The Sun Shines..
It was the day before the CAT – 15th Nov 2008. The next day I appeared for CAT and when the results came out I was in the office of a renowned US IT Company in India. I was 39 basis points
short of a perfect 100 – which means 99.61. I had three calls including one from the top three. I converted all three and went to the one which was one of the top three. After the two best years of my life as a PGP student on campus, I got the diploma from the Polyester Prince in March this year. It was the moment of my lifetime.
Now, I am happy to work in a bank in one of the posh areas of Kolkata. The IT-guy to a Banker – I wanted this transition. I’m loving it – Does it ring a bell? It’s lunch time.
erlogged street and the plight of the family of six living on the pavement struggling to hold the piece of plastic over the oven. As I ride my bike along the streets of this city I see the suffering of the people living on the pavements. As I accelerate, I leave behind those, who are not so fortunate, but they remain in my mind. Yet we crib about promotions, we feel depressed when we see a colleague getting 200 bps more hike, we feel like cursing our favorite whipping boy – our Fortune when we do not get what we want. Then what would you say looking at the eyes of the girl on the right ? We have no answer.Differentiation at Birth
The biggest differentiation is created at our Birth. Yes GOD creates that even before you know you are being created. We do not know what the basis of this differentiation is. The Theory of Reincarnation is the only explanation. In your past life, you have lived so lavishly without caring for others that God has decided to show you the other side of the world. Or, you may have spent your entire life on the pavement in your past birth - that God has decided to alleviate your pains. If this Zero Sum Game continues over cycles of birth and re-birth, I would like to ask God why the number of people is suffering and number of people wasting money never equates. I really feel hurt when I see a guy in his later teens increases the volume of the car Subwoofer in his Dad’s Merc to impress his skimpily clad girlfriend. ‘Dressed barely’ - By Choice or by chance – is the question. When I turn my head, through the glass of the Studd Helmet – I see the half naked child crying for a piece of bread.
The signal lights turn red and I stop. I see a beggar with one hand begging for money and he touches the new white Mercedes. The power windows go down – and I could see the glitter in the eyes of the beggar. His existential dilemma is triggered by a piece of paper with a picture of M.K. Gandhi. The guy shouts – ‘Why did you touch my car with your dirty hands?’ The signal lights turned green and the Merc zoomed past my bike. The beggar kept standing, probably waiting when the lights will turn green for him? May be when he is born again as the son of a rich man. But before that the electric coils in the pyre has to turn red hot for that to happen. What will you call his life – A wasted life?
In a lounge bar, we do not think even for a split second to order our favorite cocktail. But, 99% of the people shout on the rickshaw puller when he charges Rs. 2 more. Would it make too much of a difference to us paying the rickshaw wallah whatever he asks ? But, we can make a difference to his life. Whenever, you spend a money just think it is all because of the differentiation at birth and not because of who and what you are. We could easily have been on the other side of the road.
Little things make them happy
On my way to the office there’s a stretch where the pavements for around half a kilometer is occupied by families. At 9am, we see the women taking a bath on the road. It is so unfortunate that they do not even have a proper bathroom. A 10x10 feet room for a family of six – a drunken husband beating the wife – the children sleeping hungry – the story is almost same in each of these households. They have occupied half of the road for 4-5 days to build a pandal for organizing a Puja. People in big cars have to wait 5 mins. and they start cursing the people for blocking the road. A puja is being organized for 4-5 days – all the men and women coming together to celebrate in their own way.
The children were roaming around with toys in their hand and playing with each other. There was a festive season all around. Little things made them happy amidst their daily sufferings. Or, have they got used to it? The monsoon added to their sufferings. The waterlogged streets – the garbage van spilling over – and water leaking from the 20 yr old tin of the roof.
The hungry cat which has got fully drenched is waiting for food. They have a small temple of their on the footpath – A little boy comes after taking bath and sits on the road to pray to someone whom he believes in. I am sure he is doing that for the last 4-5 years. But, will God look up to them? The little boy does not cry about Sony Play Stations – he cries for food. Of late, companies are shouting – Fortune lies at thebottom of the pyramid. What fortune are they talking about? A rupee of profit from the pocket of every poor people multiplied by the huge population of poor people would give you very estimates. But, the cash accruals of the HULs and ITCs will go on increasing and the poor will become poorer and poorer. Why the hell do we need to make money out of these poor people?
Every corporate presentation nowadays touches upon Demographic Dividend. Since childhood I am hearing that India will become superpower. We do not need to be a Superpower. We need to look after the weakest in the society. I attended the Air Show in Bangalore and all the major fighter jet manufacturers came. The reason was India will buy 126 fighter jets and the deal is worth INR 52,000 Crores. We are 115 Crore Indians and out of us 65 Crores live on less than a dollar a day. In this kind of scenario, is a INR 52,000 Crore deal justified. The GOI would counter that it has a signaling effect to the rest of the world. For nurturing the demographic dividend, we need to invest in the poor and give them a better life.
Leaving you with a thought
" Smile, an everlasting smile ,
A smile can bring you near to me ........... "
Money is dear to all of us. If you do not want, do not donate. You may argue that it is not a sustainable model. And, I will say that wealth has to percolate to the bottom of the pyramid. But, smile does not cost a penny. When you meet a person who is not so fortunate as you are, just smile and ask him how are you? It can be the rickshaw wallah, the office housekeeping boy – who was forced to discontinue his studies when you were preparing for your board exams. A smile can make a difference. The office boy may have inadvertently kept paper wastes on the floor and forgot to clean it up. The poor chap is having his lunch – You have no right to exercise your authority and order him to leave his lunch and clean up immediately. Please be a bit considerate for the less fortunate ones. Do not forget someone is watching everything and will make it even when HE decides your fate as an embryo next time you are born! When does a little kid ask his mother – ‘Why was I born Mamma’? It’s when he sees that the rice on the plate is too little for his parents, his younger brothers and sisters.
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Disclaimer : The pictures have not been taken by me. I thank the person(s) who has(have) clicked those.
Poverty sells - This is NOT an attempt to sell my blog using poverty. This is what I feel from within. I am thankful to my Professors at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore who had repeatedly told us that we are fortunate to sit in those classrooms and we have a responsibility to help those who are not so fortunate even to have access to basic amenities of life - let alone basic education.
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1 comment:
thats touching dude ..
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