The Arattai - Whatsapp comparison by experts and naysayers in the last few days has been relentless. Whatsapp is a colossus, yet not irreplaceable, but would I jump ship? It is so deeply wired into my neurons that it is almost like asking me to stop breathing and try a newly invented device, only because it is desi and Atmanirbhar. I am a proud Indian/SouthIndian/filter coffee addict and wear my allegiance to all of the above on my sleeve. But, I shall wait.
Whatsapp is the omnipresent forum for watching memes, Good morning GIFs replete with butterflies and waterfalls that one never opens till the number stacks up to 105, discussing nerve-wracking cricket matches on family groups well past midnight, wishing people on birthdays and anniversaries in a chain reaction, wishing friends, relatives and acquaintances on Diwali, Navratri, Christmas with flickering emojis, candles, sparklers and diyas, receiving that heart-stopping message from my maid that she plans to take a vacation for five days, expressing human grief over RIP and Om Shanti messages, receiving the QR code from my local kirana shop for paying the bill, and much more. My whatsapp storage begs for mercy from the weight of all my day-to-day activities, yet I do not complain because it is my lifeline to sanity. Clearing the inbox is for another day.
While Whatsapp is a part of my daily mayhem, Arattai seems like a cheerful companion that can add some zing to my life.. Of course I am rooting for Arattai from the sidelines but I shall embrace it only at the appropriate time. Hence, NO, I am not uninstalling Whatsapp tomorrow.
Kudos to Sridhar Vembu for creating a flutter in the messaging world and generating chatter about the inevitability of Whatsapp, while hinting that there maybe a new kid on the block awaiting his day in the sun. .
Latha Raghuram.