One of my favourite topics for debate, since I became matured to understand the scales of economies.
India, a country of social and economic inequalities. A large section of our society float in plenty - expensive cars, luxury apartments in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and other metro cities - while 27% of our population lives below poverty line..there are islands of prosperity in India - while there is sea of poverty around. A country where our name and surname most of the time indicate our religion, caste and state we belong to - and in turn exploited by our politicians as we dance to the tune of democracy roughly every five years - spending crores and crores of rupees in election process. Our country's economic growth is based on service industry for last decade or two whereas 60% of our population still lives on agriculture.
Comes in the thought of Capitalism Vs. Socialism. There is no denial that India is becoming aggressively capitalist - increasing becoming a individualistic society - drifting away from our core values which we propagated to the world as thoughts of our philosophers. I represent the present generation of India, who works in the service industry, has a pretty good pay package to take back home at the end of the month, lives in comfortable apartments in big cities, least concerned about social obligations, oblivious of realities of people around - people of my parents generation call us individuals - least concerned of the society we live in. We are blamed as people propagating capitalism - labelled as "unsocial", "self centered" human beings. Yes may be shameful - but that's me, one of the many of the present generation of India.
But can I in a country like India afford a luxurious lifestyle? When I am in India, I try and contribute some time interacting with people who live in adversities. Personally a strong believer of girl child education - I have tried spending some time in volunteering efforts, trying to give some kids a better way of life. I have been involved for a while on a project working for a better life for vulnerable kids in red light area - Biana beach, Goa and another one - dedicated to children of unskilled labourers who come to cities for job, in Kolhapur, Maharastra. Whenever I visited these sites, I used to be quite deterred by their way of life, shaken by harsh realities. One small candy could bring a million dollar smile of their faces, one colourful story book could make them feel happier and cheerful, one pencil could generate an honest desire to scribble their name - small things...values of which I never realized till I met these kids.
But then, a small candy, a coloured pencil can only give momentary happiness...it cannot give them a guarantee of lifetime happiness. They need to struggle, fight the odds and think about self, to sustain. And they have to fight hard. A socialist bend of my mind cannot get them anywhere. I or anyone cannot adopt struggles - struggles is their own and the will to overcome is personal will power. It is self struggle, self determination - even if that means individualism - that is what it is...
Socialism provides the right to work, the right to free education, and to good health care - but doesn't it build complacency? Does n't it kill the motivation to sustain, to fight and achieve...it is a world where survival of the fittest matters...free / subidized world - will it lead people anywhere? Don't people of individualistic society strive hard for what they need. I know well, what I do to lead a decent life, trust me it is not a cakewalk for me and neither for anyone of us of our generation!
1 comment:
Interesting perspective. Agree. Very true.
I too wonder many a time (including just this afternoon), how our lives and our work is so irrelevant in the bigger context of the ground realities for many in our country. there is struggle every step of the way in rural as well as urban areas. its a 10-90 sort of ratio between the 'haves' and the 'have nots', with a significant percentage falling in the middle class (in the cities). there's so much to do, its overwhelming. i have done very little but intend to do more, but how much and when. i have the will and the intent, but to be able to make a difference each one of us needs to do a lot. i agree every drop makes a difference, but it has to be many drops going into it consistently to change the reality of the sea of poverty.
Our generation (give or take 10 yrs on either side) signifies struggle and success, but the new generation also has a different reality, lesser baggage, more awareness and more opportunities. again this is a small segment. very small indeed.
but as u rightly said, each one of us needs to fight our own individual battles. but then the circumstances for many are too adverse. and many of us have been very blessed to have the sort of struggles we have and to be born with circumstances that permit for us to be able to struggle. many are not so lucky!
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