The title may sound a little exaggerated now since the Indian PM has been continuously thriving to infuse the sentiment of nation building in all Indians. 2015 is on its way, we are ready to cheer the same, and many of us would have decided the resolution/s we would make for the coming year. What’s yours? -A savings plan or a promise to quit any bad habit. I would not ask anyone to substitute any of the personal advancement plans with a pledge for nation-building, but adding the latter to our list of resolutions is what I seek, India seek. Those 1.25 billion resolutions aimed at a better and prosperous India can change anything, can build a nation we would love to call ours, can deliver a sustainable tomorrow to upcoming generations. We have been complaining for clumsy working of our government departments, lack of education facilities, environmental ruin, but do we realize that we humans are the in-charge and every process involves our participation. Then, it is not the department that is corrupt or non-functional; it is the humans who are parting with their basic duties. There would not have been such a deficiency of education services and other basic amenities in case the rulers had the will to allocate funds to the right category, in case we had condensed our fertility a little.
We all know this; even our children know who study lessons on patriotism and social harmony in schools. With the passage of time, however, we become more of personal-centric and less nation-centric. We look for all available ways, lawful/ unlawful to evade tax liability, we pay bribes, we take it too, we contaminate our public places, we do any and everything that can make our homes a worthy place, but in this race we overlook the harms to the nation. Being happy, rich and self-centered isn’t forbidden under any law, but social and economic responsibility rests on the shoulders of us all, we have to bear it. While scuffling hard at the time of arranging for our daughters’ wedding, we wish that someone would have retaliated in the past the evil of dowry, while arranging for that money to be paid as bribe, we wish the officer was sincere; the problem is that we always realize the wrongs prevalent in our society when we come across difficulties, never when we create them. On the contrary, we applaud our wrongs, cheer when we throw those wrappers on road, make fun of those who obey transport laws, and deter people who tend to bring some positive change. Why then rejoice this New Year when we know that we are about to add some new evils to the society?
Duties of every citizen are enlisted in our constitution. The creators of this democracy expected us to rebuild what was lost during the English and Mughal rule. Yes, we have made some positive changes, we have raised our voices against wrongs, we have been a participant in economy’s growth, and we have enriched the infrastructure base. But in case our endeavors had been comprehensive and dedicated enough, the current India would not have been at the top in terms of female infanticide, corruption, inequality in income distribution, and number of underprivileged households. Stop cursing the rulers because we are the ones to elect them, stop cursing the judiciary because we generate such high number of litigations, and stop cursing others at least because we are ‘others’ to these others. What can a law do when relatives turn murderers and rapists? What is the expectation we hold from a legislator whom we elect on communal lines? Why do we expect a secure society for males and females when we restrict our girl child access to quality education? It is ‘we’ and only we who can recover the society, our economy, our environment; isn’t it simple to comprehend? ‘HAPPY NEW YEAR’ to us who will step into yet another time phase and will create or destroy what we possess today.
Then realization alone will not bring any change. If you promise to give life to all female fetus, if you promise not to throw any waste on roads, if you promise to choose lawful way to get things done, if you promise to elect our representatives based on their worth and not caste/ religion, if you promise to fairly part with a portion of your earnings in favor of government exchequer, in case you promise to permit a girl child equivalent perks as a boy, and if you can promise to retaliate evils with will and courage in the upcoming year, my words will not be the same on 31st December 2015, nor will our concerns be the same on this date. A common man, a politician, a bureaucrat, an IT engineer, a sweeper, opposition party in the Parliament, a student, a teacher have all their crucial roles to play. Let us pledge to be honest towards our duties this coming year, deliver the best that we can in our respective tasks, and let every Indian relish the fruits of democracy, the pleasure of being free and the blessing of being a human. Of course, to change for good, dates are not essential, it is just the inner conscience to realize that we are a part of a society, our works impact the lives of all others, and any good for the society is a good to us. ‘I will CHANGE, will not EXPECT from others’, this has to be the pledge, and let the date, 1st January be the one to inscribe this.
‘Karma’, as advocated by Swami Vivekananda and holy books of all faiths, is the genesis of every development we seek. ‘Faithful Karma’ be our rousing tagline for the year 2016 and let us then also promise to assess our works on the last day of that year. I wish I have nothing alike as is in this writing the next year and wish that the society considers harmony above hate and work above wants. Lastly, execution is the real key to change; let not the promises for 2015 be rolled over. Cheerful and Healthy New Year!!
“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel
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