Sunday, September 13, 2009

'WE', the people of India

Today is one such day when Her Highness is not around and I feel like putting up a post. But I am not thrilled to do it because it's difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that Bhuji is looking after a friend who has contracted Swine Flu. It's really brave of her, and another friend of hers, to forget their sense of well being and help one of their batchmate. In the end, in the fight against the unknown disease, it's was only these two people who came forward to help and everybody else had excuses galore. 'In prosperity your friends know you, in adversity you know your friends', the words echo in my mind. And sitting hundreds of miles away I can only pray for their health and humbly request the same from you. But still can't help reflecting on the kind of people we are and therefore sharing these thoughts with you :-

Why are our homes and building complexes spick and span but the sidewalks and roads a settlement of trash and filth? How hundreds of us can crowd around an accident but not a single one to help the victims? Why do we need to swear with every breath to make a point? Why are we always a crowd and never a queue? And when we are in one why do we always feel the need to jump the queue? Why are we always in a state of hurry as if life is an infinite-athalon? How did we end up being the second most populous country with ‘SEX’ being such a taboo? Why do we worship women as goddesses but burn them alive when they our wives? Why do we know exactly how others should lead their life and nothing about what we should do with our own? Why do we feel it’s ok to engrave our names on historical monuments, as if the great grand-children will come looking for it? Why are the roads always in a state of being dug-up; looking for a lost civilization are we? Why punctuality never landed on our shores, maybe because time and tide waits for Indians? Why do we become arsonists and plunderers at the end of every peaceful protest? Why we travel ticketless and then complain about the pathetic state of the transport system? Why are there more people coming to see-off friends and relatives at a station or an airport than the number of travelers themselves? Why do we evade taxes by all possible means and then grumble about the sorry state of affairs? Why do we always feel an urge to spit while we are on the road and never so at home? Why do we always jump red lights as if red means to pass and green too? Why is bargaining the synonym of shopping for us? Why do we never smile; saving all of it for afterlife are we? Why do we relieve ourselves at will with no regard for places, people or protocol? Why are we so hooked up on boobs and six-packs? Why do we need loudspeakers to spread the word around and crackers to declare celebration? Why do we try to retrieve our overheard baggage even before the plane has landed? Why some of us have never uttered the word ‘Sorry’ in our whole life? Why do we always prefer cheap over quality and fakes over genuine? Why engineers and doctors are only what our children are expected to become? Why dowry is an excuse for the payment of expenses on a boy’s upbringing and education; do girls get it for free in this country? Why is money next to godliness and they keep switching places? Why do we think foreigners are the horniest creatures roaming on the planet and an easy catch for that matter? Why telling a lie comes naturally to us and giving excuses a habit? Why are we indifferent when we need to react and belligerent when we need to be quiet? Why capital punishment in schools is part of the curriculum? Why politics is not ‘for the masses’ but ‘for the money’ and politicians are ‘not by the people’ but ‘by the powerful’? Why do we need wars to unite us as a country, otherwise there are enough battles to be fought within? Why is there a waiting list for anything that can be listed? Why is life all about a job, a house and two square meals? Why are cricketers paid millions in this country and martyrs and war veterans die in penury? Why maiming a child increases his begging potential by many folds? Why the caste divide renders some people less than human and others turn into kings? Why do we have so many religions but so little faith? Why is there so much emphasis on education but none on learning social sense? Why everything here is done with an ulterior motive and acts of compassion took the last flight to Mars? Why is the birth of a girl child akin to the death of the Mahatma? Why are here more shanties than decent dwelling places? Why do we complain about the incapability of the government but never go to cast our votes? Why are we so worried about after-life when we know not what to do with this one? Why is the best thing the authorities can do it to say “we are doing our best”? Why is getting justice such a long drawn out process that winning and losing doesn’t matter in the end? Why do we get to see elected representatives only during election campaigns and never after until it’s time again? Why does something get built in ten years when the plan was to do it in one-tenth of that? Why life in the villages is so appalling that living in the slums is like Las Vegas? Why religion divides us from the ones who follow a different one, no lesser from the ones who follow the same? Why voyeurism is a means of entertainment and neighbour’s affairs a primetime soap? Why is corruption so rampant that one has to grease a palm, even to gets one’s stitched back? Why is my ego as big as a hot air balloon and the sense of forgiving the size of a pin-head? Why are our driving skills pre-human and the conditions of the road prehistoric? Why are we satisfied with what we achieve and never try to push the bill a little harder? Why does a 'selfless act' makes us to think twice but for a movie or Pizza Hut we are ever ready? Why are we like this: We, the people of India, why?

4 comments:

The quirk said...

Why does a 'selfless act' makes us to think twice but for a movie or Pizza Hut we are ever ready?


Liked those lines coz I was fuming with anger at friends who advised me to be tactful. Would love to see how tactful they are when their loved ones get sick but maybe people who cant empathise throw away their own ppl too.

I did not do anything selfless I did what I thought was right.

These four days taught me who my friends were and what human beings are like.

I think my rachu, sigmu and Kittu are more loyal.....fortunately they dont know tactics. Yes pizza is fun it does not risk ur life .


This world sucks and people like me are useless......

Unknown said...

whenever we do a gud deed y do we expect others to appreciate it ... 'cause we humans are like that deep in d corner of our heart we all r selfish..may not b for money but may b for love, care , etc..we do something to get get something... what u thought was right may not be right in medical terms .. it was quite possible u also would ve got infected ,by Gods grace u immune power was gud enough to save u ...it may not b same for others...dis world sucks i agree but then i remember 1 qoute by mother TERESA ,"IF we were humble,nothing would change us ..neither praise nor discouragement"

Who said...

sonu: I am thinking, after reading your comment, as to whose side you are????...anyways...forget about it...we Indian think a lot too ..grrrrrrr

Unknown said...

That’s a hell loads of questions :D

These are questions which I too have asked myself often. What I have understood is it’s all because of the mindset of ours- “Why should I, if others around me don’t follow/do it?”

I believe we will keep asking this to ourselves until we start having the attitude “Let me do it and be a model to others though I maybe a joke for the majority. Time will change things as time pass by”

I hope these questions will make us act rather than asking ‘why’ :)