I was just going through my last post when I happened to see the date. Little did I know that the very day when I was penning down my silly little auto tales, the evening of Nov 26 had something so sinister in store for India. Over the past weeks, I have read scores and scores of write ups airing opinions of one and all. I have gone through a mix of emotions from fear to disgust to anger.....there have been nights I havent been able to sleep and when I have, my sleep has been infested with nightmares of terrorist attacks, dust, grime and blood. Everyone around has been expressing shock about how a bunch of people entered our country and held us hostage on our very soil.
We have been blaming politicians, bureaucrats ...everyone we can lay our hands on for the attack- why was there an intelligence failure, why are our politicians not vigilant enough, why are they not accountable...why why why? But you know there is a saying that when you point a finger at someone, four fingers point back at you. Though there is no way that the administration or the system in this country can be excused but neither can we. I have been at fault here and so have thousands of people. We go to cinema halls and crib- "why do they have to frisk us, does my face say that I am a criminal or what". "Why dont they let us water bottles inside...all they want to do is make more money off us?" And tomm when something happens, we are the first to blame...."they should have had better security". When a guard at a mall searches our car with a broken mirror, do we get down and take him to task..do we report to the mall authorities and ask them to pull up their socks.
There is simply no consideration for another person's life or belongings. People on the road are almost out to get each other.....they just need to get ahead ..it doesnt matter if the other person is hurt or his vehicle is damaged. All we think about is us and our time and our comfort. We stand at a billing line in a grocery store....we just dont wish to follow the rules...after all our time is more precious than others. While at work, we try to get the easier way out.....pile work on others....why not spend more time judging others than concentrating on how better we can do. I don't wish to sound holier than thou..after all I am just as much as fault here. But, if each of us went about doing our own work properly...thinking a little less about ME and a little more about US.....if we were more vigilant and more proactive....I just wonder if things will not be different. ...If we could be a little more considerate...a little more efficient in our own space in our own way. If we could participate a lot more in our resident welfare association meetings.....block intitiatives....we can make a difference. Before changing the world...lets change ourselves first.
