It’s the 1st of January 2008, another new year. A holiday for many, and those who hadn’t, chose for a holiday. And what do we have here? A person or more aptly said, the common man whiling his first day of the year- resting. But unknown to him this New Year is going to surprise him in a very unusual way.
Its new year morning and while having his morning tea, actively skimming through the newspaper. Having gone through the whole of newspaper, he settles down to read the news from the first page. In the dialogue that ensues, “I” is for the common man himself.
I : (talking to himself) Ah!! These parties are going to start for the 2009 elections from now only or what? Think this party is very confident of giving a crushing defeat to the coalition government at the centre. And these changing governments aren’t doing anything for the welfare of neither the common man nor the country. God only can save this country!
Me : Clarity comes in properly identifying your responsibilities viz towards your family and also society. When qualified and educated people like you shy away from taking the responsibility to act God only can save India.
I : Yes you are right, I ought to have done what I felt was right. But what use now pondering over the lost chance.
Me : (surprised) Lost chance? Here you go again. What about the election days that you used as an opportunity to go for an excursion with your family instead of going to cast your vote?
I : (thinking deeply) Do you think my vote is going to affect the outcome of an election?
Me :You truly characterize the typical Indian. Always giving excuses for your mistakes, blaming others, shying responsibilities. What about the thousands others who take election days as their right for a holiday? Wouldn’t they have made their choice clear by choosing to vote.
I : I didn’t think that there would be many others like me, who are abstaining from voting to enjoy a holiday. People who don’t vote also loose the right to criticize the performance of the elected government.
Me : Ahh! A revelation it is. There are scores of other things that you could have done but instead choose to be a blind spectator.
I : Me, a blind spectator? How can you say that?
Me : You are also very forgetful of your actions. Or is it that you want your actions to be forgetful in nature? Then let me remind you something which you choose to forget. It’s your daily chore to throw your garbage in the site opposite to your lane, isn’t it? Why do you think does the garbage stinks over days and then only its being removed?
I : Because we are having an ineffective councilor as well as an useless MLA.
Me : Hmmm, Useless and ineffective. How about that site not being a garbage collection point. Giving to your laziness you choose not to walk an extra 100m or so to the garbage pit to deposit the wastes and chose a place of your convenience for dumping. And your neighborhood followed suit.
I : Maybe.
Me : And how could you forget yesterday when you and others remained mute spectators to women being harassed by drunken party revelers until the police arrived.
I : What should I have done?
Me : Asking me how you should have reacted? We are called social animals. This means that we have in us some nature of animals too like to care for your own kind, protect them. But we chose to forget that, why? In our quest for a peaceful life? How can one live in peace when your neighborhood is in mayhem?
I : You are right. I chose to forget everything for my own selfish needs.
Me : You have always stopped me from reacting. It’s not my nature to be subdued. I am an Indian. It’s my right to react to injustice, to social evils. The ways of the revolutionaries, of our freedom fighters have always made my heart beat faster. Inspiring me to be a part of new social, scientific and economic revolution. To make my country a developed nation. But you stopped me in my quest that I choose for myself.
I : Maybe I wasn’t ready, maybe I felt it to be a too huge a task for me. Maybe I felt myself to be weak. Not able to differentiate between my responsibilities.
Me : What made you feel that way? Why?
I : Because like others I am also an Indian, an Indian in every sense.
Me : So am I, an Indian.
That is the common man of India, knows everything, feels everything, experiences everything but don’t know how and when to react. Will he wake up or not from this deep slumber. What is he waiting for? For us?
Its new year morning and while having his morning tea, actively skimming through the newspaper. Having gone through the whole of newspaper, he settles down to read the news from the first page. In the dialogue that ensues, “I” is for the common man himself.
I : (talking to himself) Ah!! These parties are going to start for the 2009 elections from now only or what? Think this party is very confident of giving a crushing defeat to the coalition government at the centre. And these changing governments aren’t doing anything for the welfare of neither the common man nor the country. God only can save this country!
“Ha ha ha, well said, well said. God only can save this country!”, (said a voice which seemed to come from behind him).
I : Who is it? Where are you?
Here “Me” would represent the voice unknown to the common man.
Me : I am you and I am in you.
I : What rubbish are you talking? Are you a ghost? (murmuring a chant).
Me : I am indeed you, your conscience. I have always been in you, subdued, unreactive, and unexpressed.
I : Well in that case why are you here now? What do you want?
Me : I was feeling uncomfortable by remaining silent all these years, I wanted to break free. I am free from any wants, but want to make you aware of what you really want.
I : What I want? I have everything that a man can ask for. A home, family, life. What more do I want?
Me : Well in that case why are you moaning over the government not doing anything for the common man and the country.
I : Aren’t our lives going to get effected by the government’s policies? I am a citizen of this country. If I am not the one to be bothered, who should be?
Me : Then what are you going to do so that people can lead a better life, the country can move on the road to development?
I : What am I supposed to do? I am not having any power or position to make decisions for others welfare. What can a common man like me do?
Me : Ha ha ha! In my youth, I never once thought this way. I have always believed that we are the people that possess the power to change anything we like at any position we may be.
