Unearthing the naked truth.

              “Anna Hazare”- a name on millions of minds, thousands of banners and hundreds of facebook statuses! No wonder, the 74 years old social activist has brought the entire country under his spell. I have been hearing this quote “United we stand, divided we fall” since childhood but I never really got to witness its authenticity. It's fascinating to note that a country like ours which is divided on several grounds- religion, caste, class, gender etc. needs just one reason to prove that quote right. I was totally captivated by what I saw last night; a crowd of over a thousand people marching with banners and candles in their hands in the streets of DU and shouting slogans in a true Gandhian Spirit. But I kept wondering whether their spirit was truly Gandhian. Well, as far as their approach to the protest is concerned, it is. However, apart from following non-violence and the path of truth, Gandhi Ji also used to say, “Practice before you preach.” I wonder how many in that crowd would come out clean if questioned about the same. I can't guess the exact number but what I can guarantee is that there will be a good number of corrupt or as they like to call it, “jugaadu”people in that crowd and hence, thousands in the entire nation.

                  I have come across a number of status updates, tweets, newspaper articles, notes and even chit-chats about all these “bloody” corrupt politicians (that's the adjective that they use). I guess, for many, the term corruption is directly associated with politics and for some, it is is equivalent to politics. But this is not the entire story, my countrymen. Corruption is so deeply rooted in India that attacking politicians only will not help. It has to start from the ground level. Let me give you a situation. A common man goes to buy a train ticket for himself but could not get any due to the unavailability of the same. At that very instant, he is approached by another man to buy the ticket from him paying 200 bucks extra as commission. The common man delighted at the proposal accepts it and returns to his home with a triumphant smile on his face assuming himself to be “jugaadu” instead of “corrupt”. A sort of similar story may have struck you in which you had the experience of being that “happy” common man.( Hats off to you if you don't have any such experience to narrate!)

                    Let us assume that the Lokpal Bill gets passed and a committee is set up to keep a check on corruption. Will India get rid of this menace? And lets face it, what is the guarantee that the members of this commission will work honestly? In a country, where, even a mafia, instead of kicking out, is worshiped if he stands for an election , can a layman who witnesses such evil be courageous enough to speak for the truth against someone who has power in his hands? Believe it or not, lighting candles or earthen lamps or wearing a common color code doesn't really signify a ray of hope (as i was told) to abate this loathsome predicament until we remove the darkness from our own minds by enlightening our thoughts. Now that my countrymen have started this revolt, they cannot stop it with the mere approval of a bill. It has to go on and on till eternity's end.

                    This anti-corruption movement doesn't need your slogans alone. It needs you to absorb and reflect every single word uttered in your slogan in your own lifestyle first. Anna Hazare is gallant enough to initiate the movement at the national level. We should display the audacity to at least customize our way of life in an ethical way. If one Anna Hazare can shake the throne of Corruption, just imagine what millions can achieve! One of the status updates on 15^th August went as follows, “Supporting Anna is the best thing that you can do this I-Day” I strongly feel, “Being Anna is the best thing you can ever do for your country” 

DMRC- No ticket for children/animals below 3 feet.

           The Indian Government had been boasting about its Independence Day security arrangements for last two months. Its measures like deployment of thousands of cops, closing of DMRC parking lots etc. served the security purpose , to a large extent. However, by the evening of 15th August, loopholes did emerge. At Vishwavidyalaya Metro station's Gate-1,  the scanner was missing! As a result, I went inside without getting my handbag checked. Who knows, I could have been a terrorist. The funniest part is that the security guy did suspect me to be one and thus, ran after me till i reached the platform to check my bag.

                  The second glitch was found at the Kashmere Gate Metro station. A monkey, below three feet in height, was strolling at the station. There were cops deployed there too, more than there usually are, but none of those brave men bothered to help the poor soul find its way home. It moved pell-mell for sometime and then finally found its way out, creeping underneath the exit gate. I guess those brave men forgot the havoc that was caused a few months back when a dog entered the very same metro station and was found wandering on the railway track.

                     
                              These ordinarily interesting sights are actually proofs of DMRC's casual attitude towards the security of its passengers. If questioned, I am sure everyone can come up with at least one first hand experience of witnessing such malfunctions in the security system. DMRC says, "No ticket for children below 3 feet". In my book, "No ticket for children/ animals below 3 feet" would be more appropriate.

Life in a Metro- Comfy vs Everything Else.

I was standing in the general coach of Delhi Metro, when a little gesture brought a silent smile on my face. A lady, in her 40s, I suppose, was offered a seat by a teenage girl. The lady moved her hand over the teenager's head and sat down, thanking and blessing her. I wonder why this little incident made me smile. And when I ponder over this grave yet pleasing issue, I realize that it is not actually a very common thing to witness these days. And as I go deeper and deeper into the matter to find out the reason behind this rarity, I end up keeping myself in the place of that teenage girl. And guess what, I have the answer. And it's a nine-lettered word IGNORANCE. Had I been in her place, I would have “ignored” everything- the lady's age, the fact that she looked exhausted, her trouble, our culture, everything except my own comfort. And I wonder what others from my generation- The Gen-XXX would have done. And guess what, i get an answer again, for there were many other young people occupying a seat in that metro but only one acted and the others ignored. In fact these 'other' people are mostly in the age group of 17-30 years who are called nothing but the citizens of Youngistan by Pepsico!

                           There are basically four aspects which need to be looked at while analyzing a problem- the problem itself, its causes, who is to be blamed and its solution. My smart brain has already thrown light on the first two aspects. Now, I need to find someone/something on whom/which I can dump the entire blame and wind up. After all, this is what, generally, most of us do to end any matter. So, who is to blamed for our ignorance? Our parents for they are the ones who are pointed out for every ill action of their child, our teachers for they are supposed to make us humans, our friends for they accept us “the way we are” or politicians who appear nowhere in this issue and would probably be the last ones to be blamed for our ignorance but since I see them getting blamed for everything that goes on in India, I am considering even that option! But I wonder which parent, teacher or friend (or even a politician for that matter) on earth would stop you ,as long as you are certified to be physically fit, young and energetic, from offering your seat to someone who needs it more that you do. So you see, i am helpless. Alas! I cannot blame anyone for my ignorance. And now my smart brain is so frustrated(because there is no one left to be blamed) that it cannot even illuminate the last and the most important aspect. I would need many more smarter brains to successfully finish this analysis. So if you can come up with any solution, don't just spread it but also act; for every single act of yours would give you priceless blessings. Go, grab it!