I'm quite pleasantly surprised that my last post created a bit of flutter somewhere in the minds of some people. Today I'm trying to think about what exactly is wrong with our ways and what really is the root of the problem.
Firstly, its very imminent for me to tell everyone (including myself) that this word 'Mahaan' sounds appropriate only in boring Doordarshan documentaries laced with chimerical self-praise. My personal belief is that this word describes a state of perfectness and it also has an element of viewpoint. For me, nothing can ever be the best possible thing. So perfectness is just a mirage. Moreover, something that's best in my opinion might be the worst in my roomie's views !!
So the inference :- never use this word in present tense, though it can be used in future tense or in fairytales and ofcourse in our Doordarshan documentaries !!
Now coming to the point, I feel I was a bit unbalanced in my last post. I simply made fun of our funny system and walked away without suggesting ways for making it less funny. Actually the thing is that I'm just a guy who thinks a lot but his thoughts end up making him think what he was thinking. In short, I dont know exactly what can be done to improve the situation, but yes I do have a few suggestions.
For that traffic warden thing, I just ask - 'What the hell is wrong in following the rule ??' Now dont say that a person riding a two-wheeler can't afford to buy a helmet..or jumping signals makes you reach home more than 5 minutes early. More than a crime or an offence, corruption is a habit and we are habitual to it. We see bribe as an income tax that we must pay to run our country. This illusion has to be destroyed. No doubt its a big task but nothing is impossible (except being mahaan !!). Be habitual to wearing the helmet, fastening your seat-belt, following the traffic signals (taught in class II) and believe me : your monthly savings will shoot up !!
For all the other points figuring in my last post, right from the reservation stuff to the brotherhood shown to terrorists to caste-based politics, I have only one possible solution in my mind - 'If you think India must become mahaan, then take up the positions of the morons governing the nation, but without being moron-ised by them.' In short, join politics and civil services and try to change the things without getting changed by the things. Ofcourse not everyone is supposed to become a minister or an IAS officer, but others need to remain aware, vigilant and educated about what's right and what's not. People like me, who have no interest in politics or perhaps have more interest in some other stuff, need to come out and participate in democracy with honest intentions and pro-nation thinking. The election day is not just another holiday, its the day which decides the fate of nation. You don't have right to criticize an ex-prime minister for reservations, you're not justified in criticizing an ex-chief minister for transforming the region once known as the education capital of Asia into the most backward state of country, you're simply being too negligent if you blame a political party for not allowing industries to flourish in two of the coastal states, literally turning them into labour-union-governed, impoverished, lawless regions where every other day is a strike or a 'bandh'.
All these ministers and parties were elected into power by us only and we have no moral right to put the blame on them.
The good part is that we still have time with us (if the doomsday prediction of 2012 is not correct !) - atleast 30 more years. (if the petroleum reserves vanish as predicted and we have no other alternative !) So if we start today, then we may atleast hope to be the world's last hope when the earth comes to an end !! :)
