There are a lot of us, Indians, who love to criticize India. We often talk about how bad the roads are, the corrupt politicians, how is it so difficult to get everything done from getting a ration card to a passport and the list is endless. These criticisms are particularly stronger with people who stay abroad. I was a critic when I was in India and continue to be when I moved to US.
Recently a very close friend couple came over to our place for dinner. It so happens that the husband is an avert critic of India, more so than me. And the wife is more of a placid kind. A debate got heated up and the wife asked her husband what had he done to correct the situation? Husband replied, “What can I do? And why do you all become so defensive when someone criticizes, especially when what I am saying is in fact true?” Wife said, “Well if you can’t do anything, you have no right to criticize. I know I can’t change it so at least I am not criticizing” This let me thinking. Both had a point. After mulling over for a few days I came to the conclusion that both were wrong.
Imagine the critic and the placid witnessing a murder. Later on the critic talks to his friends and tells them how very cruel and nasty the murderer was. He goes on an on about how he hates the murderer. The placid on the other hand accepts that she saw the murder but says nothing more. Who is better off? Aren’t they both in the same boat? Just by not criticizing the murderer do you absolve yourself from the responsibility? And by just being a critic, you are hardly helping the society by getting rid of the murderer. So what does one do given that we are all to be blamed one way or the other since we are educated and aware of the situation in India and still not doing anything about it, critic or placid?
I think the solution is to do something. However before attempting it, the first thing to realize is not expect to change the situation all together. Start with doing something small or little to make a difference in someone’s life, not the society. Here are some ideas:
• How about telling your maid that you will sponsor her child’s education and help her move to a better school?
• How about telling your watchman that you would love to teach his 9 year old son computers at your home every weekend?
• How about going to a nearby zhopad-patti and reading stories every Sunday to small kids?
• If you are in the US and cannot be physically present, how about donating a used computer to someone unrelated to you who is not economically well off?
• If you are a techie from Boston, how about offering to set up a website for an orphanage in Bhopal that cannot afford to hire someone?
• How about sponsoring a slide or a see-saw to a park nearby your parent’s home?
• How about donating new/used story books to a small school?
• How about making a wooden prototype of the solar system with sun and the nine planets and donating it to a public school?
I am sure you all are very smart and will think of ways to improve someone’s life. One may ask as to how will these improve roads or remove corruption? Well in the short run it may not. (I will write a separate blog on how will this improve roads and reduce corruption in the long run) But have these not improved life of a person or bunch of people? Is it not enough to know that at this time one small effort from you can make a change in someone’s life, if not the whole society? If all of us do something small that affects people's life positievely, we are collectively changing the society. Think small!
Caution. You are not doing anything to prove to anybody but to yourself. So do not expect help or appreciation. Some people may rather laugh at your ignorance but do you think these efforts are too difficult to achieve, critic or placid?
