Dogs and Poor are Not Allowed

“He is critical, he doesn’t have it….doesn’t have the finances. Either ask him to arrange for it or ask them to take him away. Just give him the pain killer. We cannot allow this.” It is amazing how a middle class Indian is so boisterous when we talk about quality service that is fast becoming the new watchword of the new India. But what we ignore in this subliminal happiness is the fact that we presume that the provision of these services and the quality (forget about the intent behind their provision) breaks through the socio-economic class barrier. The opening sentence is not one trying to compete with that of George Orwell’s 1984’s, instead it is a direct reference to the conversation I heard a lady representative of one of the ‘finest’ hospitals in NCR make on the Bell machine- the telephone. The person being talked about belonged to the labour class and by virtue of his proletarian orientation could not afford the treatment a bourgeois would undergo when hanging between life and death. The bottom line is that the quality of service provided is reserved for those ornamenting the upper strata of public life. There is an implicit board hanging in front of these organization, reading “Dogs and Poor are not allowed”.
Lincoln, when he was the most powerful man of the world (not only by his virtue of being the commander in chief of the most powerful nation of the world, but his ethics assimilated into his style of working as well), went to meet the dying soldier of the Civil war at the request of the latter’s brother’s request without even blinking his eye. He never donned on the royal robe of conceitedness but wore the sweat laden shirt of ‘help and care’. Circumstances have changed from it used to be in Lincoln’s time. But have the virtues and vices of what qualifies one as human also suffered a change? The pursuit of human happiness is entirely given to the possession of materialistic pleasures. It may give you an impression that I am being overly negative in my approach in this article and life itself, but it’s better that one sees the half glass empty and tries to fill it to the brim than see half glass full and be complacent, doing nothing about it.
We live in a world where democracy ethically equates the people of various classes till money do them apart. Sounds an ambiguously contradicting statement, eh? Well it’s far simpler than the reality. The new air conditioned in Delhi buses are meant for only a handful of those who can afford and those who can afford still prefer their own cars. They are not meant for the common man or not at least for those who travel in the stuffed blue line buses, risking their lives to serve the family and the nation at large. It costs almost double to enjoy an air conditioned ride. You might point the logic behind that –“Pay higher for upgraded service”, right? But friends, let me ask you a simple question. What is the main motto of any business or undertaking? To earn profits in the most acceptable manner as possible. They say profit is the difference between Revenues earned and costs incurred. So why cannot the government increase the revenues by a nominal increase in the ticket price rather than a 150% hike? Does the mud laden blue collar worker not deserve a luxurious ride to his work place and back to home? The Ministers of Delhi might argue that the new bus service is a luxury coach made for those who could afford comfort. But why not for those who need comfort? For those, they would say you have the green CNG buses with brilliant shock absorbers. Japan’s love for her workers is evident to all and there is no harm in looking westward up to the land of the rising Sun. There remains no logic behind celebrating the 1st of May if we do not respect these Karmyogis. In fact the situation is such that instead of being respectful of these people, we snub them and take their life as a chapter to teach the kids that “if u don’t study, this is what will happen to you”. They do not live life king size, but do we?
The (in)ability to be rational (if logic is a tough route) reminds me of a bus journey that I took to Gurgaon. It was a yellow DTC and I had the chance to (or to be frank my only chance for a seat) sit near the good old conductor sir. The bus happened to cross a place where we could see the skeleton of a mall. I asked the conductor if it was a potential new area to be one of the hubs for a series of malls. The informed conductor with an efficiency of a seasoned lawyer told me the Supreme Court had ordered for its demolition for it violated certain legal norms and was almost (if not entirely) unauthorized. And then, as a passionate Indian, he went on to express his concern over such an extravagant wastage of money, resource and the time. “This is why we can’t catch those western world countries”, he said. “We almost have it in our blood to be a champion in wasting resource and time. Why the authorities in charge couldn’t have prevented such an extravagant wastage when the first brick was laid?” His views were definitely charged with the indignation almost as that of a betrayed taxpayer. The wastage is a prevalent thing also at our homes. Our legs ache to shut off the tube light of the next room or to switch the television set off even when we are not manifesting our instinct of a couch potato. One teacher, while teaching us the essence of respecting time, remarked that one minute wasted in a class of sixty students translates into sixty national minutes wasted. Let us learn to respect time.
The situation is not all that glum though. There have been many good things too. DMRC has been on time or before in completion of almost all the projects undertaken. Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata have been exemplary and have been doing a commendable job of helping the needy for long. When I referred to the hospital when I started this article, even then I was appreciative of the work done by the nurses there. The only question is why cannot the ordinary Indian with the salary of up to ten grand per month avail himself of the best facilities available? He doesn’t even aim at owning a Mercedes, but can’t we, belonging to the taxpayer family, through one of our mechanisms also known as the government, provide public utilities that are in position to rival the efficacy of the services provided by the high cost providers? Last known we were a mixed economy, then why have we forgotten the virtues of a socialist wing in the wild pursuit of capitalist dreams? May be we can’t answer or may be we don’t want to…

