A transformative Short Story

The Boy and the Pencil

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:
'Are you writing a story about what we have done? Is it a story about me?'

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I am using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It did not seem very special.

‘But it's just like any other pencil I have ever seen!’ 

‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’

‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’

‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he is much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’

‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’

‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’

Source:- "Like the Flowing River" by Paulo Coelho

One-thirds of my life

I spend more than one-third of my time in a week working. Most of the people do that, some even much more than half of their time doing their work.

While I have been doing my work, I sometimes start to harbour doubts about the kind of work that I do. There are many instances where the work I am doing is due to the inefficiencies created by the processes downstream and I am adjusting my work to incorporate those inefficiencies. I work in the performance Reporting unit where my work is to make excel & VBA dashboards for the pharmaceutical wholesalers, to help them in their mission of improving healthcare in their communities.

The data team collects the data and because of the inefficiencies in the data collection process, many situations arise which shouldn’t have arrived, if the processes were followed in an ideal manner. If I am not contributing to increasing the knowledge base in the world or improving the quality of the world, does that mean I am not doing enough? My mind thinks in affirmative, questioning my job here.

Is anyone willing to share their experiences if they think on these same lines and what is their idea of a good job? 

What has Test Cricket taught me?

There are numerous qualities that I have learned from this game. But one lesson which has stood out for me is the role of patience in life.

Time and again, this game has showed me that the attribute of “patience” combined with “hard work” can do wonders.

Take the example of Ajinkya Rahane in the Indian Test Team. For 2 years, he spent the time on the bench while being part of the Indian team. The man with a 60+ average in first class cricket had to wait that long to break into the team while he saw other people making the cut. It must not have been easy for him. But, he continued working on his game and doing what was in his hands. It would have been the easy thing to get frustrated and lose focus on your game and then not being able to perform at your best when given the opportunity. But to boast of a resume that says centuries in each of Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and 90s in South Africa & Bangladesh speaks volume of the patience in this man and how he managed to cement his place in the team when given the opportunity.

Another case is that of Chris Rogers from Australia. An opening batsman career that coincided with that of Australian greats like Hayden and Langer must have been a tough one. I remember his first test, when he was brought as a replacement in the 3^rd test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2006-07 at Perth. He fared poorly and Australia lost the match and with this he was never heard again in International cricket till 2013. With the Aussie selectors clear on their preference for youth in the team, all doors seem shut on Rogers.  The easy thing for him would have been to stop dreaming about the baggy green. But he didn’t. He continued piling runs in the domestic circuit of Australia (Sheffield Shield) as well as used his time to play County Cricket to hone his skills in different playing conditions. So, in 2013, before the Ashes, with Australian Cricket in rebuilding phase, and no younger alternatives making their mark available for selectors and Rogers making a case for him with pile of runs, he got a crack again at International Cricket. And he responded brilliantly. With his performances, he remained an integral part of the team for the next 2 years having played a pivotal role in Australia’s re-emergence in Test Cricket. Having played 15 Ashes test and ending his career with an average of 43 is a great achievement and we all can be proud of his achievements. The left-handed Australian is only the 5th batsman and first opener in Test history to register 50 plus scores in 7 Test innings in a row.

Let’s take the example of how a batsman builds his innings in Test Cricket in a conventional way. At the start of his innings, the first advice is always to leave the ball well. Be patient to understand the nature of the pitch and bowling attack and not to go for the deliveries away from your body. The bowlers try to lure the batsman early on in his innings, but if he has the patience to not commit the mistakes, then later on when he is set, he can dispatch the same deliveries for boundary and end up with the honors on the scoreboard.

Similar is the case in life. There are chances of mistakes happening in life. But if I am patient enough to ward off any distractions and focus on my game, then great things await in life.

These learning have made a huge mark in my life. So, when I am not doing well and not getting my desired results, I try to emulate them. I try to be patient and continue doing the necessary things, so when the opportunity presents itself, I am there to fulfill my potential and grab it with both hands.

I will end my answer with a story shared by Rahul Dravid, who is patience personified.

He said, “My wife and I have built a new home with a lovely garden which houses lovely bamboo trees. I got reading on the Chinese bamboo and learned that the tree takes 5 years, 3 months to grow to its whole height of 80 feet. Yet, for the first 5 years, you only see a tiny green shoot, but in the next 90 days, it grows into a full-fledged tree. But in those first 60 months, it is growing its strong network of roots underground, to support the tree.  In an era of instant gratification, we settle for shorter trees, but remember patience has its reward. These are your years of growing that strong network of roots but be sure when you finally achieve your success, people will call it “overnight success”. If only they knew of the Chinese bamboo!”

Envy

                                                       A great lesson
Here’s a rule of the universe: when you envy someone, you put a wall up between yourself and the things about that person you envy. If they have a good job, there’s now a new wall between you and getting a good job. Why? Because you are programming yourself to dislike people who have good jobs. 

