The Me, My gadget, My video generation

On a highway leading to a cold, cold city, a two-wheeler rider was mowed down by a speeding lorry on a hot morning. He pleaded for help, without even realising that his body was torn into two pieces. That he donated his organs even in such a painful situation while he counted minutes for his own death, is history now.

How do we know all these? Because we had most conclusive proof—a video, circulated over internet and on TV channels. The incident happened in Nelamangala highway. Reports say the ambulance reached him in eight minutes, and he was alive for roughly 20 minutes.

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What was running in the minds of those who shot pictures or video? Did they call the cops and ambulance before filming? Or did someone else do it? Was there anything else they could do, to help the injured dying person, while waiting for the ambulance?

New generation smart phones and social media have made content creation and sharing so easy and compelling. But at what cost? Should it be at the risk of seeming insensitive? Or at the cost of caring for the fellow human beings? Some questions will remain unanswered in life, and this is one of them.

Take my eyes…

His body ripped apart into two,
With both the parts still alive,
Every moment life changing its hue,
He screams, ‘help, I want to live!’

Was it a cinema — with all
pale-eyed viewers around
He cannot trust it, was it his,
the blood spilling on the ground…?

Did anyone see the number
Of the monster that mowed him down?
He has no idea, but they are all mum
Their faces bland, with not even a frown

Then the fallen man sees Him –
The man with the funky gadget
There he is, standing, with a good view
of the dying body and spirit

Capturing his moments of fight
And the victory of his fate
All in full HD movie mode,
“But sorry, no helping hand…

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime video thriller
Let me shoot it all, don’t bother
to ask me for help, I can’t call a doctor
Once I finish this, it’ll be an honour
TV channels will play it over and over
Both of us’ll become heroes, brother!”

No light left to look out or within
In the dozen eyes staring at him grim
Rest of the world has moved on,
With the traffic, and the golden time

He decides, it’s time to do the right thing,
While the soul is ready to fly, flapping the wing
He folds his hands hurriedly and screams,
“Take my eyes now, you need it, please!”

*This was penned as a reaction to the news broadcast on television, and not intended to pass judgement on the onlookers.

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Comments:

  1. mysterymaniac1 says:

    Very very very well written….I watched the video too, but within a few seconds i deleted it, it was one – too tragic, and two, it did anger me regarding the opportunistic attitude of people which goes beyond their basic human dignity….
    I feel so low now as well, when I think what would have gone through the dying person’s mind and the one who took the video….Of course, everyone is different, but this is just really poor and gross insensitivity
    Kudos for the article though !!

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