The Richest people on Earth...

Here’s proof that India is truly the land of ‘Unity in Diversity’. One of the leading ENGLISH dailies in the country published the story of about a HINDI speaking guy’s presence outside a Government Hospital in the capital of TAMILNADU.

What was so significant about him– you ask? He was no political big shot nor was he a page 3 celebrity. He was just another citizen of this culturally, religiously, historically and democratically RICH nation. Then what was so special about him that he was reported in a leading English daily – you ask again? Though there are millions like him, he made it to the news simply because he was fortunate enough to die in the presence of the media. What preceded his death is what is making me write.

This individual whose name we do not know came to the hospital to treat a fractured leg. I name him ‘God’ – because ‘God’ seems to be the only name which transcends the religious, geographical and political barriers of our country and it is a name that I can lay claim over, without breaching any copyright or hurting any individual’s personal sentiments. God was unfortunately one of those omnipresent Indian citizens who had not enough money, nor enough people to take care of them. The hospital appears to have given him the necessary bandages. However, due to lack of staff, the hospital could no longer treat and support God. They had so little staff that they sometimes let the injured individual do the bandages themselves! With no one to take care of God, he was soon thrown out of the hospital.

God lay on the platform outside the hospital for a few days. The hospital received at least 5000 footfalls a day on an average, which translates to 10000 eyes that could see his blood, 10000 ears that could hear his painful groans and 10000 arms that could have held him for support. None of the 10000 eyes and arms did anything to soothe him. He was immobile. He toiled in the sun. However, he did not starve. His cries did not go unheard. Food and water came from a few kind souls. He was given food by people who had no idea of where their next meal would come from, who had to depend on a handful of other people for a handful of food - people who we call beggars.

Beggars fed God.

However, there was not enough support to ensure that he could heal himself. It had been 20 days of agony! A popular NGO and a newspaper received the news about God. Before the NGO could bring an ambulance, a camera from the media reached the spot. And before they could take him to another hospital, God had departed from this world.

God ceased to exist. I dare say humanity ceased to exist.

The news was published. We all read it. And we all moved on with our own lives as if nothing significant had happened, while hundreds of such men and women continued to suffer a similar death everyday. What has blinded us?!

We are culturally one of the richest nations. Our culture has taught us that service to humanity is the highest form of service. What an irony! This incident made our culture look like a very bad joke to me. Medical practitioners are revered as life givers in white coats. But it is unfortunate that the profession has become a business today. I once met an Ayurvedic practitioner who told me that in the olden days, the primary duty of a doctor was to ensure that people stay healthy. If people started falling sick, his salary was cut down. Wow! That’s quite a culture to follow! Can we even think of implementing such a system today?!

We are religiously one of the richest nations. Several great religions of this world have originated from this holy land. I am absolutely sure that all religions preach service to humanity as service to God. Even atheists and monotheists believe in service to fellow beings! Out of the 5000 footfalls that crossed that individual in a given day, how many religions and beliefs had walked past him? When I see that not one of them took the effort to save this ailing being, I believe that all religion, belief and custom had lost its inherent meaning. After all, what is the use in beliefs, customs and rituals when none of these could help a dying human being?

We are part of the largest democratic nation in the world. Democracy is defined as the government of the people, by the people and FOR the people. I do not think this is a democracy of the people, considering the fact that an individual almost always needs a political backing to be part of the government. And I do not think this is a democracy by the people considering the fact that less than 40% of the population of the country votes in a given election. What do all the central and state schemes translate to if they cannot provide enough facility to protect a citizen from a death like this? Subsidized rice, kerosene and free televisions mean nothing to a dying man. Is there no way that the government can provide free medical care for the citizens? After all, access to good medical facilities is one of the basic necessities of any human being living in this disease prone world. On that fateful day, a citizen did not die, democracy did. With every such death, democracy stands defeated.

We are economically one of the fastest growing nations. What does an 8% GDP growth, or even a double digit industrial growth mean to the people, when 40% of the country’s population continues to exist below the poverty line? Money attracts money and void attracts more void. The simple theory of rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer is so vividly painted in the canvas of our nation. It is a pathetic situation that the richest and the poorest people exist in the same country, and sometimes barely within miles of each other. What is the use in building the best railway station in the world with the highest quality of everything available, if we cannot help in improving the lives of the beggars who sit outside the stations?

Of course, I am generalizing when talking about medical practitioners, religions, democracy and the economy. Exceptions do exist in all these fields. However, exceptions can never be treated as examples.

