The Nation…

A nation does not become great by only increasing its GDP, literaqcy rate, per capita income or decreasing mortality rate. Money has no meaning if it does not flow in the economy. The tinkle of coins is useless if, to save them, one has to give “Center Fresh” as change. Education does not only mean to study as to be able to earn your living. A person holding a PhD in his hands and yet does not want to distinguish between right and wrong is as uneducated as the beggars in our railway stations. You can be a graduate, or for that matter, a post-graduate. But if your views are still like those prevalent in the 15th century then your education is a waste. If your actions are driven only by self interest or the interest of a small group of people overlooking the interests of the nation, then to educate you is to invite disaster.

We talk of rights, we talk of priviledges. We blame each other for not getting a work done. Nobody wants to listen to anybody. All are concerned to make themselves be heard. The nation will not be able to give you anything if you don’t give her her dues with due respect. One earns Rs 10000 aa day but shows it to be only Rs 3000 just to save the burden of tax expecting that the road in front of his shop will be repaired!!!

Leaders want to impose their will upon followers and even upon those who do not follow them, parents want to impose their will upon children without even showing proper reason, children want to do whatever they want without even letting their parents know. Has Democracy and Equality given rise to deceit? Where is the power of reasoning, force of sound arguments, the enlightenment of an open mind which is the mainstay of  the type of rule we chose for ourselves?

I always pray for one thing - that I be given the strength to accept that which I cannot change. I might seem to be a little pessimistic, if you think that to prepare for the worst is pessimism, then well yes I am. But most of us fear to atleast give anything a try, lest we lose it, and if that loss comes even after a hard fought trial, the loss is very hard to swallow. Exposing ourselves to the deepest of our fears will mak the fears vanish and that’s precisely what we want and need. “You see, none of really choose our destiny. A king may move a man, a father may claim a son. But remember that, even if those who move you be kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God you cannot say that I was told by others to do thus, or that virtue was not convenient at the time. This will not suffice.”