October 2008: 66 dead, 470 injured as 13 blasts rock Assam
October 2008: UP labourer lynched in Mumbai’s local train
September 2008: Six serial blasts occurred in Delhi, killing 15 people and injuring more than 50.
July 2008: Nine explosions in Bangalore create terror killing two persons and injuring twelve.
May 2008: Eight serial blasts rocked Jaipur in a span of 12 minutes leaving 65 people dead and over 150 injured.
October 2008: UP labourer lynched in Mumbai’s local train
September 2008: Six serial blasts occurred in Delhi, killing 15 people and injuring more than 50.
July 2008: Nine explosions in Bangalore create terror killing two persons and injuring twelve.
May 2008: Eight serial blasts rocked Jaipur in a span of 12 minutes leaving 65 people dead and over 150 injured.
Just a few newspaper headlines among the numerous that we read daily. Read daily and then what? Thomas Gray quoted, “Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.”
Then ignore like it never occurred. Ha. And we talk of empowerment!
All this just brings a question to my mind.
Is this what India fought to achieve 61 years ago??
In the words of Faiz Ahmad Faiz:
Then ignore like it never occurred. Ha. And we talk of empowerment!
All this just brings a question to my mind.
Is this what India fought to achieve 61 years ago??
In the words of Faiz Ahmad Faiz:
“Yeh Dagh Dar Ujala Yeh Shabgazeeda Sehar
Wo Intezar Tha Jiska Ye Wo Sehar To Nahi
Yeh Wo Sehar To Nahi Jis Ki Aarzo Lay Kar
Chalay Thay Yaar Kay Mil Jayegi Kaheen Na Kaheen”
But who is to blame for all this? A finger is instantly pointed at everyone, everyone except us. We blame the world, our government, other states, our neighbours, and even the neighbour’s poor dog. Have we ever asked ourselves we have we done? Frankly, how many of today’s youth are registered voters? We would ask, who is there to vote? Then why do we not stand up and take up the responsibility? Then we would say that the system is too rotten to change, that nothing can be done about it. Then who ever said that Rome was built in a day? We have to make a start somewhere? Making a start...what good would it do anyways? Well, if we do not tackle with our problems…who would? The daily blasts. Assam. Delhi. Jaipur. The regional politics. The balkanisation of the country. Today it is one state, tomorrow all others will follow suit and would disintegrate the whole family called India. Why do we not stop listening to such ideas which coincidently crop up right before the elections? Why do we turn blind to such issues believing that these would not affect us? Why do we not do something?
Then we would ask, what can a simple person like us do? Yes, we can not see the change we want in the society instantaneously. But as a citizen of this country, I would like to quote from a person who believed that it is the common man who can bring the desired change in the country,
“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”
That does not mean all of us must leave our daily lives and join the administrative services. If we truly want change, we can start right from the source. Ourselves. And no one can tell us what we would change here. We would have to figure that out if we want India to be what our freedom fighters had dreamt of 61 years ago.
"Wo Intezar Tha Jiska Ye Wo Sehar To Nahi"
I know we can not answer all of these questions arising in out hearts. But if we do not make a start…
aur phir ek sawaal...