Some may argue that I am being too critical and non-understanding of the political and economic turbulence that exists in the world and this country at this time. Maybe. But all said and done, no amount of economic, scientific or political advancement can ever outweigh a single human life.

In conclusion, I would always remember the day the article was published as the day that a few people became the richest people on earth. They probably have no ration cards, know no religion, have never voted and have never seen a 500 rupee note in their lives. Most of us call them beggars. They have taught the richest nation on earth how poor we actually are. No riches of this nation or this world can ever be compared to the people who had the heart to feed and support a dying human being.

Searching for my SELF

Solitude..

Silence..

Peace..

I lost myself in a place which had all these three elements. It was a long time back when I was walking the shores of the Marina. It was quite late in the evening, around 9 PM. I found a comfortable cozy place along the long shoreline and rested my body in the sand. There weren't many people around. I stared up into the open sky. Ah! It was bliss! It was a perfectly clear sky with no clouds bothering my gaze into the heavens. A few stars twinkling here and there, and an almost full moon smiling full beam at the earth. There was just the cyclic movement of the light house beam waving to the waves and an occasional aeroplane approaching Chennai. I must admit, staring at the sky is a hobby that I'd recommend anyone to develop. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, experiencing complete darkness..and then I slowly opened my eyes and I stared at the sky. The sky was dark, but dark in a mysteriously beautiful way. I was staring into an endless black drape which was decorated with a few twinkling gems. I felt small. I felt lost. It is an experience that cannot be narrated in tomes and tomes of literature.

I shrugged and sat up. I was now staring at the horizon. My Civil Engineering knowledge told me that the fartherest point that I was able to see in the sea was about 2 miles away. But logic, and knowledge took a back seat for the next few moments. There was this incomplete and tarnished ball of white that was staring at me from beyond the waves. The big white ball's light was reflecting off the surface of the sea. The picture that I saw then will remain etched in my memory forever. In the background of the dark sky, the bright white moon was just above the horizon, and its light was travelling across the waves, creating a glittering roadway across the sea. The roadway extended from the horizon to the shore. It looked as if the moon was going to walk down to the earth on a glittering carpet spread across the seas. I stared in awe. I wondered why I hadn't noticed such beauty for such a long time in my life. This mass that we call the moon, has been an inspiration for astronomers, scientists, poets and lovers for as long as humanity has existed. I am one of those inspired ones. When I started writing poetry, I liked to call myself 'நிலா பிரியன்' which literally means, "Moon lover".

This visual treat that I was experiencing was complemented by silence - the silence of the waves. I know that most people would say that the waves are not silent. Well, to me, the sound of the waves is as soothing as silence. Compare it with the normal sounds that you hear when you wake up every day for example, and you would realize what I'm talking about. To be frank, it was silence, it was music and it was peace. Listen to it carefully. It starts as a slight buzz, grows into a roar, crashes like thunder and ends in a hush. And then the world goes on mute for a fraction of a second. And before you realize, it starts again. You can so easily get lost in it. I did..

And in this beautiful place, at total ease, and in total peace, I lost myself..

It is very unfortunate that the Marina or the Elliots beach don't seem to offer the same experience to me now. It is very hard to find solitude, and if I do, I am so far from the sea that I cannot hear the silence of the waves. If I position myself to listen to the waves, I lose my solitude. There is so much light around that I am not able to lose myself in the darkness of the sky. The constant chattering and twittering of people on their mobiles disrupts one element or another.

And hence, here I am, putting forth a humble request to anyone who is reading this.. If you ever come across a  soul lying on the beach in solitude, seemingly enjoying everything around and at peace, please let me know at the earliest. It is quite possible that its me. I would like to travel to that location, wherever on Earth it is, so that I can rediscover myself and be in harmony with my SELF..

True Power

Can a single person control a few million people? How powerful must a person be to control a few million people? Does the person need to be powerful? What kind of power must the person possess? Ammunition? Hitmen? Or simply . . . Love?

There are a few individuals, quite a few individuals who have brought about immense changes in this society simply by offering love, in exchange of. . nothing. Probably the greatest of those individuals, is Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu a.k.a Mother Teresa or Blessed Mother of Calcutta. This humble and kind lady showed people the way to love.

