Life is a series of changes. Dead things are the ones that do not change. They deteriorate. We all seek change and throughout the ages young men and women have had dreams of changing the world. World does change. It has changed even before my own eyes and it is changing as we speak. The question is what is it changing into? Is the world really a better place than before?
As a young man I believed totally in the power of art and expression. We truly believed that music, drama, paintings and the written word will change all of us into a better human society and balanced individuals. It will enlighten and allow us to have smoother personal and social interactions. We trusted that it will pave the way for an equitable society. We all wanted to be the agents of that change!
That was years ago! It does feel that those thoughts belonged to a stranger I do not know! It was a time when kids would band together and perform "Ramlila" in the local park. Younger ones would insist on buying a 'Hanuman' mask from the vendor who came on a bicycle. Today they all want an iphone. It was the time when a poor student such as myself could invite himself to a performance of Wadali brothers on the lawns of Sangeet Natak Academy and sit next to Shabana Azmi on the grass! Try doing such a thing today! Well, it can't be done any more. There is a solid wall of commerce and security standing between. It was a time when the librarian from their reference library would let me take frightfully expensive art and design books home over the weekend for my assignments on his own responsibility. He was a good soul and he trusted me to bring them back safely on Monday morning before they could ever be missed. He just wanted to help. Internet ensures that students do not need such help any more and trust ...... Let us not even go there, it quite out of fashion!
Younger generation has a constant refrain that older people lapse far too easily into the past. They are right in a way, past is not a good place to linger although It is not such a bad place to visit ! If you see that past troubles are repeating themselves with more and more virulent strains of the same; you've got to dig deep for some solutions. Ram got sent away for fourteen years but when he returned the darkest night was brilliantly lit like a day in his welcome. It is the sign of the times that hardly anyone cares any more if he returns or not; much less give him a welcome. Ram a symbol of respect, truth, love, propriety, equality and care for public will has less and less impact on our personal and social life. Of course we have not forgotten to party hard and long during Diwali.
Sita of public good stands abducted. Ravan of corruption and inequality is still attacking Ram and seems to be winning. Lanka may or may not get burned but Ayodhya is smoldering. This is not what we dreamt ! Launch of windows 8 does not necessarily make this a better world. A new BMW M6 in the drive way does not either. However if every child can go to school and does not have to roll beedi's in a sweat shop, it would be. If we could put a roof over every homeless, it would be a better place. If people could get access to clean drinking water it would be a great change It is not asking for a lot but even this little requires setting our priorities and ensuring that public resources and lands are used for public good, not for personal profit. Even when we have to sell them, public exchequer must get a fair price for it......... dream; dream on!
As a young man I believed totally in the power of art and expression. We truly believed that music, drama, paintings and the written word will change all of us into a better human society and balanced individuals. It will enlighten and allow us to have smoother personal and social interactions. We trusted that it will pave the way for an equitable society. We all wanted to be the agents of that change!
That was years ago! It does feel that those thoughts belonged to a stranger I do not know! It was a time when kids would band together and perform "Ramlila" in the local park. Younger ones would insist on buying a 'Hanuman' mask from the vendor who came on a bicycle. Today they all want an iphone. It was the time when a poor student such as myself could invite himself to a performance of Wadali brothers on the lawns of Sangeet Natak Academy and sit next to Shabana Azmi on the grass! Try doing such a thing today! Well, it can't be done any more. There is a solid wall of commerce and security standing between. It was a time when the librarian from their reference library would let me take frightfully expensive art and design books home over the weekend for my assignments on his own responsibility. He was a good soul and he trusted me to bring them back safely on Monday morning before they could ever be missed. He just wanted to help. Internet ensures that students do not need such help any more and trust ...... Let us not even go there, it quite out of fashion!
Younger generation has a constant refrain that older people lapse far too easily into the past. They are right in a way, past is not a good place to linger although It is not such a bad place to visit ! If you see that past troubles are repeating themselves with more and more virulent strains of the same; you've got to dig deep for some solutions. Ram got sent away for fourteen years but when he returned the darkest night was brilliantly lit like a day in his welcome. It is the sign of the times that hardly anyone cares any more if he returns or not; much less give him a welcome. Ram a symbol of respect, truth, love, propriety, equality and care for public will has less and less impact on our personal and social life. Of course we have not forgotten to party hard and long during Diwali.
Sita of public good stands abducted. Ravan of corruption and inequality is still attacking Ram and seems to be winning. Lanka may or may not get burned but Ayodhya is smoldering. This is not what we dreamt ! Launch of windows 8 does not necessarily make this a better world. A new BMW M6 in the drive way does not either. However if every child can go to school and does not have to roll beedi's in a sweat shop, it would be. If we could put a roof over every homeless, it would be a better place. If people could get access to clean drinking water it would be a great change It is not asking for a lot but even this little requires setting our priorities and ensuring that public resources and lands are used for public good, not for personal profit. Even when we have to sell them, public exchequer must get a fair price for it......... dream; dream on!
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Maybe our
efforts were not enough so our results are not what we set out to
achieve and now life's large bills are mostly spent for people of my
generation. Just some loose change remains. But it remains still and I
want to be the same naive young man who believed that a story and a
picture will change it for the better. It will and it must. Ram had to
float stones for a foot bridge over raging seas and fashion a winning
army out of mere monkeys. Without minding the handicaps, lack of
resources and personal setbacks he pressed on, engaged Ravan and won!
Why can't we fight back with loose change? We may not dispel the darkness
entirely but we can certainly light a lamp.
May thousands of lamps light your way. Have a great Diwali and God bless you all!
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