Getting India Back on Track: An Onus on all of us!

Getting India Back on Track: An Onus on all of us!

Mondays have always been hard to start the week. But listening to this great speech by Narendra Modi actually rejuvenated and re-energized me. 

It reminds me that we were a brave country which stood the mightiest imperialistic power of time and made priceless sacrifices to regain her freedom. Leaders of freedom struggle envisaged a INDIA whose citizens will live a life of dignity, proud and so much confidence that they will stand on the face of world and redefine it with its glorious values. But unfortunately the common bread earner of India couldn't rise above worries of inflation and daily earnings, common youth of India couldn't rise above worries of unemployment and lack of opportunities and what has been most unfortunate and sad is that leaders and politicians of India couldn't rise above caste,religion, region and divisive tactics. When all energy and efforts were spent for survival it was hard for common Indian to think and innovate. It was even harder to carry forward our past proud legacy and create "brand INDIA" on map of world.

But the past has gone and its never too late to start something good and meaningful.If we start now we can leave something emphatic for our generations to be proud of. And we have enough reasons also to start.

I feel more optimistic these days. Not just because of change in positions inside Parliament but because of fact that inspite of being off season for patriotism (as Independence day and Republic day are far!) every alternate day because of some or other reason I get "patriotism" free doses. Whether its tricolour unfurling at Ramlila Maidan or a "Chai-wala" becoming PM it do give me immense patriotism and proud feeling for our country and its unparalleled democracy. It gives me enough of boost to say to myself "ki agar chahe to is desk ka kuch bhi ho sakta hai"

It fills my heart with joy and pride when our leader talk of thinking big, thinking ahead and thinking innovative in "Indian" terms and values. It just gives me immense satisfaction when our leader gives reintroduction and redefinition to our "tri-colour flag". I can so feel aura of "being-Indian" all around !

Human mind is the most beautiful but also most destructive instrument. It always need some fodder to "think upon". Lets feed it with optimism, nationalism and humanism so that pity thinking of despair,defeat , fear and communalism don't undermine it anymore. May this is what a country with "young demographic dividend" wants to give their best.

We might not get immediate solutions to our problems but optimism and confidence will suffice for now to give our best in whatever field we are."Getting India Back on Track" is an onus on all of us and as our PM says "Desh ke liye marr nahi sake to kya ab desh ke liye jina hai ".

?? FOR MY MOTHER..

                ?? FOR MY WIFE..

                                ?? FOR MY DAUGHTER..

It was 23^rd January and I was in Jaipur for that day. It was around 8:00 pm and I was waiting for my bus on bus stand to come back to Pilani. On that day many exams like for Railway police, bank P.O. and HPCL was scheduled so there was a huge rush from evening. Bus stand was so overcrowded and people inside got so wild and inhuman that it was just impossible to stand inside even for 5 minutes. While people were running from one corner to other I noticed two very important phenomenon there:1^st is that just after 3 days India will be celebrating its 62^nd Republic day and is heading to become one among “Super Power”  but still even for a vacancy of 200 seats more than 2 lakh people appear. “Unemployment was and is still a major problem.” 2^nd was this that many take education just to get a good job but very few take it for becoming a good person. Every 2^nd person there was trying to break every rule people or government has ever made. Most of them came for a government post but none of them actually cared for our government. Some were refusing to give fare; some were busy fighting with conductor and drivers while few even damaged lights inside buses.

To get a safe and silent place I sat outside bus stand in one corner on exit stairs as my bus was at 11 pm. Now it was around 9 pm and cold winter breeze was making life around to freeze but what hold my breath and froze my thoughts was much much stronger than that 6 degree cold air.

                                     I saw a person wearing brown pant and multicolored sweater. He was in late 40’s and was searching for a place to sleep. In one corner he found place and started instructing a person nearby how to use only his share of place in night. He had a white bag having 3-4 items inside that. He took out a plastic sheet and spread that on floor. He had just one blanket to cover himself for the whole chilled night. I was feeling pity for him and my eyes were stuck on his every activity. Suddenly he asked me “Aap bhi yeh exam dene aaye ho??” I said no and to get into conversation with him I asked him “Aap kya karte hain??”That person paused for a few moment and slowly whispered “sachi sachi batao??” I nodded and then he replied “mein wahan samne hotel par glasses saaf karta hoon” but suddenly he changed his tone and in a very confident and loud voice he said “but I am a graduate from West Bengal University; I have done B.Sc” He literally spoke in fluent English with a spark of proud in his eyes. I was totally shocked at that moment. I got pinched and become more curious to know more about him. So I asked him then why are you working here and living like this (on bus stand in open). Then he continued his story. 
                               He said “I was a graduate and I even worked in a bank for few years. I shifted to jaipur some 15-20 years back.  My wife was from Hongkong and even I went there and worked for some time. Hearing this I was totally dumbstruck and was speechless, thoughtless…    He continued “My mother used to love me a lot, my wife was very beautiful and I had a very charming daughter. But now all 3 are DEAD and I have no one else left behind…. He paused for a while and said I have no one in this world to look after me; once I used to even owe a home in Jaipur but after their deaths it was just a house of bricks so I sold that and now I have been living here in open from past 10 years…” I was totally blank ,for a moment I felt as if my heart has stopped beating and blood in my arteries has freezed. I was about to cry on his condition but he was constantly carrying a king smile on his face and said me “I earn as much I require for 1 day. Right now I have Rs 10 in my pocket to have a fresh start 2maro morning. Now this is my world and neither have I had tension of 2maro nor fear of death…”

                      My bus was about to depart so before leaving I asked him about his name. He said I am Jagdish and people call me “kaka” here. As I stand he took out a dairy from his pocket and showed me. On the front page his name and address (of WB) was written and he said  “I belong to a nice family…here any night while sleeping I might die but I don’t wanna die as “UNIDENTIFIED” I want to be cremated as Jagdish in my home town….”.

                       Those words just trembled me…At that moment I realized we cry, fight, compete and run behind fame and money for our whole life but remain oblivious of fact that it’s not blood and brain which differentiate us from non-living rather it’s the love , care and warmth of our near ones which make our presence important and life worth living….

Kaka emphasized on one thing – I “had” only 1 life which…..

                I LIVED FOR MY MOTHER

                                I LIVED FOR MY WIFE

                                                I LIVED FOR MY DAUGHTER………

Suman Nala

Bits Pilani