People on the streets, who had nothing but the fear of death in their eyes died in tears of joy in her lap. People who had never seen anything but poverty, lived happily and died so, in her arms. Children who had starved to the brink of death found joy in things other than food and toys. She brought millions of people together, with her will, with her love. Her kind words and actions had more influence on people than the threat of nuclear holocaust. So what is it that this individual, who had nothing to do with this country have? What did she possess in such mammoth quantity that changed the lives of so many people? A deep desire to serve and a selfless dream to make this world a much better place to live in.

This lovable Mother, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for her outstanding service to the deprived. What did she have to say on the occasion of receiving the award? I would say that it is a 'must read' for every individual. The scenes that she has described in the short speech and the vivid description of the pain and joy, cannot but throng your heart. Here is the link to that speech. It is a life changing experience, take my word for it.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-lecture.html

There are a couple of other things that she has said, that has found its place on my home's walls. Inspiring, thought provoking and life changing is how I would describe this. Here's how it goes.

People are often unreasonable, irrational and self centred.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway!

Give it a thought. I'm sure there's something you can associate yourself with in this quote. Cheers to Love!

(I am very greatful to Mr. Ashok, of Shinota, a brother, a friend and an inspiration, for opening up my skies by providing me with the link at a time that I needed it the most.)

Transformers..of a different kind

The stage was set for a long, long day. I woke up at 5 AM and got ready by 6 AM. I reached office in 30 minutes, coordinated the transportation for 10 people and I was at the designated location by 7.40 AM. I had reached a not so big marriage hall in the heart of the bustling Business district of T. Nagar. When I entered the hall, I realized that there were at least 100 people in that hall already. I was prepared for this. My friend who was at this place the previous day had informed me that there were close to 400 footfalls the previous day, more than twice the number that we had expected. I had also spent a few hours the previous night at the camp to get a feel of what the following day would be like. “A daunting task ahead”, I told myself. But, I didn’t let the situation stop me from acting.

I was handling a bigger responsibility the previous year. I was helping to coordinate a five day camp, for the same cause. It was quite hectic. But the average number of people who visited the camp each day that year was close to 200 – a very manageable figure, we found out. And now, there I was, in the middle of a two day camp organized by my company, in association with an NGO to offer artificial limbs, crutches and calipers free of cost to the needy – a very noble gesture.

The technicians, who had worked till around 4 AM the previous night, started work again at 8 AM, to make the required feet, calipers and crutches. I was running around the whole day, along with a bunch of colleagues who had also volunteered to run the camp to help these 300 odd people stand on their feet, quite literally! It is not the fact that we were able to benefit more than 300 people within a span of two days that struck my mind. There was something much more powerful.

There were several occasions during that day when everything in my body stopped, except for my brain which had thoughts that flashed like bolts of lightning. Those are the moments, which I will remember most vividly, and those are the moments that I will share.

The first bolt of lightning hit me when I was on stage as the MC of the inauguration of the camp. Donning a tie for the first time in my life after I had finished school, I was proudly narrating that the collaboration between my company and the NGO has benefited over 16000 people in 3 years. For the next few seconds, my lips were reading the script but my thoughts were lost in space. More than 25000 people lose their limbs every year in India due to diseases and accidents. So many?! Without limbs?! How would I live if I lose a limb? I couldn’t imagine. But the moment passed and my thoughts fell back in order.

7.40 AM - It happened again, when I set foot at the camp site. I saw a sea of people – men and women, children and octogenarians, native and alien. The very sight of so many people who needed some assistance or support to even walk properly, stunned me. It was the same feeling that I had during the previous year’s camp – but this time, for some reason, it left a stronger impression.
9.30 AM - Ouch!! A screw that was left on the floor drove straight through my shoes and right into the center of my sole. My reflexes quickly made me lift my injured right foot and hop for to the room reserved for the volunteers. Someone helped me with an antiseptic and for the next few minutes, I was barely able to place the foot down. My left leg was beginning to feel stressed because of the excess weight that it was trying to balance. My body rested on a chair, but my mind raced. If carrying my body on one foot for a few minutes could be so hard, how are these people carrying themselves around for so many years?!

11 AM - A very sweet talking girl whose name I do not recollect, was sitting on a chair. Her legs were crippled by polio. I assumed from her height and looks that she was barely 15 years old. But, I learnt through her uncle that she was actually 20 and that she was mentally challenged as well. It took me by surprise. I walked back and stared at the girl. She smiled at me. I put myself in her shoes for a fleeting moment. It was agonizing. For the next few moments, I was talking to myself. I was amazed at how lucky I have been, not to be affected by any such commonly existing disease. I wondered at how I had been taking for granted the body that I have been blessed with – a body that was the envy of around 400 people sitting in that hall. I felt special.

