[I/O] Its YOUR Fault.
The cool thing today is to blame India. Oh look at our poor unfortunate country - its full of useless politicians. Yeh kabhi change nahi hoga yaar. yeh India hai - iska koi kuch nahi kar sakta.
Traffic police khata hai
Doodh ka booth mein khata hai
Post office mein khate hai
Station master khata hai
It's so easy to give up hope when everything and everyone around does not seem to care at all. When the entire society has become so desensitized to corruption that it has become borderline acceptable. And when all this happens, we go back to the most Indian of traits - Indignation. Heck, even the word sounds like India Nation.
In the midst of all this indignation, lemme remind you that these people have not spontaneously manifested on planet Earth.
Heck, I'm gonna be in your face and say its YOUR damned fault.
I'm pretty sure that there is a 90% chance that you are actively concerned about the state of things here in India. And I'm pretty sure that 99% of you have not done a damned thing about it.
We moan and groan about politicians, but refuse to vote.
We complain and make jokes about the police, but prefer a Rs 100 bribe to a 200 buck fine.
We are indignant that people seem to be getting richer but unhappier, and at the same time encourage our children to become nothing more than walking, talking hard disks to be swallowed up by the IT industry.
We run behind salaries instead of our dreams.
The rot in Indian society starts at home. Parents encouraging children, just as their parents encouraged them, to "beat" the system. To use every trick in the book to get ahead in life and be "comfortable".
It was amazing to even see an ad for an Indian motorcycle that nicknamed the bike "Traffiic cutter" and showed a handsome hunk confidently weaving in and out of traffic while the traffic policeman looks on in awe, instead of throwing the smug hunk in jail!
It is just an indication that we as a society choose more to be a part of the problem instead of the solution. Today I was caught for driving without a helmet (It was stolen an hour before I got caught) and fined 100 bucks. I did not have a single rupee on me and faced the prospect of sparring with Mr Uncompromising, grumpy policeman named T K Puttaswamy. After a while, he took pity on me and told me to go home and bring him the fine. I reached home, picked up my ATM card, withdrew some cash and headed straight back to him.
When I stopped my bike, his eyes grew as big as ping pong balls and he gave me a huge grin. Mr Grumpy grinning? Whats wrong with the world?
"Y Y You came back!" he stammered.
"Yeah, so?"
That big grin flashed again and he told me he never expected to see me again. He then asked about my career and upon finding out what I do, offered to withdraw the fine. I refused - I'm accountable to my conscience as much as I am to the law of the land. He then reluctantly gave me my receipt and waved goodbye, saying "Sir, In hundreds of people, You're the only one I've seen this honest". I did not feel proud of myself - I felt ashamed of my countrymen.
The point is, we underestimate the impact of a single good decision/action. All too often we choose the easy option instead of the right one.
Leaders, officials, and everyone corrupt that society loves to point fingers at are born from that very same society. They are more a reflection of society than an exception of it. That is why the average Norwegian politician is less corrupt than the average Indian one. Its because the average Norwegian society is less corrupt than its Indian counterpart.
Cleaning up India is as easy as cleaning ourselves up.
Jai Gurudev!
Traffic police khata hai
Doodh ka booth mein khata hai
Post office mein khate hai
Station master khata hai
It's so easy to give up hope when everything and everyone around does not seem to care at all. When the entire society has become so desensitized to corruption that it has become borderline acceptable. And when all this happens, we go back to the most Indian of traits - Indignation. Heck, even the word sounds like India Nation.
In the midst of all this indignation, lemme remind you that these people have not spontaneously manifested on planet Earth.
Heck, I'm gonna be in your face and say its YOUR damned fault.
I'm pretty sure that there is a 90% chance that you are actively concerned about the state of things here in India. And I'm pretty sure that 99% of you have not done a damned thing about it.
We moan and groan about politicians, but refuse to vote.
We complain and make jokes about the police, but prefer a Rs 100 bribe to a 200 buck fine.
We are indignant that people seem to be getting richer but unhappier, and at the same time encourage our children to become nothing more than walking, talking hard disks to be swallowed up by the IT industry.
We run behind salaries instead of our dreams.
The rot in Indian society starts at home. Parents encouraging children, just as their parents encouraged them, to "beat" the system. To use every trick in the book to get ahead in life and be "comfortable".
It was amazing to even see an ad for an Indian motorcycle that nicknamed the bike "Traffiic cutter" and showed a handsome hunk confidently weaving in and out of traffic while the traffic policeman looks on in awe, instead of throwing the smug hunk in jail!
It is just an indication that we as a society choose more to be a part of the problem instead of the solution. Today I was caught for driving without a helmet (It was stolen an hour before I got caught) and fined 100 bucks. I did not have a single rupee on me and faced the prospect of sparring with Mr Uncompromising, grumpy policeman named T K Puttaswamy. After a while, he took pity on me and told me to go home and bring him the fine. I reached home, picked up my ATM card, withdrew some cash and headed straight back to him.
When I stopped my bike, his eyes grew as big as ping pong balls and he gave me a huge grin. Mr Grumpy grinning? Whats wrong with the world?
"Y Y You came back!" he stammered.
"Yeah, so?"
That big grin flashed again and he told me he never expected to see me again. He then asked about my career and upon finding out what I do, offered to withdraw the fine. I refused - I'm accountable to my conscience as much as I am to the law of the land. He then reluctantly gave me my receipt and waved goodbye, saying "Sir, In hundreds of people, You're the only one I've seen this honest". I did not feel proud of myself - I felt ashamed of my countrymen.
The point is, we underestimate the impact of a single good decision/action. All too often we choose the easy option instead of the right one.
Leaders, officials, and everyone corrupt that society loves to point fingers at are born from that very same society. They are more a reflection of society than an exception of it. That is why the average Norwegian politician is less corrupt than the average Indian one. Its because the average Norwegian society is less corrupt than its Indian counterpart.
Cleaning up India is as easy as cleaning ourselves up.
Jai Gurudev!
posted by Anir @ 10:12 AM
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