CURIOSITY

Some say if necessity is the mother of invention then curiosity is the father of it! But there has been no specification to the level or area of curiosity and if ‘father’ comes first or the ‘mother’. So, many a time, we have been misled and directed our energy in the wrong direction. 99 per cent of the population is curious about almost everything under the sun and beyond it too. Most people can let their work wait and poke their nose anywhere to satisfy their curiosity. They don’t bother to think if they even need to ‘know’ what is happening at that moment.

The field reporters often find such ‘curious’ people on their assignments. Nowadays, people understand a lot about media. They know where there is a camera there is ‘bawal’. So the curiosity and adrenaline level goes up whenever they see reporters and camerapersons. How can one miss the opportunity to ‘be informed’ about a piece of information before anyone can get to watch it on TV or read it on the newspapers next morning?  How can one miss the chance to gossip with his or her friend that he was privy to news as it happened and as the Tvwalas captured it?

Like it happened last Saturday while the media waited outside the Kolkata airport. The ignorance about N Srinivasan doesn’t matter to these ‘curious’ people. It can be cross-checked or verified later. ‘Let me first see it’: is the motto for them. Many asked the waiting gang of media men, “dada who is coming”. If you reply, suppose, “Srinivasan”. Many of them will not know who this Srinivasan is. Still they will nod their head like a wise man and walk off. Some will stand by with the reporters to have a glimpse of the man, as he heard the name, Srinivas! Some will pass wise comments like, “oh that man…whose son-in-law is in jail”. Then they will confront the journo, “…aaarree what is the name of his jamai? Bolun na…” Some journalists ignore such questions. Those who answer will be charged with many more. It will seem as if he was briefing his boss! Many of the passersby will forget their near and dear ones are anxiously waiting at home or elsewhere. They will stand behind the camera, sometimes in front of it for no reason at all. Sometimes the situation will force you to think so many people have no work and the level of unemployment is indeed high.

Among many, a funny incident must be mentioned here. Some reporters and photographers were waiting outside a Kolkata auditorium near Nandan for a meeting of the State Election Commission. A curious passer-by stopped and asked the usual question, “Who is coming dada?”

 No one answered. After he repeated his question with more curiosity, one answered, “Sudipta Sen is coming.”

 The reporter thought this would be easier for him to satisfy the man rather than explaining about SEC meeting. But the man shot another question, “Why is Sudipta Sen coming here? He is in jail!”

To this the reporter replied seriously, “Yes, he is in jail. But he wanted to watch a film. So he is being taken from the jail to Nandan. This is a government cinema house.”

The man got furious and started abusing not the reporter but the government, “How can a government do this? The government’s job should be to see the dues are paid to the investors and it can’t allow a criminal like Sudipta Sen to watch a film!”

Last heard he left the place immediately. What is not known is his reaction when he told this to his friends or family and got to know the truth. Or it may be he hasn’t got a chance to know the truth and will believe this information to be true all his life!

So always remember when necessity is the mother of invention then curiosity becomes the father!