8 PM - Indran had lost one of his legs to a falling rock while working in a quarry. Since that fateful day, he had not worked. He had come to the camp traveling over over 500 km searching for a way to transform his life. He and his wife were waiting, quite impatiently for an artificial limb since the previous morning. Finally, the coveted prize arrived and it was fitted. I was holding his hand as he took his first steps, like a toddler, after two years. He was elated. Though he felt some pain and discomfort, the pleasure of being back on two feet overcame it. He left happily with his wife, promising to start a roadside shop to win bread for his family. As he walked into a waiting auto rickshaw, I felt a great amount of satisfaction for having played a small role in transforming a person’s life for the better. It’s a feeling that I can never express in words or pictures.

8.30 PM – Two women, who had left their young kids at home and had waited for two days to get their calipers, summoned me. This was quite late on the last day of the camp and they had to travel a long distance to reach home. They requested my help. I was distraught to see that the measurements that had been taken for preparing their calipers were missing. One of the ladies was in tears. We took the measurement again. I took the help of a colleague who was working with the technicians and requested him to give preference to the calipers of these women. I promised that I would try and ensure that they reached home at the earliest, with their calipers. I hoped against hope to keep my promise.

11 PM – Their calipers had not yet arrived and they were clearly upset and worried. The technicians were having a well deserved dinner. I promised again that I would ensure that they reach home with their calipers and that I would pay for their transport if it became too late. I went into the working area along with my colleague and requested the technicians to work on those two calipers first. Finally, 30 minutes later, they were fitted with calipers and they were able to walk away. A kind hearted gentleman offered to drop them home by auto. One of the women thanked me profusely and asked for an autograph! That was the first time someone had asked me for an autograph. I just wrote my name behind a piece of paper and gave it to her. In my heart, I was thanking her for giving me the opportunity to help someone.

12:00 – MIDNIGHT – A well educated working woman, who had come with her mother, had a new set of light weight calipers fitted. She tried to take her first steps, but she stumbled. Her mother tried to hold her hand. Instantaneously the lady’s hand went up. She glared at her mother with the eyes that clearly said “Don’t touch me!”. She took the next step successfully and walked back to the chair. She turned around and told her mother, “I can walk. I don’t need support.” I was watching all this standing right beside her, in stunned silence. What grit and determination! There are so many people with good strong two feet who don’t display such an attitude. I walked to her and said, “I like what you did. I admire it and I envy you”. She gave me a knowing smile, and rested in a chair.

1 AM – An old lady who had lost everything but the piece of clothing that she was wearing, was getting an artificial limb fitted. She had been pleading every one of the volunteers to get her limb ready at the earliest. But, as it turned out, she got it at 1 AM. She happily, VERY HAPPILY, walked to the corner of the hall, took off her newly fitted leg and used it as a pillow and went into a deep, content slumber. I felt as if she was totally at peace, after a very long time. I shared the same feeling.

2 AM – It had been 21 hours since I woke up. And I had barely rested for 30 minutes since I had stepped foot inside the camp at 8 AM. Most of my colleagues had left. Only 5 of us remained. We were pretty much drained. There was a seething pain in both my legs. We decided to call it a day. We packed up all our belongings and walked off from the camp site. I stopped at the entrance and looked back. The technicians were still working hard, as if the day had just begun. They were working on satisfying the requirements of the remaining 15 patients. I knew that they wouldn’t rest till the last one was on his own legs.

3 AM – I had taken a shower and had applied pain killer spray all over my legs. I fell into my bed and stared at the empty ceiling. What a day! Image flashes from the day ran through my mind like a high speed slide show. I felt proud to be part of a company which was committed to helping so many people. I felt happy to be among a set of like minded people who spared the most precious gift of time for public service. I felt inspired and awe struck by the technicians and doctors who kept working tirelessly to help anyone who walked in.

I remembered one of the beneficiaries telling me, “We do not need your sympathy. We do not envy you. Treat us equals. Do not discriminate. We are no less privileged than you are.” Strong words from a strong lady. What I was feeling was not sympathy. It was a feeling of fulfillment and a burning desire to do more. It was not a day in which I had played a small role in helping to transform the lives of a few people. It was a day in which a lot of people had played a huge role in transforming the perspectives and lives of a few small people like me. With those thoughts, I closed my eyes in peace.