Creating a passionate India

Wrote this essay for a competition in my office. And
happened to win the first prize too! Here it is for u.

We live in a democratic country, where we have the freedom to express our thoughts. Our press and media have the right to publicize what they know. Our children go to good schools. Our women walk independently on the roads. We choose our government. Medical care is at our door step. We claim right to information. Future is in our hands- our own and our country’s too.
Yet, why are we constantly complaining of corrupt authorities, bad weather and mediocre standards of living? We are looking up at western countries, aping their culture and yearning for their luxury. With passion, you and I can make our own country like that.
Let’s dig into the attitude of a typical Indian today. We find bribery the easiest way to get things done. It’s boring to queue up on poll day. Some of us spit on the roads and throw trash on the streets. We use train toilets at stations. Worse, we don’t even spare the roads. We buy stuff without bill to reduce a wee bit of tax. A few look down at a woman’s capability. We employ children and underpay them too! Electricity and water is still wasted, as though our children and grandchildren don’t ever need them. We choose to gain five minutes by not shutting down the computer each day. We hesitate to donate blood. We judge people by their looks and language. Some of us ask for extra plastic bags at shops. We still identify us by caste/religion, and practice untouchability in its subtlest form. We would rather donate for a religious cause than a humanitarian one. We spend our fortunes on the global brands, while bargaining for pennies with the local vendors.
We stare with sympathy (or call it morbid curiosity) at the sight of an accident and just move on while the scene gets to the back of our minds. Even after this, we think of helmets as shields that protect us from traffic cops. Our head wears it when the police are around and our bike wears it the rest of the time. We don’t give way for ambulance though we know it has a better reason to hurry than us. We skip traffic signals and ride on the pathways. We drive on the wrong side of roads, risking the need to bribe a cop. We drive for miles all alone, depleting petrol and increasing pollution, while pooling is easier, much economical and reduces traffic jams.
Why this double standard? My answer to this lies in the attitude and values we carry. How many of us will be ‘ok’ with doing a murder, or a physical assault, or even a small theft for that matter? We know by brought up that they are morally wrong (and legally too!). But when it comes to the misdemeanors, which are left unpunished or ignored by law, we carry a diffident outlook- that it’s ‘ok’ to bribe a police or bunk an electoral poll or to skip a traffic signal. A lot of us teach our children that these are wrong. Education too emphasizes the ethics. Yet we fail to implement them ourselves. Children are our best imitators. They follow us and we end up making a whole new generation of what I would call ‘Humans with mediocre values’. We believe it’s ‘ok’ to skip some rules if they would make our lives a little easier. We fail to realize that it’s costing our society and country the growth we could otherwise afford easily. We fail to realize that it only makes life tougher in the long run. We think it is the politicians, who have to change.
Our selfish mind might ask “Why should I be the one to change?” The answer is simple. We are here today because our society was kind enough to let us come so far. If not for Gandhi (and thousands of anonymous Indians who fought for us without recognition), we would not even be a free country today. If not for the people who fought for women’s liberation, our society would only be fifty percent alive. If not for the people who strived against caste discrimination, we would still be living in a dark world. If not for us today, our posterity would live in a doomed and deprived society- devoid of water, fuel and humanity. Isn’t this enough motivation, to be the passionate citizen?
What can we do, as passionate Indians to revive our lives? We can split this in two phases. The simplest and most immediate part is to ‘Refrain ourselves from doing the wrong things and get ourselves to do the right things’. The second and the more satisfying action plan is to do ‘more than just our duty’.
Let’s talk about the first part first- It consists of casting our votes, doing things the bribeless way, not defiling the streets, switching off the unused lights and electronic gadgets. We’ll stop exploiting the weaker sections and be more sensitive to our ecosystem. Let’s be a little more considerate towards our fellow humans and animals. Not very tough, considering what a difference this would make to our country as a whole.
Let’s come to the second part now- the one that excites me the most. The ‘do something more about it’ part. Nothing on earth can be as rewarding as this. All it takes is a little time- the time we would otherwise spend on reality shows, idol worship and idle gossips. This time could potentially make a whole world of difference- when we spend it on teaching a poor kid or creating awareness of global warming. We can spend it in planting a tree or making the life of a physically challenged easier.
The best part about the efforts we put in here is that they are so wonderfully scalable. When you help someone, the positive energy is simply infectious. That someone passes it on to a few more people. And the chain goes on. Chances are that, the goodwill will be returned to you one day, very soon.
Fortunately, all it takes from the passionate Indian is his/ her own willingness. Nothing more at all. Our mind has a strange way of working. It often does not find out what it has been missing until it gets it. That’s why I say, let’s join our hands and do our bit to create our passionate India. Sooner than later, all eyes will be on us. You and I will be the next Mahatma. Lesser known no doubt, but much revered.