In response to the book- CITY AT ITS LIMITS (authored by Danielle Gandolfo)
Danielle Gandolfo, in his book -The City at its Limits-begins
with the relationship between oxymorons, taboos and transgression. Taboos
invite human curiosity and questioning, leading to, crossing the sacred
precincts to satisfy the inquisitive mind about the consequences of crossing
the prohibition. Taboos invite transgression and transgression allows fresh
taboos.
This symbiotic relationship allows dynamism and change in every society,
its politico-social framework, its cultural hierarchy and the legal order of
things whether its gender, class, caste or ethnic related. Urban ‘informal’
societies tend to do just that- they allow random change, radical and mixed
thinking and hold the promise of liberation from the taboos. The woman’s act of
stripping is seen more like a metaphor for breaking the taboos and prohibition.
It means a dilution of authority when the common man dares to not adhere to
periphery performance and crosses the sacred line.
The protest is an articulation of a long repressed demand, a
questioning of authority and its rules. It’s a symbolic statement of an aging society that is not aging gracefully,
rotting in its core and beseeching for renewal. The vision is of ‘urban renewal’ of an impoverished society that has
outlived the archaic regulations and seeks to welcome change. ‘Change’ of
any authoritarian regime is considered blasphemy initially but such
self-inflicted restrictions of political, social and cultural boundaries abort
creativity and liberal thinking and true growth. The truth of taboos is
that they are not just disciplining but rather restrictive, imprisoning and
debilitating. We enjoy setting taboos that permit social differences in the
name of order and propriety, out casting anything that is improper and socially
incorrect.
Yet social taboos cannot suffocate or smother human curiosity for
change and demands constant destructuring and restructuring that ends in delightful
victory. What might be conceived as ‘fictio’ or ‘something made’ might actually
turn out to be the reality of the future as no thoughts of change can be muted
or muzzled.
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