Don’t shy away from the real problem...

I often come across this widely circulated email enunciating India’s glorifying past. Being a proud Indian, it is but obvious for me to swell with pride. But when I brood over the current state of affairs I get butterflies in my stomach. The country which was once accredited with having the world’s first university at Takshila (in modern Bihar) way back in 700 B.C where more than 10000 people from all across the world studied over 60 subjects, is today left with some sub-standard universities (with exception of a handful ones like IITs, IIMs), forcing an exodus of the students abroad. India which was once the richest empire on the earth is today decried by the westerners as poverty stricken and underdeveloped through political corruption. Where did we go wrong. It has been 58 years since independence, but can we really boast of our Moon Mission in 2008, when the newspaper is replete with the stories of farmer apathies and labor unrest. The biggest quandary that India faces today is the vast inequality existing amongst the people. In a country like Sweden this gap is hardly visible. What annoys me the most is the fact that India prides itself in being the largest democracy in the world. Dr. Ambedkar in the drafting committee had clearly envisioned that the primary role of a democratic government is to set up a welfare state with social, economic and political equality. And one does not need to be a rocket scientist to see that the governments have done nothing to bridge this ever widening gap. So, does the problem lie only with the government and the government babus for whom corruption is a life-style. It would be foolhardy for anyone to figure out that as the root of the problem. The govt. and govt. servants have not come from the moon. They are the people from amongst us. The central govt. employees alone count up to over 40 lakhs. Add to it the state govt. employees of the 26 states. Has our political system become such that it no more attracts people with an earnest desire to do something for the masses. So what’s the solution out. Do we accept it as our fate and let the things continue the way it is. Or should we find a way out to satiate our dollar dreams and settle thousands of miles away from the borders our motherland. Things have really changed since the world economy has opened up. Businesses are no more bound by the national boundaries. It does not matter to a global employee as to which country he works in. So, has the feeling of nationalism really become archaic. Well, I beg to differ. This is my country, these are my people... how can I be anywhere else. Okay – India has a long red tape and setting up a business here is no easy task (given the number of licenses one needs to obtain and the bribes that accompany them). The easy way out would be to move out and lead a plush life serving the whites. Now I don’t want to sound a racist here. But alas, if you call yourself a man, you must have the balls to fight the system by being a part of it. I know, that it’s easier said than done – but you won’t be called a man by just freaking out with your girl friend in a mall. Remember, no place in the world is perfect. The worldcomm fiasco did not occur in India. Each place has a problem unique to itself. And instead of choosing another problem why not solve the one you are currently facing. To start with, we need a bottom-up approach to solve the problem. One serious encumbrance to India’s woes is its herd-mentality. We often follow others and do not bother to wake up our own sagacity. Let us solemnly decide to do what we think (after proper deliberation) is right. Let a person become a teacher because he loves teaching and not because of any other reason. Only then will we see teachers in a govt. school attending to classes. In a populous country like ours, where unemployment is a staid problem, the luckier ones (who are financially independent) have to take the responsibility of helping the others. But what really happens is that most of them join the rat race – they get a small car and then they crave for a limousine. Buddha said – ‘desire is the cause of all sufferings’. I don’t say that you lead the life of a hermit. But it’s just that you got to realize that the happiness one derives from helping others is unparalleled. Huh, am I being idealistic. As goes the saying - In the race for perfection there is no finish line. May be I myself should realize soon that the bottom line is – This is an imperfect world. Humans by very nature are selfish. So don’t fret and let the things continue the way they are – its all just “Maya”.