 By Rupam Gogoi:
What India Needs? Sounds very clichéd and similar to Chetan Bhagat’s “What Young India Wants” doesn’t it? Well, there was no other title that suited what I learnt today, hence this cliché of a title. What India needs, what India wants or even what young India wants. The answers to any of these, most of us have tried giving in one or the other instance of our life wherein we had to share a bit of ‘gyaan‘ or indulge in the goodness of our inner selves. While replying to any question as such, we obviously derive the intelligence and knowledge of the ages within us, even though it hardly matters that what we are saying will rarely ever be seen in practice. What India needs?
She needs reformation, she needs her people to be forward thinking, she needs her people to be free from corruption. This is precisely what India needs, but this is something that India never realizes, with the result that while this ‘gyaan’ sounds extremely good to hear, its most of the time never good enough to be seen in practice.
On a frank note, let me disclose at this point that I am not a self enlightened soul either. However, I do realize that this is the case and often wonder how can it be otherwise; I do put this question up a lot and I do get a lot of replies. Sadly, all as out of this world and as alien to what India needs as the knowledge I preach sometimes. I, however, realized what India needs today and let me tell you it was not with the wise words of anyone of India’s so called ‘intellectuals‘, but the words of a very simple person driving the auto in which I was travelling, a certain Mr.Sadiq.
The realization is very simple, to the point that most of those reading this would feel, what’s new in this. Well nothing frankly, except for the realization of whatever he said. Here are what I started realizing today:
1.Realization itself: One of the simplest things he said. When I am getting what I should, why should I try to gain more which I don’t deserve. We all say that as a matter of fact and knowledge, but the simplicity with which this man realizes this and understands makes the knowledge involved a practicality that actually can be realized as the good in society.
2. Realization That A Wrong Perception is Wrong: In-spite of all our so called forward thinking and broad minded stature, we still perceive a lot. If one person does something erroneous, the entire family and worse still, the entire community is perceived erroneously. One couple shows off with PDA and every boy and girl who happens to walk together are the culprits in action. (the concept base of moral policing). I won’t say I am much different but the simplicity in the realization of the same again made me realize, that hey presto, this is actually the start of what India needs.
3. Do we realize: Now all said and done, in-spite of all our high handed thoughts and visions, why do we still fail to provide an answer to what India needs in something that can be actuated. Very simply, we fail to realize our thoughts and that’s where I realize we fail to make a start. Do you?
Conclusively, all of us seek to be good and do something that puts India and Indians in good stead. That’s noble in essence, but what we lack is a simplistic realization of that essence. And that is where we fail, not in achieving the purpose, but in starting towards it. The way a simple auto driving person realizes what goodness in society means in a simple manner, if all of us who have good things in our minds and souls realize, we would have definitely made a start. At the end of the day, India will be made of Indians, and if each Indian realizes simply what goodness he/she speaks of, the overall conclusion would definitely be what India needs, or at-least an actuated start to what India needs.