I was travelling with my friend who was visiting me from the United States; we were at the Trivandrum Railway Station to pick up tickets to go to my home town. The counters where crowded and we settled in a queue waiting for our turn to buy tickets for the train. A couple of people came in and rushed to the counter telling they where late for the train ahead of the queue, no one in the queue reacted, Suddenly I saw my friend walking towards the counter, I was wondering why, before I could react he was dragging both of them back to the queue. I couldn’t stop laughing and then when they tried to go again a few of us reacted asking him to go behind, sitting in the train, we were talking when he told me, this can happen only in India, people can break a queue and walk ahead with the others not complaining, this would not happen in my place, I started arguing with him, that he had mentioned that he was late for the train and we have to be compassionate. Something he told me struck me very hard.
Trains don’t change times every day in India, why couldn’t the gentleman come in time? And why does he take advantage of all the people standing there? He is no handicap for me to let him break the queue. There was a valid point there; It had hit me really hard. I drive to office everyday and we have to cross a toll, and everyday there are people who cut the line and come threaten you to give them way, I am sure everyone would have experienced it, some people fight back and some people don’t, I started fighting back, I would not let anyone break the queue and go ahead of me, and I would try and block him and let other vehicles go. But there are a lot of people I see don’t bother.
Have we started becoming a bunch of people who are completely laid back with the attitude of whatever happens I am not bothered?
We have bad roads? No problem we will live with that
We have price raise? No problem we will live with that
Are we becoming undemanding people who will live with what the public administration provides us with? Strangely it looks so, when the Mumbai blasts came, everyone came out, everyone wanted things to change and then after a few weeks its dead, I am sure we all need to take care of our own conveniences, but giving some time and making an effort to see if something can be done for the good of the country is not going to hurt us.
The governments and the Politicians take advantage of us, why, he knows he will get away with whatever he does, and he knows people here won’t even bother, then he makes his Son and daughter his second commands, he make his party a family affair, we are not bothered, we are on the verge of bringing a feudal system of Governance, Who cares?
Prices of essential commodities are going up, who cares? I have money to buy that, today it’s the poor, tomorrow it’s you, we are all going to face problems reacting then would be too late. It’s today or never. Rise up every Indian, your slumber is enough. Work towards making your nation a better place, spend half a day a week for your nation, I am sure we can change it, are you going to wake up my Indian soul? are you going to fight for your right? this is your nation, the servants who work for you are looting it away, they are making a criminal den,they are destroying your mother land, how long? will you ever wake up? Duty calls but ………….
Joe
