Scribblings on the Wall

As a child i remember scribbling on the wall and watch the crooked letters cover the bare wall. I was fascinated by the stray dark lines and strokes that my pencil left on the white base as i moved my pencil on the wall. Those scribbles were not mere scribbles for me, they were my signature, my painting, my creation, my imagination, my art. They were no less important or less valuable than any of the masterstrokes of Picasso or M. F. Husain. To me the wall was a wide canvas and those scribbles an expression of the self.

If we look around our own surroundings we find things scribbled here and there whether it is the back of a bus seat, wall of a public loo, monuments, trees, etc. But these are not the doings of a small child but that of a grown up. At times its hilarious, thought provoking, silly and annoying. Slangs are common and mostly found on loo walls, bus seats and heritage walls. Trees have to bear the pain as passionate lovers carve the names of their beloveds with a lot of art. Campus walls have words etched on it like freedom, andolan, strike and revolution by zealous youths who think that it is only them who can change the world. Most of the universities and colleges have provided the students a space known as the 'wall of democracy' where the students can write whatever they like or stick bills or posters of campaign. It is a way to recognise and also to stop these young adults from dirtying the campus with their mature scribbles.

These insignificant scribbles turn into the writings on the wall when they belie the simplicity or the ordinariness of the words scribbled and enflame the mind of the readers. When it evokes strong sentiments of love, hate, anger, protest and joy resulting into a cry or revolution; it doesn't remain in the realm of childish ignorance but becomes political. So, the scribblings on the wall like garibi hatao, freedom from religion, stop ragging, justice, peace, etc have the potential to turn into the writings on the wall and hence, become slogans of change and awakening.