So how will you get one? Unless you like disliking yourself.

Clearly envy is bad. What you have to do is train your envious mind. 

Every time you notice yourself thinking an envious thought about say, “Alice” try to catch yourself doing that and then reverse it.

Think: “God bless Alice. I am sincerely happy she has been able to make these achievements.”

Reminds me of a story I read as a kid. Two guys are walking past the Executive Lunchroom at some Big Company. One guy says to the other, “look at those assholes eating there.”

The other guy says, “I like them eating there. Because one day I will be eating there as well.”

Without envy, the entire world is open to you. With envy, you just put a line in the sand, and you’ll never cross it.

Credits: https://www.quora.com/James-Altucher
http://jamesaltucher.com

https://www.quora.com/How-should-I-deal-with-the-overwhelming-envy-I-feel-toward-people-who-I-perceive-as-being-better-than-I-am-in-some-way

Gone with the Ashes

Credits: Ashes 2015: Michael Clarke to retire from Test cricket

It was inspiring to listen to the words of Clarke in the presentation ceremony of the recently decided Ashes Series. Practical in the assessment of current scenario, accepting the reality of being outperformed by a talented bunch of "New England" brand of cricketers, yet demonstrating immense belief in the ability, talent and work ethics of his boys and backing them up. More importantly, there are no doubts regarding the Australian setup in producing world-class cricketers.

By his own admission, he was not putting performances expected of a player in an Australian Ashes XI, more importantly that of a captain and his decision to step down is beyond my questioning.

Time spares none and Michael will not be an exception to that. It seems only days ago when he was in the prime form of his life, just turning up and scoring centuries. Despite maintaining that same work ethic, things didn't work for quite some time. The string of poor performance must have hurt the warrior much more than I could ever imagine. 

The writing was becoming clear with each passing innings and finally the decision came.

Good Luck Clarke and wish you a great farewell test and a performance worthy of your stature.

Death of a Gentleman: A review by Jonathan Wilson

Courtesy: http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/903855.html

Death of a Gentleman
Produced and directed by Sam Collins, Jarrod Kimber, Christopher Hird and Johnny Blank
Dartmouth Films

The Ashes in numbers

http:Courtesy : /www.theguardian.com/experience-more-with-kia/2015/jul/24/the-ashes-in-numbers

2
Smallest winning margin in an Ashes Test: England, Edgbaston, 2005
3
Number of times batsmen have been out for 0 in both Ashes innings to the same bowling/fielding combinations, known as an “identical pair”: Bobby Peel, England, Sydney 1894 (st Jarvis b Turner 0); Joe Darling, Australia, Sheffield 1902 (c Braund b Barnes 0); Ken Mackay, Australia, 1956, Old Trafford (c Oakman b Laker).
6 
The most consecutive innings in which a bowler has taken five or more wickets: Charles Turner, against England, 1888 Ashes.
6 
Highest number of dismissals in consecutive innings by the same bowler: England’s Walter Read, at the hands of Charles Turner in 1888. A batsman habitually dismissed by the same bowler becomes known as that bowler’s “bunny”; in Ashes cricket, Walter Read is the bunny of all bunnies.
11
Most Ashes ducks: Syd Gregory, Australia (1890-1912). Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne each have 10 Ashes ducks; Ian Botham and Phil Tufnell each have 8 Ashes ducks.
12
Most five-wicket hauls in Ashes Tests: Sydney Francis Barnes, England (Australian greats Terry Alderman and Shane Warne each have 11 Ashes five-fors).
13 
Most Ashes Test matches won as captain: Allan Border, Australia 1985-1993. Mike Brearley won 11 of his 15 Ashes Tests as England captain, losing just one. Michael Clarke has won six and lost five of his 13 Ashes Tests as captain; Alastair Cook has won four and lost six of his 12 Ashes Tests as captain.
19
Most wickets taken in an Ashes Test: Jim Laker, England, Old Trafford, 1956 (for the cost of 90 runs)
19
Most Ashes hundreds: Sir Donald Bradman (knighted for his services to the game in 1949), Australia. Second-highest total Sir Jack Hobbs, England, with 12. Of the current players, Michael Clarke has the most Ashes tons with 7; Chris Rogers, Steve Smith, Ian Bell and Alastair Cook each have 4.
36
Australia’s lowest total against England, Edgbaston, 1902
38.1
Lowest strike-rate (that is, number of balls per wicket) of any Ashes bowler: Billy Bates, England, 1882-87. Ominously, Mitchell Johnson is second on the all-time list, with a career Ashes strike-rate of 41.8.
45
England’s lowest total against Australia, Sydney, 1887.
54
Most catches taken in an Ashes career: Ian Botham, England, 1977-89.
79
Most balls taken to get off the mark in an Ashes Test, John Thomas Murray (England), Sydney, January 1963 (he ended up 3 not out from 100 balls).
89.78
Highest batting average in Ashes Tests, Donald Bradman (Test career average 99.94).
141
Wickets taken by Australian Hugh Trumble against England between 1890 and 1904, the most of any bowler to take all his wickets against one opposition team.
195
Most Ashes wickets: Shane Warne.
291 
Lowest aggregate number of runs scored in an Ashes Test (Lord’s, 1888). Australia won by 61 runs.
451
Highest batting partnership in Ashes history, between Bill Ponsford (266) and Donald Bradman (244), The Oval, 1934.
675
Runs: the biggest winning margin of victory in an Ashes Test, England, Brisbane, 1928.
729/6
Australia’s highest Ashes total (1930, Lord’s, Donald Bradman 254; total for seven wickets declared).
903 
England’s highest innings total in the Ashes (1938, The Oval, Sir Len Hutton 364; total for seven wickets declared).
974 
Most runs scored in an Ashes series: Donald Bradman for Australia, 1930, England (Alastair Cook is fifth on the all-time list with 766 runs, scored in Australia in 2010/11).
1753
Most runs scored in an Ashes Test: 1921, Adelaide – Australia 354 and 582; England 447 and 370 (Australia won by 116 runs).

