"Vultures – A Mirror of Society’s Moral Decline”

 “Vultures – A Mirror of Society’s Moral Decline”

For the past two–three days, after seeing the incidents of rape that have occurred in Maharashtra, I was reminded of the play “Gidhade” by Vijay Tendulkar. Through a family story, he portrayed the crumbling morality and values within society. At that time, this play created a massive storm in Marathi theatre as well as in society. It sparked widespread debate, and with powerful performances by Shreeram Lagoo and others, it became immensely impactful.

Does a human mind really carry such cruelty, lust, and immorality? Can the entire human society become like this? Or was the play merely portraying extreme negativity? These were the questions that surrounded the play back then. But if Vijay Tendulkar were alive today—what would he have written instead of “Gidhade”? After witnessing a grandfather assaulting his own 9-year-old granddaughter in Pune, one wonders what expression could even capture such horror. Today, the condition of our society has sunk to a level that would shame even vultures.

Be it the incident in Nasrapur or the disturbing cases of distorted relationships seen in places like Bengaluru, these are clear signs that the value of good संस्कार (values) is declining. A man being gentle and thoughtful is wrongly perceived as weakness or softness—this is an extremely dangerous mindset. Instead of teaching children values and art, there is an overwhelming focus on birthdays, cars, videos, and mobile phones, which are now considered “status symbols.” What else can such a generation create, if not a jungle-like society?

Rather than blaming only the government, society must also reflect on its own responsibilities. The presence of such ‘vultures’ and degrading tendencies is tarnishing the image of society as a whole. If not stopped now, even more horrific incidents are inevitable.

Today, what is needed is not just protest, but introspection. We must rebuild values within every household. Children should be taught not only education but humanity. Awareness about gender equality, mutual respect, and personal boundaries must be instilled—this is everyone’s responsibility.

Merely chanting the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not enough; protecting the children of our society is our collective duty. We must set aside our small selfish interests. It is time to sow the seeds of good values in society—otherwise, everyone will turn into wolves, and even young girls will find it impossible to live safely.

This is not just a warning—it is a reality. And the responsibility to change it lies with us.

— Kedar Mukund Kulkarni