I : (surprised) In your youth? Or better to say in mine (regaining composure). I have made myself forget everything I wished for in my yearning for a comfortable and peaceful life.
Me : Yes you have. You have cheated not only the ideals and principles you believed in but your own conscience, Me. You said being a part of the system and changing it from within. Why did you go back on your words?
I : Yes, indeed, still I believe that if something has to be done then the change should be made from within the system, by being part of it. I am from a middle class family, I had my responsibilities. How could I be a part of the political system. Politics is ………
Me : ……. Dirty? Well well well, here goes the classic dialogue of every Indian. Ha ha ha ha! What more can anyone expect from people who has clearly identified their responsibilities but lack clarity in identification.
I : What do you mean that I lack the clarity in identifying my responsibilities?
I : Who is it? Where are you?
Here “Me” would represent the voice unknown to the common man.
Me : I am you and I am in you.
I : What rubbish are you talking? Are you a ghost? (murmuring a chant).
Me : I am indeed you, your conscience. I have always been in you, subdued, unreactive, and unexpressed.
I : Well in that case why are you here now? What do you want?
Me : I was feeling uncomfortable by remaining silent all these years, I wanted to break free. I am free from any wants, but want to make you aware of what you really want.
I : What I want? I have everything that a man can ask for. A home, family, life. What more do I want?
Me : Well in that case why are you moaning over the government not doing anything for the common man and the country.
I : Aren’t our lives going to get effected by the government’s policies? I am a citizen of this country. If I am not the one to be bothered, who should be?
Me : Then what are you going to do so that people can lead a better life, the country can move on the road to development?
I : What am I supposed to do? I am not having any power or position to make decisions for others welfare. What can a common man like me do?
Me : Ha ha ha! In my youth, I never once thought this way. I have always believed that we are the people that possess the power to change anything we like at any position we may be.
I : (surprised) In your youth? Or better to say in mine (regaining composure). I have made myself forget everything I wished for in my yearning for a comfortable and peaceful life.
Me : Yes you have. You have cheated not only the ideals and principles you believed in but your own conscience, Me. You said being a part of the system and changing it from within. Why did you go back on your words?
I : Yes, indeed, still I believe that if something has to be done then the change should be made from within the system, by being part of it. I am from a middle class family, I had my responsibilities. How could I be a part of the political system. Politics is ………
Me : ……. Dirty? Well well well, here goes the classic dialogue of every Indian. Ha ha ha ha! What more can anyone expect from people who has clearly identified their responsibilities but lack clarity in identification.
I : What do you mean that I lack the clarity in identifying my responsibilities?
Me : Clarity comes in properly identifying your responsibilities viz towards your family and also society. When qualified and educated people like you shy away from taking the responsibility to act God only can save India.
I : Yes you are right, I ought to have done what I felt was right. But what use now pondering over the lost chance.
Me : (surprised) Lost chance? Here you go again. What about the election days that you used as an opportunity to go for an excursion with your family instead of going to cast your vote?
I : (thinking deeply) Do you think my vote is going to affect the outcome of an election?
Me :
I : I didn’t think that there would be many others like me, who are abstaining from voting to enjoy a holiday. People who don’t vote also loose the right to criticize the performance of the elected government.
Me : Ahh! A revelation it is. There are scores of other things that you could have done but instead choose to be a blind spectator.
I : Me, a blind spectator? How can you say that?
Me : You are also very forgetful of your actions. Or is it that you want your actions to be forgetful in nature? Then let me remind you something which you choose to forget. It’s your daily chore to throw your garbage in the site opposite to your lane, isn’t it? Why do you think does the garbage stinks over days and then only its being removed?
I : Because we are having an ineffective councilor as well as an useless MLA.
Me : Hmmm, Useless and ineffective. How about that site not being a garbage collection point. Giving to your laziness you choose not to walk an extra 100m or so to the garbage pit to deposit the wastes and chose a place of your convenience for dumping. And your neighborhood followed suit.
I : Maybe.
Me : And how could you forget yesterday when you and others remained mute spectators to women being harassed by drunken party revelers until the police arrived.
I : What should I have done?
Me : Asking me how you should have reacted? We are called social animals. This means that we have in us some nature of animals too like to care for your own kind, protect them. But we chose to forget that, why? In our quest for a peaceful life? How can one live in peace when your neighborhood is in mayhem?
I : You are right. I chose to forget everything for my own selfish needs.
Me : You have always stopped me from reacting. It’s not my nature to be subdued. I am an Indian. It’s my right to react to injustice, to social evils. The ways of the revolutionaries, of our freedom fighters have always made my heart beat faster. Inspiring me to be a part of new social, scientific and economic revolution. To make my country a developed nation. But you stopped me in my quest that I choose for myself.
I : Maybe I wasn’t ready, maybe I felt it to be a too huge a task for me. Maybe I felt myself to be weak. Not able to differentiate between my responsibilities.
Me : What made you feel that way? Why?
I : Because like others I am also an Indian, an Indian in every sense.
Me : So am I, an Indian.
That is the common man of India, knows everything, feels everything, experiences everything but don’t know how and when to react. Will he wake up or not from this deep slumber. What is he waiting for? For us?
This entry was posted
on Saturday, February 2, 2008
at Saturday, February 02, 2008
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