Some undeniable facts of life

Some facts are an undeniable part of life which makes it challenging and interesting to live. It doesn't matter to which side of the table we belong to it, each side has its own twists and turns to gear up for fresh challenges and an exciting journey. Sometimes, it can cause heartbreaks too, but the sooner we can realize and appreciate these facts, the better our lives will be. An interesting analogy can be taken from a popular story. Seeing a hunter in the desert and sensing danger, the ostrich hides its head in the sand hoping that the hunter will not see it and hence it will survive. But wouldn't it be a better option for it to try to run away considering it has the potential to outrun the man or even kill him?

Whatever the situation, our best option will always be available when we try to deal with the problem and be a part of solution instead of doing our bit in even acknowledging the problem or the worse, turning a blind eye to it.

Here are some that are close to my heart:

 1)  Nobody is perfect in this world and I am not nobody. However hard we try, we can’t be perfect at everything. We can try to achieve perfection which in itself is a very worthy goal, but perfection remains as elusive as the horizon to the naked eye. To strive for perfection in one skill or area is humane, to achieve perfection in everything is Godly.

2)  Nature has a great way of balancing out things in the universe. Somebody can be a physically attractive fool while someone else can be an unattractive genius. Whatever our situations be, everyone in this world is clamoring for something or the other. The guy with the rich parents is clamoring for some privacy and independence from their parents, the guy with the financially poor parents are clamoring for some much needed support from them. No matter how much you want to or try, there will always be few people who will be very rich and many who will be deprived of the basic necessities

.

3)  In the present scenario, the propaganda of religion serves only two purposes: one is to create fear in the minds of people and the other is to create terrorists. 

The IPL Conundrum

Hearing and observing the conundrum of professional cricketers surrounding the IPL (Indian Premier League) makes me draw some parallel examples regarding my choices in life. Some Cricket experts blame it as the reason for India’s abysmal performances overseas in Test Cricket, argued by many as the pinnacle of the game. It may be referred as the devil that entertains. On the other side, many credit it with changing the face of the game and ushering it into a new era with a wind range of unconventional and mind-boggling strokes. There are examples to support booth in that 300 has become the new 250 and it has become fairly common to see sides wrap up test matches within 4 days. The grind and patience, the virtues of test game are becoming a diminishing art.

The wide array of opposing arguments must be distracting for players who might want to hone their skills in a particular format of game. Observing from my position, I find it a case of identifying my core competencies, setting my goals and then make choices to achieve that goal. Thus, watching Cheteshwar Pujara struggling for runs in the previous edition and watching him play those ugly slogs was a sorry sight. People associate Pujara with elegant cover drives, flicks and superb defence and he struggling in T20 was like a hare being asked to compete with tortoise in a swimming race.

Hence, I found it greatly inspiring when Pujara decided to give IPL a miss (in the process letting go of a fortune) and headed to county cricket to hone his skills in a format where his strengths lies. Similarly, it is equally inspiring to see some uncapped players suiting their games according to the needs of the IPL game in a manner that may render them unsuitable for test cricket.

Observing these examples helps me draw some parallels in my life. There are glamorous options that would require a tweak and major adjustment in my style and choices. Then there are other options, albeit less glamorous in the short run, where I truly want to excel but which will require true commitment for a prolonged period of time. But which I believe will suit my competencies.

