I am an Indian, and some what proud of it. But then when I see an image [1]like this of a boy eating roti (Indian bread) at a slum in Mumbai that gives an entire new dimension to my proud, and that is of shame. We are so much eagerly waiting for our stocks to go up, we are early waiting for the next big jump, we are eagerly waiting for the next big car, and so on. But then what’s next?
Yes once we are seating on our comfy couches enjoying the warm meal, no one thing about the kid who might have not eaten a proper or adequate meals for days. When we are seating in the comfort of our warmly shelters, watching the lovely wind and rain. Do we even take the time out for imagining that some one may loose his/her house blown away due to the lovely wind? I am sure most of us don’t.
Even by writing this post I cannot get away as I even don’t think what I am asking people to do. Hence through this post I am asking myself who can right posts but maybe not doing enough to help and play the real role in the society. Then why I have to share something that I am telling to myself. Well my answer to that would be this is my blog, I write and I post what I like. Then can’t I post something that I want to tell or maybe realize myself. You can email me if you want to force me to do what I am writing. I really want that.
So what is the society what I used above? Our society is not what friends we move around, what circle we are in, what locality we belong, and so on. But our society is of a human mankind. Sitting today and remember someone, whom you know or I know, I always remember often, want to do something for someone whom I may not know.
Look at the eyes of this kid, and tell me what you see. Well, I see questions. Question like don’t I deserve food, don’t I deserve love, don’t I deserve affection, don’t I deserve life and don’t I deserve more. So can we do anything, or our comfort zone has made us so redundant to do anything for anyone, anymore. Specially for the people whom we don’t know.
No No No, I am not asking for dollars, yens, pounds, rupees, and so on to be donated. I am just asking for the fundamentals of human mankind. Love, affection, care, and may be help.
I have not done all this in the past for someone special whom I love. But then I do care for my society, I do and want to do more for it. I am sure we all are enjoying our Sundays today and may be not in a mood to talk about humanness, mankind, donation, charity or something nearly in the vicinity of it. But then we are the one who can do. God or Allah has not chosen anyone but it has chosen all of us to do something.
So if you can look into the eyes of this child I would love to know what do you see?
[1] Taken from http://select.daylife.com/photo/04oAgLx850b19
2 comments:
wow! powerful post Shiraz! makes me focus on doing my best in everything so i can make a difference!
Shiraz,
a moving and confronting post -just as the image is moving and confronting.
It might sound self indulgent, or cliched, but when I see that child, I see my daughter. She has similar big beautiful eyes. So physically, she reminds me of my child. Bit more than that, I think any parent, especially those with similar aged children, will see at least something of their child in that image.
But the greater challenge is what to do in the face of that?
I think the tradition of "charity", as noble as it is, is merely a band-aid. It maintains the status quo, alleviating some of the worst of human suffering (but only some, and often only the photogenic) - but for whose benefits, those who need the help, or those of us who feel bad about the suffering.
But I'd say we need systemic change. Investment, like micro-financing, and the transfer of skills and expertise which are as much or more a part of privilege than wealth.
I also wonder whether the likes of Tata, with their much more affordable housing might bring about structural change in many indian (and elsewhere) cities?
There's no doubt china has lifted enormous numbers of people out of incredible poverty in the last 50 years. Many many remain there of course, hidden from view, as we see the "economic miracle" of the growth of urban China. The same transformation has taken place in many other parts of the world over the last several centuries, and decades. Afterall, much of western europe was a place of benighted serfdom 200 years ago, and in many cases much more recently. Urban Britain of the middle 19th Century would have seen sites like this child. So it is more than possible for these transformations to occur.
But how? I guess that will play out step by step. And quite possibly unlike in China, from the bottom up. I very much hope so at least.
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