The individual is able to think, feel, strive and work by himself; but he depends so much upon society - in his physical, intellectual and emotional existence - that it is impossible to think of him, or to understand him, outside the framework of society. It is "society" which provides man with food, clothing and most of the content of thought; his life is made possible through the labor and the accomplishments of the many millions past and present who are all hidden behind the small word "society".
Albert Einstein; Ideas and Opinions, 153-154I loved this quote when I read it the very first time. Yes, I know this quote is for men only and neglects women completely, though I don't think that the author intended to leave anyone out. The quote puts a very true thing in very simple words. Whatever I do, wherever I am, I cannot be defined outside the framework of society I am living in, I cannot live without the society for I am dependent on this society for providing me food, clothes and many many more things (tangible and intangible both). But how often I think about society about people who make this society for me. Apart from my family, some of my friends and my relatives I don't care to think about them. The people whom I think are playing or have played a major role in my life are in the forefront and rest of them in the background. Just like in a movie people playing major roles are the hero, heroine and their supporting actors and rest are in the background. But can the movie go on without these people in the background. Can the hero be the hero he if there is no background? Can the life be what it is now without the background?
Well about myself, I am a PhD student in IIT Kanpur, residing in one of the Hostels on campus. So, I eat in the Hostel Mess, use every or almost every facility provided by the Hostel (canteen, gym sometimes, common room, reading room, washing machine, RO'ed drinking water and so on). Now when I apply the forefront and background thing here, the situation gets interesting.
There are some of my friends, teachers, my family who play the significant roles become the forefront people and rest of the people the background. The interesting thing here is that people who make my food daily, who keep my room and surrounding areas clean, who keep my room's, lab's electrical things running are the background.
For me they are just "bhaiya" some cleaning wale, some mess wale, some security wale, some construction wale. But name of anyone of them is unknown to me. It seems as if for them to come to the forefront something needs to happen to them may be an accident or losing their job for raising their voice/not raising their voice or may be they even need to die, lose their life (not voluntarily, after all who dies voluntarily).
This relation is so unusual, I cannot understand it. Take the example of a mess employee. He calls me "Sir" or "Sir jee" and I call him "bhaiya". For him what am I, who am I? A student, an employer, a customer/user, a human being. And for me who are they? A mess worker, an employee (believe me a mess worker is very much separate than an employee), a service provider, a human being. Each role has its own characteristics (will talk about it in a later post), but can they remain in the background, can it remain hidden (not talked about) and if so, for how long.
