomo. I am not supporting his ‘lines have been redrawn’ theory in defence of his actions but I am interested in that phrase and what it means in our daily life.
As an Indian exposed to Ramayana early in life, to me, the first such line was drawn by Lakshmana when Sita ordered him to not stand guard for her but to go in search of Rama. Lakshmana gives into Sita’s emotional outburst and before leaving her unguarded, he draws a magical line around the ashram asking Sita to not cross that ‘Lakshman Rekha’.
Indians often use the expression ‘Lakshman Rekha’ effectively to suggest that there are limits to everything and one should not overstep that line of propriety or decency or reasonableness.
Historically, India has been a victim of this ‘drawing of a line’. Cyril Radcliffe was a British Lawyer and a Lord who had very little understanding of India and the political turmoil during partition. He drew a line called the ‘Radcliffe line’, which became the boundary demarcation line between the Indian and Pakistani portions of the Punjab and Bengal provinces of British India.
The demarcation line was published on 17 August 1947 upon the Partition of India. Today its western side still serves as the Indo-Pakistan border and the eastern side serves as the India-Bangladesh border. Many believe that Radcliffe was ill-suited for the job and what he did has perpetuated tension along the line that he drew. If you are keen to know more please click here: Radcliffe Line.
According to ‘Free dictionary’ there are several theories about the origin of this expression ‘drawing the line’: In the early versions of tennis, the court had no fixed size and the players drew lines according to their playing abilities. It also alludes to the 16th-century practice of using a plough to cut a line across a field to indicate a boundary between two plots of land. A third possibility refers to boxing matches in the past, when a line was drawn in the ring that neither boxer could cross.
Human behaviour has its acceptable limits. The line drawn between what is acceptable and what is unacceptable is not a line visible to the naked eye. It is a line that one’s mind’s eye can see. Taking advantage of a situation, manipulating someone to give or do something, overstepping limits of decency and crossing the limits in any given situation — these all fall into the category of ‘crossing the line’, which essentially means ‘the line that the mind’s eye has drawn’.
The problem with people on both sides of the line is that the person who ‘crosses the line’ realises that only when told by the person who drew the line in his own mind and the decision as to when to draw the line is entirely dependent on the targeted person’s forbearance or tolerance.
Does a sense of humour influence the decision when to draw the line or does it exist but not in an easily seen way? Some people resent being laughed at while others laugh at themselves. With the former lot, the line pre-exists and with the latter, the line is like a shifting goal post. The problem is that the person who crosses the line does not like others to cross the line that his mind’s eye has drawn. To laugh at someone is within the line but to be laughed at is crossing the line. How convenient!
One could ‘draw a line’ to indicate the limit up to which one is willing to do something or unwilling to do beyond that something. You could say “I’m willing to come to your place but not if you have ten other people who are not vaccinated twice”. You could also say, “I can take you to the train station but I cannot drop you off at the airport”.
Drawing the line is also an expression of personal patience. You indulge in or humour someone up to a point and no more. You may have witnessed someone flaring up during the course of a seemingly cordial conversation. It typically happens when one unwittingly strikes a raw nerve or discusses a sensitive matter.
Going back to Cuomo’s phrase ‘lines have been redrawn’, I am inclined to believe that over a period of time the lines have been redrawn in many ways. Take for example ‘kissing’. We were all too familiar with that as a feature of foreign films but the Indian Censor Board did not permit that in Indian movies for a very long time. Just when the hero was about to kiss the heroine, they would show two flowers or two butterflies. But now? The lines have been redrawn in both sexual and violent content in all our films. The same goes for PDA. Displaying affection in public has been a recent phenomenon and so is Valentine’s day. The Namaste or touching the feet of elders has been more or less replaced by a handshake or a hug. The pandemic has again redrawn that line of social etiquette by making both practices unhygienic. The world has come full circle.
Today, you can think of any walk of life. Compared to what it was in the pre-seventies, the lines have been redrawn. Families have gone nuclear, men are cooking and some are house-husbands. Seniors are in elder care homes, technology has overwhelmed the human mind, artificial intelligence, machine learning have displaced human labour. It could be for better or worse. Only those affected or benefitted will tell.
A pitiable situation arises when a person who has been ridiculed, chastised, made fun of or laughed at is unable to draw the line to prevent the emotional onslaught. It happens to people who are subjugated by people who are in a position of power and dominance. In such cases, human dignity is violated in every sense. All lines are crossed in cases of domestic violence and workplace harassment. Redrawing those lines and pushing the evil forces back will require a social revolution.
Onam was on 21st August. Onam is one of the most ancient Hindu festivals which marks the homecoming of King Mahabali, a legendary king, who ruled Kerala in ancient times. That period was believed to be the golden age of Kerala. People were happy, free from harm and there was complete harmony and prosperity. This golden age ended when Vamana (an avatar of Lord Vishnu) pushed King Mahabali, deep into the earth. Satisfied by Mahabali's honesty and generosity, the Lord granted him a wish that he can visit his kingdom and dear subjects once a year.
Happy Onam to all. I had carried this greeting in FC #09 as well. Had a delectable Onam Sadhya in Prasad Chandran’s house!
Today is Raksha Bandhan. May the bond of Brother and Sister be stronger than ever.
Dear Readers, this topic’ draw the line’ is quite open-ended and one can go on. I would like you to share your experiences of ‘drawing or redrawing the line’ in any given context.
For now, please draw the line — don’t compromise on social distance and do whatever it takes to keep yourself and your family safe.
I empathise with Andrew Cuomo, the lines were already redrawn when the hem lines went soaring up and the waist lines got accentuated.
Mr. Pras has chosen "Crossing the line" as his choice cup of coffee this week.
Some lines are physical and verifiable ; some are abstract and are in the imagination.
The territorial waters of countries are specified and are protected because of fishing rights. They are not physically marked; neither is it feasible.
For Mariners crossing the International date line is very ceremonial. This line does not pass through any land mass for obvious reasons.
Recently Gauhati High court defined the line "on reaching 80 years of age." The judgement is treatise on English Language. The court decreed that you reach 80 years on completion of 79 years and asked the government to pay 20% additional pension to the complainant on reaching 80 years and not on reaching 80 years of age. The complainant was a retired Chief Justice of the High Court. Supreme court has concurred with the judgement.
I must congratulate Pras in bringing out various angles and explanation for a simple act of crossing the line.