For a long time, I as a reporter have been in a quandary as to what to write. Should I be writing about India’s glorious triumph in the world cup? Or maybe Anna Hazare’s fast which seems to have brought about a revolution amongst the Indian generation to fight corruption head on? Maybe it should be about Japan’s courageous response to one of world’s greatest catastrophes? But maybe I need not look too far, or too big. Because alas! At the end of the day, these are not the problems that WE are going to be fighting for, as of now. These are issues we can follow from afar, not influence.
India’s triumph in the world cup as elating as it was, was a result of the team’s conscientious efforts and not ours. Fact is that they would have worked equally hard for either a win or a loss. Looking at the way the Indian electronic media seems to work had we lost the cup to Sri Lanka, there would have been numerous news flashes JUST to criticize and not to appreciate. Is that how capricious we are?
Now lets talk about Mr. Anna Hazare, a social activist who’s name I’m sure you hadn’t heard until a few weeks back. How many of us know that Anna Hazare, “started his career as a driver in the Indian Army in 1963. He spent his spare time reading the works of Vivekananda, Gandhi, and Vinoba Bhave; they inspired him to become a social worker and activist. During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, he was the only survivor in a border exchange of fire, while driving a truck.” I will accept I didn’t. But his determination to help India fight the evil of corruption persuaded many to look up this man of extraordinary resolve and exemplary courage. He has brought about a revolution. A new will to fight for what is right. But how long will this last? I’m sure in a few days he too will be forgotten and so will the cause he’s fighting for. Until ofcourse another such man emerges from within US to take a stand for another such cause. Till then we will sit back and watch. Watch as our country suffers the ravages of corruption at the hands of a few politically driven individuals.
Japan showed immense will power and strength after the gigantic tsunami struck. Ever since, the world has been contemplating the great apocalypse. It is a clarion call. Maybe our end is near. But if there is anyone to blame, it is solely us. The human race. And our negligence and disregard for our planet. Japan has put in its best efforts to beat this calamity, just like they did after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And they will emerge better off than before. How many of us have even the resolve to fight our daily problems?
These issues are too major, too vast for us. What we need now is ability to control our own lives. To think for ourselves and to not be driven like cattle. If we know that a person is corrupt, we need to speak up and not wait for another Anna Hazare. Problems are a part of life, we need to learn how to solve them. Its like one of my teacher’s always said, “A problem comes with its solution. Its like this.. If you guess what’s in this basket, I’ll give you half the eggs and if you can guess how many there are, I’ll give you all 20”
The answer lies within the problem itself. What we need is a positive outlook and determination. The world is ours to take. So why not take it?