INDIA of My Dreams

Homer once said-“I, for one, know of no sweeter sight for a man’s eyes than his own country.” Nothing happens unless first a dream. If you don’t know where to go, any road would take you there. It is a privilege to be born in a India which is going through a phase of transition for the common good of her citizens. We are a great Nation and paraphernalia of different cultures and races. We all should be actively working for the future as young India does realize that we have to spend rest of our lives in the embrace of a future whose shape depends on the tinkers like you and me! Young I call her as two third of the population is below the age of thirty-five. “The future is something that everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour; what he does, whatever he is.” When the great C.S Lewis said these golden words, it was not only in context to individuals, but also Nations. I DREAM, and I dream for INDIA.
India is a firmament under which reside the heads of a billion gemstones. We have inherited from our great ancestors, a Nation rich in cultural heritage and a pioneer of vision for future. Our vision for future has to based on our development and challenges that we face in present and overcame in the past. King Porus was the King of Paurava. He fought the Battle of the Hydaspes River with Alexander in 326 BC. The battle is often considered to be Alexander's hardest fought battle so hard that it caused his army to mutiny against him afterwards. In a famous meeting with Porus - who had suffered many arrow wounds in the battle and had lost his sons, who all chose death in battle rather than surrender - Alexander asked him, "How would you like to be treated?" Porus replied, "As befits a king." Alexander was so impressed by the brave and powerful response of King Porus that he released him back to his Kingdom and gave him the captured land of a neighboring Kingdom whose ruler had fled. There are two lessons to be learnt from this great piece of history. We must respect the courage shown by our great ruler and at the same time must be analytical of the reasons of Porus’s defeat in the battle. History attributes it to the way Indians fought, lacked the team spirit. We must realize that Nation Building is a process that requires entire country’s labour force. Team Work is the mantra. India of my dreams will not be the greatest democracy just by the sheer size of the population but also the greatest by her conducts and initiatives. The fragile flower of Democracy would be cultivated by our politicians whom the country would idolize. Nothing is more rewarding for a democracy than to see a cent percent voter turn out. I see India conducting free and fair elections where every Indian exercises his right of adult suffrage to caste a vote and put the best souls in. Politics would mean INDIA and no biases would find a place on the basis of caste, creed, sex or religion.
Women are the backbone of any society and play a pivotal role in nurturing of a family. There would be an adequate representation of women not just in the Assemblies but in all spheres of life. Mythology has it that Bhagiratha had to toil hard to make Ganga appear on Earth. Indian rivers would be as pure and crystal clear as they were in the ancient times. The polluting vehicles would be replaced by eco- friendly electric cars. The fate of empires depends on the education of youth. India will teach every head. This nation would be haven for those who have a mind to go beyond stars. India would give birth to authors and poets extraordinaire who would challenge the supremacy of the Shakespears and rival the class of the Premchands.Universities on the lines of Nalanda and Taxila would catch eyes from all around the globe. Great discoveries require convergence of minds. When people would talk about the outer world, the name of ISRO would automatically emerge. A tricolour on every planet would be revered by the Indians. We would be pillars in the field of science and technology. But most importantly, in this race to be ahead, India would maintain its values. Our National emblem reads “Satya mev jayate” which means Truth alone Triumphs. Every Indian would work with this motto. There would be peace everywhere. Bharat would shun the jingoistic measures of any country.
Everyone – be he a millionaire or a rickshaw puller - would walk with his head held high. Poverty would not dwell. No one would have to sleep without food and shelter. In the India of my dreams, no kid would have to satisfy his appetite by tasting the thin air, he would but run to the ice-cream parlour to help himself with his favourite flavour. India would be diplomatically supreme and no nation would be intimidated by a peace loving strong India and neither would any Nation be in a position to threaten India’s sovereignty. Clean roads and pathways would reflect how well we incorporate the virtues of family life in National cause. People’s views would be respected. “Corruption” - would be an extinct word and one fine day grandparents would tell tales of a ferocious dragon named Corruption which was hunted and killed by a mob of a billion people. National honour is a national property of highest value. India would worship her freedom fighters. The men in uniform would be seen as celebrities. Efficiency and effectiveness of the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary would be exemplary. Monuments of worship would include the Courts. Media would be authentic source of all productive NEWS, justifying their sobriquet of being the fourth pillar of democracy.
Nature worship is a long followed tradition in the country. Forests would be preserved. India would be a safe haven for various species and the Royal Bengal Tiger would be heard roaring with all its might. There would be ample of sanctuaries and migratory birds would travel miles to reach a land that smells Home to them. India would be a force in world affairs and a voice of more than 1 sixth of world’s denizens. We would have a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council and would utilize our prowess in making this third rock from the sun a safer and more vibrant place to live in. India would be an economic power second to none and the most developed country not just in terms of materialistic infrastructure but also in human capital. India would be on the charts of every tourist who plans to see the world. Cruise liners would showcase India as the hottest tourist destination. Kids would be fascinated to find a Disney Land in the proximity of their houses. India would excel in all fields. Olympics might have originated in Greece, but the major force would be India. The Indian film industry would make world class films catering to the world wide audience. We would revitalize the ancient crafts and people would pay millions to buy a piece of Madhubani paintings. Meritocracy would be the watchword. Primary schools would make the pupils recite shlokas and Gayatri manta would be chanted world wide. Hindi would be a chief language, on summit of its glory. The indefatigable vigour of Indians would make her self sufficient in Power and other resources. We would channalise our resources to meet the requirements of common man. Nuclear energy would fuel the growing need for energy rather than flaming the fire of fury. There never was a good war or bad peace. We would be a nation characterized by the importance we put and value we give to every individual life form. India would be a nation of courageous people and all the virtues would mount on the ladder of chivalry.
I don’t vision an India the might of which would be known by the military prowess or the arsenals that it has. Our India should bring more smiles than mint money. Let smiles be the measure of a country’s progress. I hear an India who wishes to express herself in the immortal words of Robert Frost

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.”