I’ve a dream-- To see my country developed, each and every citizen educated,everyone having the basic amenities of life- food, shelter, clothing (and education), no corruption in society, negligible crime rate, a feeling of unity and brotherhood amongst all, peace, an ideal democracy, everybody sincerely engrossed in task of national progress, everyone performing their duties earnestly, and Indians achieving laurels in the international arena. And you would be very pleased to know that it is in our hands.
ROUTINE CONDUCT
I was about to begin with ---“Today,………….”
But I don’t know if it has started to happen “today” or it was like this since always because it hasn’t changed since I’ve held my senses. Though, in my personal circle it has degraded as I have grown older. And yes the fast paced life style does seem to aggravate the gravity of the situation.
What kind of nationalism or national unity we talk about? We people are so hypocrite! We envy each other, our so called neighbours, our colleagues and even friends. Some even envy their relatives. This is the bitter truth. The people harass the vulnerable womenfolk wherever they get opportunity, in buses, in trains, at public places, having no regard of age whatsoever. This is sick.
Why do we have to be protective of our women? Well, this would be like demanding a crime free society first. But it is a pity that we don’t even expect that could ever happen. I believe United States has the best Police Force, but their jails aren’t enough in capacity to accommodate all of the prisoners and they have to leave some of them on parole. The point is-- that is it the Police and fear of the punishment that should check crime?
And similarly about other crimes, if the economic divide between the rich and poor grows like this, crime rate is definitely going to increase. The society would become unsafe for the rich and they will grow more hostile towards the poor and there will be tension in the society than brotherhood. And why am I talking as if it is hypothetical and might happen sometime in the future, when this even happens in the present.
There was this widely debated issue of reservation. The government has been able to successfully implement it fairly without any disadvantage to the general category people. I wish some deserving people are really helped by it.
If we throw some light on smaller daily instances, we would find unnecessary tension and hostility breeding among people, even among women. That shouldn’t be there. Why do some women have superiority complex? They are indifferent to the feelings of the destitute and are cold with their friends as well. I simply laugh at their situation.
When you are traveling abroad if you spot any Indian of whatever religion or caste, you feel glad from inside and tend to mix up with them and share information. They put aside all those fake masks that isolate them from others in their own country. Had they met each other in some mall in New Delhi would they even notice each other? You don’t value what you have in plenty unless you are deprived of it.
Then there are instances of road rage. Can’t we greet a fellow being with a smile and overlook their minor mistakes. And on the other hand can’t those people accept their mistake gracefully, if they’ve committed.
I am not talking about some ideal land. All this is not so hard to implement if we just resolve to behave well.
That best portion of a good man's life; His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. --William Wordsworth
On other instances when people push, quarrel with each other in queues for paying bills or where food is being distributed.
Even kids begging in front of temples fight with each other for alms. It is sad. We have to struggle amongst ourselves to exist. Some in our country have so much extra lying in their bank accounts that they won’t even use in their lifetimes while others won’t get to see enough for their survival throughout their lifetime. So many people starve to death and so many die due to no medical aid.
The point is we should be kind, gentle and civilized at least at places where it isn’t about survival.
Corruption: how is that justified? When a favour is available to you after paying the money why isn’t it available before? Oh! Because it’s illegal. Then why do you need it? Does it help save an innocent life? If someone’s life is at stake I would break a law if I have to because there is a law above the law of the land that I need to follow i.e. the law of humanity. Gandhi ji broke so many unjust laws of the British because he believed that. We all remember the Dandi March and breaking of the Salt Laws. I don’t mean that you get up tomorrow morning and start breaking the laws of the land. Use your brains. And Yes Gandhi Ji had to go to jail many a times.
ARGUMENTS GIVEN BY PEOPLE TO JUSTIFY THEIR BEHAVIOR
The rich tell the poor. Don’t beg. Work for a living. They also tell this sometimes to the small children who approach them. Why don’t they tell them to go to school? I believe only education can transform the country. What if they go to schools? Are the teachers over there teaching with sincerity? Not many. But there is hope. There are good people like my grandmother who taught science in government school/s for 40 years and did her duty with extreme dedication. Her students have got good jobs and they respect her from the bottom of their hearts. Personally I am indebted to her. She is the one because of whom I’ve achieved whatever little I have in my life. She taught me in my building years and I’ve not forgotten a word. That’s not the point though. The point is that one should do his duty honestly.
You got to be rational. Sometimes you just know that the other person’s problem is genuine.”Don’t beg, work for a living”. It is not a computer program that tells you not to help any poor. Nor does it help you escape your moral obligation to help a fellow being in need. If everyone thought like that, people like Mother Teresa would never have been born. If you really want them to work for a living why don’t you help at least 1 of them to be able to stand on his/her feet? You could send one of them to a school. Or get someone a job if u can.
If you inculcate in yourself as a permanent virtue, a fraction of gentleness that you express when you are with your girl friend on your first date, it would help avert a lot of problems.
The feeling of empathy is gone. Or perhaps there is no response to it. Just 15 years back things used to be quite different. People used to have a lot of time for friends, relatives and neighbours. Now, the people are so busy sorting their own lives that they don’t even have time to think about others, our middle class especially. Plus the idiot box and similar stuff has come into their lives. If you conduct a survey, there would be so less no. of people who could say they are happy. Everyone has one problem or the other. Someone’s some close relative is ill; someone has to arrange for dowry for his daughter’s marriage(though it’s banned, but there are a lot of things that are not ethical but are still prevailing in the society) or has financial problems. Some woman’s husband is a drunkard, son isn’t good in studies and is wasting their hard earned money and extorts money from them. Some mothers only son died in an accident. People have all sorts of domestic, health or financial problems. Sometimes they are just helpless in front of the problems. The one in problem seeks for every possible solution. You can see those practically illiterate people fooling other suffering people in the name of rites and black magic or something. It is a pathetic site to watch when a helpless lady of the house is sitting next to a so called “saint” with long tears in her eyes and the “Baba” trying to read her hand and perform rites to solve her problems. But they say faith can move mountains. Even if it just provides temporary solace (psychological effect) to the grief stricken soul, I would consider it useful.
So is it justified that if we have our own problems, we can’t help others? Well, if we can’t help a situation, we should at least avert from further deteriorating it(i repeat,by at least performing our duties honestly). What about the students of good colleges, they could spare a little time?
You join the NSS and only bother to collect the certificate at the end of the year. And what about “Each One, Teach One”! If you don’t have time today, maybe tomorrow when you settle down or after retiring but do teach someone. You owe society a little. We all want to see our country amongst the most powerful in the world.
Students often say that they don't have the right to distribute in charity their parents hard earned money. Well if you have the right to spend it on your girl friend at Dominoes, i guess you have the right to donate it for a good cause as well. And its not just monetarily that you can help someone.
Some argue,"what difference can I(a single person) make ? boondh-boondh se hi saagar banta hai! Gandhi Ji said," main akela hi chala tha , karavan banta gaya." "Be the change you want to see in the world".
I also wish to talk about Nationalism as well. (I' ll do that in my next article).
So what do I conclude out of all this. If we people earnestly resolve to build a strong moral character in ourselves, and stick to its ideals and principles, we can make a difference. Do whatever is within your means to help the mankind, environment, country, and world. Love all fellow beings.
“Do your bit and leave the rest to us”. I read this in a hotel. Catering to their environmental concerns they had put this tag up near the bed. We could put this tag on our beds if we didn’t want our bed sheets to be changed (washed), so that detergents are not drained into the water bodies. Well, I was impressed and btw we did use the tag.
All I can ask you is --- “Do Your Bit and lead by example”.
Labels: society
