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.