This Monday, a poor but respectable looking Muslim lady came
on grievance at the Block Headquarters of the district. Genteel and with a look that she has seen better days,
she put forth that she has been widowed for some years and had no
means of leading a respectable life with her children. On grounds of absolute
poverty and destitution, she was requesting for some litres of kerosene from
the Public Distribution System. Though
her problems had nothing to do with me, my curiosity was aroused. I asked her a
few details about her family and then I asked her that vital question which was
bothering me throughout her piteous narration. Being a single parent is never
an easy task and no child/children can be reared in modern times on a few
litres of kerosene bequeathed by the Government. Was she employed and if not, why was she not
looking for some avenue of employment to fend for herself and her family? To me,
the very idea that a meagre supply of kerosene would provide for her
subsistence seemed atrocious. Initially,
the lady was taken aback by this volley of questions. She thought it over and
replied that she was semi-literate and therefore, getting a job would be
difficult. I further prodded and found that she had some basic skills in stitching.
I volunteered to find her some
apprenticeship at a local tailoring shop which she flatly refused. Again, offers to liaison her with some NGO
so that they could help her start some stitching business from home were also dismissed. My dogged persistence for over another hour
to find her some way of earning a respectable earning sadly met with failure. I
may be wrong but I conjectured that the lady was not really interested in
helping her own lot. Not for her, the sweat and toil and sincere efforts to
make use of all her talents and provide well for her family. It all boiled down
to bottles of kerosene.
I did feel sad for the lady but even sadder about the fact
that after all that we are talking and claiming to do, self-empowerment in the
little pockets of India doesn't even exist as an idea. It is not fair to
generalize on the basis of one case, but for over a year now, I have been a
witness to scores of able bodied men
and women clamouring for government funds to make a hut, get an umbrella and
most importantly, to get their hands on that alchemist’s stone-BPL card ; which is seen as
the solution to al financial issues. I agree
that there is nothing wrong in demanding what is our right but then, from
another perspective, would not it be so beautiful if the young and the young at
heart people of our country could make use of their hands, feet and those
singularly gifted brains to generate their own incomes and make themselves
self-reliant rather than wasting their time in waiting for government sops. When
we talk of a shining India, maybe we are talking of this kind of scenario only.
What is disturbing is that this scenario
seems too far off. Our people simply do not want to put in their hard work and
efforts in a meaningful manner. In some instances, there is a lack of sincerity,
at many others, a lack of able guidance. They seem to still believe in Karma, cry about their misery and wait
for the other to do something for their cause.and nobody seems to tell them that the only person who can better their cause is they, themselves.I believe, in a lighter vein,
that the stories of Eklavya or Chandragupta Maurya or even Shankaracharya need
to be retold to our children; stories of how brilliant young minds with no pedigree backing them blazed
the trail by virtue of sheer will, dedication and hard work.
As a part of the administrative system of the country, I do
feel concerned about the perpetuation of this ’culture of poverty’. A laptop here
and a few hundred rupees allowance there cannot and have not been able to deal a blow to the endemic poverty
afflicting our country. And the persistence of this culture is the reason for a
number of socio-economic and financial problems bothering us, not to speak of
exponential growth of crime, criminals, anti-socials and the ensuing law
and order issues. we are slowly becoming a nation of squatters and shortcut Romeos. What we require and need to cultivate are men and women who
are replete with confidence and self-belief and who are willing and able to rise
above their miseries by their own undaunted efforts. Not for them the wasting
away of man hours standing in queues begging for some paltry grant. I believe we all will have a reason to smile and cheer when
our folks sweat it out and also enjoy their fruits of hard labour. Till then, gloom prevails.
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