Thread by @parthpunter

If you haven't, do watch Nero's Guests. A documentary that should be essential viewing for times like these.
It concludes with P Sainath's speech where he shares a piece of ancient history involving Nero, the infamous emperor of Rome.

#Thread

When Rome burnt and Nero could not control the fire, he decided to throw a huge party to deflect attention from the fire. But there was no provision to illuminate the huge garden that was supposed to accommodate the laundry list of invitees. Which is when Nero had an idea.

He summoned convicts from the Roman jail, particularly the ones about to be hanged or imprisoned for life, and burnt them alive in the periphery of the garden. The fire ensured there was no absence of light, and the party went on without any difficulties.

As horrific as it sounds, Sainath makes an important point. "The problem for me is not Nero," he says in the speech. "What did Nero's guests do? Did they speak out against it?"
Atrocities like #hathras happen because we are a country of Nero's Guests.

A Dalit teen is brutally grangraped by upper caste men and killed. The administration in UP conducts her funeral without the family's consent. Her mother, on her worst day, living her worst nightmare, is begging for dignity. But it doesn't matter.

The administration goes on and lights her pyre anyway. They know they will get away with it. Because the state government enjoys the support from the masses. From Nero's Guests, who won't bat an eyelid at the misery inflicted upon the Dalit family.

We should stop pretending like we care. Because we don't. As the select few outrage on social media, our Nero is probably planning his distraction. And be rest assured, it would be smoothly executed. In a day or two, we will move on, until another such pyre is lit.

#Hathras