A doomsday scenario

How would the governments of our planet prepare six billion people for the end of the world? They wouldn't.

That’s the tagline of 2012, a film that cashes in on the speculations that the world will be coming to an end in 2012 as per the Mayan calendar’s prediction.
According to the movie, the earth will soon react to the abuses it has been suffering at the hands of the humans. And these reactions surely don’t look pretty as buildings burn, bridges collapse, huge meteors strike the earth and everything is drowned in water. Metrolife speaks to a few youngsters in the City to find out whether they agree with the director of the film.

Sushma, a post graduate student of social work, at Christ University feels that the movie has been blown out of proportion.
 “A movie has to sell itself so there will be a heroic person trying to save his family and the world,” she exclaims.

“Predictions and natural calamities keep happening but I don’t think the end of the world is coming that soon, not as early as 2012 at least,” she sums up.
Apoorva is a student of class 10, who had done a project on the same topic last year. “I had done a research on the Mayan calendar as well, but it seemed quite stupid as they haven’t really supported their theory with anything valid. The only reason behind their prediction is that the calendar ended on December 21, 2012,” she says.

“I do feel at the current rate of global warming, the world will be affected, but 2012 is too close for anything so dramatic to happen.”
But she is waiting to watch the movie. “I like the concept and I want to see what happens in the end.”

Vineet, a client servicing executive also finds the Mayan theory a bit absurd. “Maybe they got tired of making the calendar and thought they would continue later, and died,” he laughs.
“But it is the news channels that really scare you. Every one said same thing in 2000, but had a whale of a time during the New Years and nothing happened.”
He adds, “Maybe a powerful calamity may occur because of us. But the end won’t come so soon.”

But as far as the movie is concerned, Vineet feels that the theme has been done to death. “Even The Day After Tomorrow had the same story. They are just cashing in on 2012. But I may watch the movie for its special effects.”
Namratha, a seventh semester student of RNSIT has heard many people talk about the end of the world.

“I had been to Mangalore recently, and the people there were saying that the coastal areas will sink soon,” she says.
“The astrologers want to make money, and being a student of science, I find the theory quite stupid. But I agree global warming is affecting the world. But if it was truly going to happen, the developed nations would have taken some action at least. After all, nobody wants to die,” she argues.