Crowd Behaviour Hit Rock Bottom on Patriots’ Day

RAJ AYEKPAM and the music band THE INNOCENT EYES recently found themselves in the middle of a viral controversy raging on Social Media for doing what they do best: making music and performing live. Before we reach a judgment call about the appropriateness of their taking part in a concert on a symbolic day of paying homage to our patriots who martyred for us, I will dwell on their artistic calibre.
Well, I can vouch for their musical skills because I have seen them up, front and personal. The lead vocalist is a promising singer who will scale greater heights, given his truly gifted vocal range. I am saying this literally because Raj can stretch his vocal cords like they are malleable rubber and sing at very high notes, making it impossible for us even to hum his tunes in our imagination, let alone sing along with him. He has been praised as John Bon Jovi of Manipur by music lovers. As a testament to his talent, he can proudly show you the awards and prizes he won at music competitions in the region. He is the double winner of SHIROK, which is undeniably a remarkable accomplishment. Other musicians of Innocent Eyes equally shine in the mastery of the instruments they command, play and fiddle. They come across as polite, soft-spoken and not given to the glitzy trappings of a typical rock band.
BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS: Was the music band to blame for the unruly crowd behaviour that was caught on camera and shared on social media a zillion times? The short answer is: it’s a big question mark!
From what I have seen and heard, the music band performed at the ill-fated event with decency, and in their choices of songs, they took care to honour the spirit of Patriots’ Day. They presented mostly patriotic and motivational numbers like Chaikhre Ngasi Nungi Laoubukta, Keishumsangda, Arangba Thawanmichak and Lapthokkro (on the audience’s demand). Nothing in their gait, gestures and style suggests showmanship that would undermine the solemnity of the day.
THE OBVIOUS CONDEMNATION, then, should be reserved for the rowdy crowd behaviour that plunged to the nadir of the impulsive and primal sides of human nature. Two viral scenes manifested the worst in us. One video clip revealed some artless and shirtless degenerates doing somersaults in the air. In another snapshot, a girl is seen humping the ground, gyrating provocatively as if that is the best she can do in life. These wild elements defiled the ambience and turned the event from a homage to a horror.
Having said that, the two awful clips were not representative of the more discernible and sensible audience in spite of the presence of the black sheeps. But bad spots on a white canvas stand out, becoming the source of universal public outrage. The situation could have been salvaged if thoughtful crowd control measures had been put in place beforehand.
I CAN’T EMPHASISE ENOUGH that music or any creative work mirrors society and serves as a placeholder for the values that we hold important. The creative class integrates prevailing social mores, adds new artistic ingredients, and brings forth entirely new ideas, products, or trends that shape the future even as the practitioners embody the contemporary cultural zeitgeist. Creators hate the routine, and they seek to improve the world in which they have found themselves. The same principle applies to all works of innovation, whether rocket launch, wealth creation, pottery making, or cooking. Another reason to support them is that unlike the majority of us who merely exist as consumers–reading books written by others, listening to songs composed by someone else, buying stuff shoved to us by media, etc,—the creative artists, writers, intellectuals, businessmen, scientists and their ilk produce something of value to contribute to our enjoyment and contemplation by their provocative works.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, people in these uncertain times feel suffocated and repressed, meandering in the dark to find an acceptable outlet. They need a release valve that is appropriate for the ongoing turmoil. The usual recreational avenues are blocked, and all the faucets of the creative juices remain choked. We need to rethink not just our response but also the means of normalising uncertainty, which may last longer than we hoped for. Look at the war-torn Ukraine, where the culture and entertainment scene is making a comeback and even thriving while the missiles are wheezing past Ukrainians’ whiskers.