Few days back I was traveling back home from office. Have you ever seen the world with perceiving eyes :) Lets put this way, watch out and feel the abnormal next when u stop at traffic signals, next when you pass through a railway bridge and next when you move through a slummy area. There is a lot to be seen and understood if and only if you want to see it.
Sitting in the car with Ravi (My office and childhood friend), we were having a very casual talk over this. I would like to scribe here the complete situation before explaining what I intend to say. There were beggars who were amputated, there was a lady sitting at the corner feeding her new born, a group of small children begging and some transsexual asking money. Few children were selling flowers and few were selling clothes. I saw around and there were 20-30 cars at the signal, good chunk of people were crossing roads and some were shopping. I want to ask why is that people do not consider this whole situation abnormal, why is that things which are prevalent from years and years normal and accepted to people. Why is that people shut their car windows when a beggar knocks instead why doesn’t they ask themselves why is this guy begging? Why is that you say “Agge Bado” casually and continue normally with your chit-chat. Why don’t you at least show concern of why this situation is prevailing? We demand change by sitting idle and treating abnormal as normal. Lol :) Why do you not treat the indifference as the indifference?
It’s a trauma to see this all, no matter we see these all innumerable times everyday but still this is just accepted. Appearance of this kind of situation is so commonly found that our eyes/mind doesn’t even bother to feel the indifference. I understand that probably most of this situation is manipulated and falsely created to woo money. But have you ever imagined why people are falling to such limits to participate in such deceptive activities. Root cause is not mentality but its just penury. Root cause is not easy money but the only solution to get money.
India has population of 1.2 billion of which 30 lakh children are living on streets. 1.5 crore children are working as bonded laborers, 1 out of every 6th girl child does not lives, 50% of children do not have access to education. Giving this data we say “Children are the future of the nation”, does this make sense? After 60 years of independence 56% of rural villages are yet to have access to electricity. Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Uttranchal, Madhya Pradesh etc are some of the states where significant number (more than 10%) of villages are yet to be electrified. There is lot to be done!!!
As compared to other countries there is a huge financial gap between rich and poor in India. Problem is not about why these things are prevailing; problem is about people who don’t feel this as abnormal. I see thousands of people passing away, everyone deeply indulged in their day to day chores and nobody is feeling this indifference. Why is that nobody takes all this as weird. It’s among us someone is our minister who blatantly treats this as normal. Crux is first to feel this as abnormal and then only few will at least do something to eradicate this. This is not normal, please don’t accept this.
I don’t want to complain any kind of System in this. I intent to jerk our inner system first, start looking at these things as problems, this is not accepted, show ur indifference attitude, and hence do something. If we think we can, then we should go beyond our limits. Join certain movements (Pratham, Asha, SmileIndia etc), we live here and only we can make a change. We can help in N numbers of ways it’s only about scouting the possibilities. I used to help NGO-Pratham in Stamford, US after office hours to create a publicity plan for a social event. If you are a doctor, finance professional, technical guy, lawyer etc any professional please come forward. Jerk yourself!!!
These movements need you all. A help can be of any kind, at least show you are there. If you think you are changing one, India thinks we are changing crores.
Treat indifference as indifference; make a change and hence expect a change.
Labels: crux is why we couldn’t do, Others couldn’t do is later
posted by Rupreet @ 6:09 AM
5 Comments:
Nice observation. We observe, we crib, now we
blog and we move on. That's the reason we have
this. What we sow is what we reap. To
change one needs to start from oneself
and do more than observing and feeling the
pain. The right path is to do. And not necessary
that one has to go to a traffic signal. Emphathy
and care starts from your surroundings.
Clean it and pass it on and then just maybe
you will have enviornment where people do
not turn deaf ears when someone screams.....
Hi Rupreet,
The article is reall eye opener for the people who keep complaining about the poverty issue in India and they get away without doing anything by just blaming the SYSTEM for the same.
It's indeed really true that one has to change own it's own so that the society & in turn the nation will change.
The only million dollar question is when are we going to act in some way to take the first positive step to tackle this issue.
Good begun is half done.
Very much the Truth.
Great one dude…
Good article Rupreet. I didn't know that you blog. Your article was very thought provoking. I fully agree to your point that people beg out of desperation to make ends meet.
We are fortune to have the previlege of good education and a constant source of income to pamper to our greed. As for them they are not sure when and where they will have their next square meal. It's our duty to help them in whatever ways we can and support the NGO's who provide the kids with education and basic neccesities of life so that at least their future will be bright and their young dreams fullfilled.
Our collective efforts can may a difference to these precious life. May the flame of burden for our fellow brethrens burn ever so brightly.
just amazingly written rup..real nice thoughts
Atul
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