I am talking about being a fighter for independence, for freedom..am I one?
Or am I like the many other fellow country mates..who do nothing other than being at the loudest during most of these conversations or being the most verbal and angry during them.
What exactly am I doing for doing my bit for this "so called second fight to independence"?
Ok, I may not be totally a believer of the methods that Anna Hazare is using to fight off the evil corrupted government and the babus...but in today's scenario if he is standing there and doing something to make things work, or probably provide us a possibility for corruption-free India...then why not? Corruption kills you and me alike, if you are living here in India you are paying more every month, every few weeks for the essential commodoties that you buy everyday.
Cases in point, Medicine. When my dad started taking this tablets for his BP, last November, the cost was some 74. Today, the pack costs 88.
Hike in fares for auto, taxi, bus, and trains.
Petrol. I do not need to say more.
Increase in Service tax and VAT at Restaurants.
Increase in healthcare costs. Thank god for the government rolling back some clauses laid down in the budget, otherwise treatment in AC hospitals would have reached roof.
The usual commodities, like food items and food grains, etc. I cannot comment much on here since I am not too aware about their price a few months back.
My maid keeps on complaining all the time that the cost of Kerosene is killing them. Since they cook food using kerosene, one can wonder their plight must be like. She had cried in front of me when the cost of onions had reached 40/kg. For them, onions is like staple food, and the government could do nothing to help these poor people for a long phase of time.
The number of farmers committing suicide haven't changed much, so am taking that for granted that the cost in harvest crops would not gone down for sure.
When we see the tax payers money go down in corruption, it irks you to the core. It is mine, and yours, hard earned money. Why should someone like Raja or Kalmadi fill their filthy pockets with my money?
The number of potholes in Mumbai has almost made everyone forget how it is to ride on a smooth pothole-free road. Why does this happen? Because the government, take the tax payers money, make huge contracts, and take some money back under the table. This ensures that the contractors use third-grade materials to make the roads, and even fill the pot holes.
You and I have all faced corruption at some stages of our lives. Be it while standing in lines for an admission form or bribing the traffic police at the signal.
So much have our lives been surrounded by corrupt people, that it is almost difficult to imagine how it must be to live in a corruption-free world.
And the icing of the cake is definitely the speech and statements made by the honourable prime minister, wherein he states that for such a fast growing economy not much can be done about corruption, or it is difficult to keep corruption down to zero, or fasting is not a way to have your way - graft a solution. If this Lokpal bill were passed, would there not be a solution. On hindsight, it may be far far away, but yes, we would have taken a step forward. I really wished he did not speak even during the I-day. I remember as a kid I used to long watching the parade on I-day and Republic day, and this time it was so disappointing.
Yes, disappointing, and many such adjectives I can add to the current state of my mind as I read, see, and hear about the ongoing agitations, fights, fast, arrests, and politics.
But what am I actually doing about it? Where are my cents? Here?
I literally mock my USA-based friends when they post comments on FB saying how they hate all this, and something needs to be done. I mock them because a status on FB would not make any difference. Something huge, something bigger and better is required from you, and me, to bring about a change.
Yes, my blood boils when I see how shallow this people are and can get. Yesterday while researching more about the emergency state that was laid in India, I was appalled by the type of politics played and shall be played again.
But what am I doing for it?
Twitter is filled with all the updates about the event. Morchas and large gatherings are happening at several places in Mumbai. People were asked to wear black bands to voice their protest.
Did I do anything of it?
No.
- I had a busy day at work.
- I had plans to meet a homoepath.
- I wanted to reach home on time to see Masterchef.
You see how shallow and meaningless these reasons are. I was too coward and lazy and just a couch bag when it came to go out there and do something.
Agreed, that this does not mean that I do not agree or think parallel like the people of India, but I somewhere feel I did let myself down.
I may be not be a patriot in the true sense. I will not go and yell at Morchas or may be even participate in a candle light vigil. What I see is, if I do, I do not make a much difference to myself. So as to where I would stand in the fight against the bad.
But, I really do not know whether I lack courage to stand and do something. Can the little being really do something? Would participating in a fast and morcha mean that I am a fighter for my rights? Yes, I wanna be the good in the good vs evil. But what exactly do I need to do to be the good. To let the people there know they have my support. Its definitely not a comment saying "I am there with you Annaji"
It is much larger, and may be I can begin at some ground level.
Just a thought, if I were born pre-independence, would I not have joined those freedom fights? The Dandi March, the Quit India movement? Would I be still writing letters back then and voicing my agitation?
Is there really a fighter within me?
