India – free but fractured!!!

One of my colleagues had recently returned back to India after a 7 year stint in the US – and as I conversed with him – I found him quite often saying that “it is quite difficult for one to get used to the way of life in India, given that you are so pampered by the organized, methodical and systemized life abroad”

I failed to empathize with him, because I am yet to cross the oceans myself, however – his repeated accusations against my country (it was his too!!) and its way of life created a sense of discomfort and uneasiness in my mind.

I couldn’t debate with him, because I was uneducated, unexposed and did not know a thing or two about his land. I was also subdued in my talks, cause all those accusations made against my country and its paralytic system’s, were in actual correct and true to their existence!!

I am one amongst those many young people who have these momentary propels of patriotism that exist until the feeling is ripe in thoughts and the stimulus vibrates within the mind. Once you get over it, the country man within you dies a hibernating death and waits for further external instigations like a patriotic movie on the cinemas or a conversation with a rebel (such as this one with my friend) to come.

However, I long debated within myself as to what would it take for India to be not always mortified, to be not on short of good comparisons, to be benchmarked, to be sought after and to be a good place to live life in!!

Infrastructure, Sanitation, Hygiene

Pune, my current city of occupation is a new, young, vibrant city, being showcased as the face of the new emerging India – the window to the same, the rail station certainly did not do any good to its reputation!!!

As I waited for my train to Mumbai - the drenched station with pools of stagnated rain water, smeared with algae and mud welcomed me into the platform. Human and animal excreta – feasted over by flies, bees and bacteria smeared the rail tracks and beggars flocked the station semi-naked, scarred, burnt, and begging with mal-functioned bodies. The only reason why I survived the nausea in the air was that I was aghast, shocked, numbed and equally amazed at my fellow citizen’s ignorance and their ability to survive in such insane living conditions.

I did not blame anyone cause I had no rights to do so – people could question my contribution towards the country’s causes as much as I could question them!! However, at least people had the tenacity to survive in ignorance; I seemed to lack that too!!!

People, Poverty, Education and Righteousness

I boarded my train and barely had sat on my seat, when a young boy just slipped a post card into my hand. Young kids have always been my weakness and I immediately fell for his innocent smile. As I read the note, it said that the young boy wanted to continue his higher grade school and he needed money for the same.

I observed that my co-passengers had no sympathy for the boy and hardly seemed to go through any feelings even after reading the well crafted emotional note. I must confess, I fell for it – moreover my conscience shrieked inside to showcase some nobility, towards the people and the poverty of the country!! In an attempt to get rid of my guilt, I called the boy and asked him to recite a poem for me, which he did up to fractions of my satisfaction and I handed him a 10 Rs note!!

He was courteous enough to thank me and the next I knew was that, 10 other similar looking kids came running towards me from no-where carrying similar paper postcards and their depressing stories!!!

I realized that the young boy would have gone and told his team of boys/girls, that there is an emotional fool, sitting in coach B1-10 who shall fall for all our tricks and is a virtual jackpot for today!!

I can understand their state of poverty; however, I also can understand the inclination of their thoughts – negative, ungovernable, untoward, compelled, frustrated and helpless!! They were young at heart and this is the age when one shapes his/her conscience; it already had been programmed by the men who they work for with deceit, guile, and deception.

They would comprise of the masses, the mob, and the people of tomorrow and their thoughts would manufacture the outlook of our country and to me, they did not look very promising!!

Governance

Arguably, every kid’s first insight into imagination and foresight is an answer to the common question asked in school – ‘kiddo, what is your ambition in life’? Most of us in India, influenced by our parent’s talks or occupation give clichéd answers ranging from a doctor to an engineer to a teacher.

Kids abroad want to become a fireman, a senator, a soldier and if any little one says doctor – trust him to have an Indian ancestral connection!!

True to the answer, if my son in the days to come tells me, daddy – I want to become an Indian Politician!! I might as well forbid him for life….The designation is an embarrassment to the philosophy of employment!! The occupation has lost its meaning, the title carries no compunction and the work has no virtues!!

How I wish I was wrong – however, with barbarians sitting in the parliament, hardly carrying any proficient qualifications or intellect in their minds to analyze complex foreign policies, study the cycles of economies, strategize defense warfare and formulate progressive ideologies!!

We have selfish goons ruling the country, who know more about dividing people on secular issues, propagand populist measures and go to the cheapest level of accusing each other of grave crimes (such as bribery, ghotala’s, scandals etc) in the very august house of parliament, the nucleus of the country!!

A few days back, I saw the rulers of the country being accused of buying votes from the opposition members by the members of the parliament to prove their majority over the nuclear deal. I do not know, who was right and who was wrong – However, was ashamed to know that I am under the governance of a bunch of jokers and they wouldn’t realize that by committing such acts for individual materialistic selfishness, they are letting the country to be doomed!!

I Hope….

I only hope that things change in the coming future!!
Country Men, including me develop a sense of obligation towards society, people, and the country at large!! Individualism paves way for societal happiness and development is routed transparently across sectors, cities and classes of society.

I hope in the days to come, Railway Stations and Bus Stands become monuments of the country and people visit them with pleasure!!

I hope kids on the roads maintain their innocence, recite their rhymes to bring smiles and not to earn money in deceit.

I hope my son becomes a successful politician and in turn that makes me feel proud.

I hope my NRI colleague and his tribe ceases to exist……..

I HOPE MY COUNTRY IS NOT DOOMED!!!!