On condition of anonymity

During our school days, handwritten notes were a popular means of communication between students during monitored study periods which required a strict silence and a full focus on the homework for the next day.

- ANJALI MEHTA

Our teachers, who invigilated these periods, seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads, for many such notes being passed around were deftly intercepted by them. The writer of the note was admonished and often given a mild punishment too.

Over time, note senders adapted to the risky terrain by omitting to sign their names. They reasoned that anonymity conferred safety. Contrary to their calculations, the situation worsened. The teachers punished the entire class. They seemed angrier in general, especially about the fact that the notes were unsigned.

The values the teachers held dear made them deeply uncomfortable about any person not taking responsibility for something they expressed. They reckoned that a person should be able to stand by what they stated. Owning your words forced you to consider carefully what you wanted to say and also how you wanted to say it.

The only time anonymity was somewhat appreciated, was when someone hesitated to take the credit for something good. Whether for an elegant poem, an impactful quote or a kind donation. In fact, true philanthropy in those days was supposed to be done discreetly so as not to cause any embarrassment to the beneficiary. Like white lies, 'white anonymity' could thus sometimes be acceptable.

Our teachers of old, would however, be dismayed at the high level of anonymity, accompanied by a lack of transparency that pervades every aspect of our lives today, ranging from everyday social media communications to economics to politics.

In the cyber world, people hide behind false identities, and artificial intelligence bots are programmed to masquerade as humans.