As i ponder to write upon a new blog I suddenly fall
short of words, a million ideas that run through my mind seamlessly and some
profound thoughts that eat away my cerebrum as to what i should be writing. In
India if you even travel out side your house you would have plethora of
thoughts that run through your mind and you shall be forced to write about it
even though you fall short of words and you might not get all the answers that
you ultimately want. A well know Chinese proverb proves this - "the knowledge
that you get by travelling a kilometre cannot be derived in by reading 100
pages of a book", that what happened with me recently
Its early morning Friday and I get out of my house
towards a meeting in Chandigarh to be made to the secretary on a recently
completed project. I am nearing the station and I get off my air-conditioned
cab 400 meters away from the station. As Soon as i step out of the cab it’s all
together another world as opposed to the calm and the serene world at my vasant
kunj home. I see crowds of people nearing the station as if an army of millions
are stranded or lost, these people either are travellers, some are shelter
seekers and some others seeking alms. There is total anarchy and chaos, I realise
that there is a distinct world that exists beyond my usual world, although I
have travelled length and breadth across India I guess the realization comes to
me now. I enter the station and I visualise a dozen porters running towards me
to carry a single backpack and to earn a few bucks thinking that I might hand
them over the 5 kg pack, forcing me to think the about the perils of capitalism.
Capitalism has its own cronies although it creates wealth in the society it
also raises the disparities in the society. I move forward towards the platform
where my train is scheduled to arrive and as-usual I realize that I have left
my ticket print out back home (my absent mindedness would not leave me). Ah
than the technology comes handy here, I take out my laptop and there are
curious onlookers who would like to see what am I doing. I check the soft copy
and then allow my laptop to hibernate. Suddenly a lady walks upto me and curiously
enquires, "yeh kya" hai ? (What is this??), I respond its a computer.
She was not able to follow what I said, she asks me again what is this I
respond a computer that stores information. By this time my train arrives I need to rush, stay
alive in this rat race, compete and suddenly my heart is touched forcing me to
write this piece of literature with the millions of thoughts wandering in my
mind.
I see a class of people who have a penchant for luxury
ranging from the Louis Vuitton to the Bvlgari, those who ride the Porsche, the Ferraris
and the Audi’s and the next moment I see a class of people who ask me what a
laptop is? can i carry your bag you can pay me whatever you want? My heart
sinks to into despair, making me about the class that exists in the Indian society.
The idea of this blog comes to me from my conversation
with my friends at the JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University). The discussions
always revolved around the fact the isms of capitalism and communism. Having
spent close to a decade in the corporate world you often have your ideas skewed
towards the capitalistic ideology the social element in your heart somehow
starts fading away and you visualise profit every aspect of your life. Someone
rightly said if you are not thinking about the society before you are thirty, it
means that you don’t have a heart and if you are still thinking about the
society post thirty that means you don’t have a brain.
My train has arrived but the thoughts still pursue and
they wander in the wilderness to seek some right answers.