Presently, the glamorous option is swaying the mind. Hopefully, I can do a Pujara in terms of the choices in my life :)

The anti-climax

And finally the campaign ended. The contest was nowhere close to the nail-biting thriller which the first semi-final allowed us to witness, but nobody could argue with the result. The better team in every aspect won the game. For some of us, the defeat of the proteas might have hurt more.

 At the start of the world cup, with the kind of woeful form that India were in,  a pragmatist would have given at best a quarter-final slot and even the optimist would have accepted that, though not gleefully. However, reaching the semi-finals undefeated was indeed a fairy-tale that perfectly camouflaged team’s petty record in overseas conditions.

The heart was rooting for India, as always, but the calculations in the brain kept giving signals that it’s time. Indians did much more than what was expected of them and we should be proud of that. In the process, they really gave us some awesome moments and stats. Led by a captain that believes in himself as well as his team-mates, it gave us a vivid example of Indian’s ability to use the scarce resources optimally. The bowling attack that could hardly bowl out oppositions half side went on to bowl out the entire team consecutively for 7 straight matches.

Now, seeing some immature fans burning posters of the players is surely not the way to accept the result. This just shows the importance of results to us, without taking into account the process. We got defeated by a better set of players who played good cricket in their own backyard, that’s it, nothing else.  One bad day and the whole of the good work are ruined. It goes a long way in explaining our mentality in every aspect of life.  Who knows our only defeat might turn out to be against the title winners?

If we just take a moment and look at India’s campaign, we will surely appreciate their efforts and the joys that they gave us during this journey.  And let's just not talk about the semis :)

The perfect match at a not so perfect stage

Cricket has given us some wonderful moments, moments that any ardent cricket fan would love to take to their grave, moments that fans will die to relive. Time and again, this extra-ordinary sport sparks moments that enthralls their followers and makes them believe.  Two skillful teams giving their all on the field is what is expected every time a game is played. The hair-raiser first semi-final clash at the CWC 2015 has done no injustice to the legacy of this great sport.  

Two deserving teams, be it in terms of skill, fan following, likeability, historical performances met at the penultimate station of the destination. Only one could go forward in their quest of cherished dream, the other would have to pick them up and start all over again. Fans all over the world would have faced a dilemma like never before- which team to support?

These are moments which show that this sport can be cruel too.  It was a case of mostly everyone wanting these two to go forward, and yet the game would provide a chance to only one. There will be talks and analysis of the missed run-outs or catches by South Africans, their temperaments under pressure will be questioned again, but there would have been no way that the Proteas would have slacked an inch. Nobody should question their belief and temperament.

The sight of Steyn charging in, de Villiers, du plessis and roussow throwing themselves at everything, morkel bowling his heart out and Tahir with his control showed how much they wanted to win this and what it meant to all of them. But such were the levels of skill at display at the park that their performance became second-fiddle from another set of brilliant sportsmen.  It required the collective brilliance from all the Kiwis marshaled by a great captain to overpower the Proteas. On this day they got beaten by a better team, but South Africans deservedly should take pride in their performance.

The match has ended and yet I don't know whether to be happy over New Zealand win or sad at South Africa’s exit. It doesn't help knowing that emotions would have been the same even if the result would have been the opposite.

However, there is a solace in the fact that this result broke the jinx in some ways. South Africa, having won their first knockout match (quarter-finals) against Sri Lanka broke the hoodoo around their performances in knock-outs. On the other hand, the perennial dark horse of world events broke their semi-final jinx to advance into the finals and gained an opportunity to be part of the act where they have mostly faltered at the penultimate stage. People will definitely be very sad for South Africa, but that would not take anything from the New Zealand’s win. They have played better cricket throughout this campaign and deserved to be on the winning side.

Many will agree when I say that if there would have been a choice given to choose a team to end the World Cup campaign for South Africa, for a neutral, it would have to be New Zealand. Maybe, the final would have been a perfect stage to decide among these two equally lovable and deserving sides. May be the course of match would have been different without the rain which will again haunt the South African fans for years to come, may be that Anderson run out would have tilt the scale in favours of the proteas. May be. Like before, it will be bloody hard to come to peace with not having to achieve their full potential one more time. Some will talk about the fortunes, but nevertheless, nothing will stop South Africa from being one of the most loved sides in International cricket and their tag of being favourites whenever they play and more importantly wherever they play. May be, this is the beauty of South African Cricket which makes the world root for it in every tournament.

But, taking nothing away from the kiwis, wish them all luck in their final attempt to create history.
And better luck next time South Africa. You deserve it and one day you will make it.    

India Pakistan Classic scenes

Some Pictures of Indo-Pak cricket that are etched in every fan's mind.

• Miandad's Last ball Six of Chetan Chauhan in 1986 Sharjah final that brought despair & smiles

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• Miandad's frog jump in 1992 World Cup

• Aamir Sohail Send off by Venkatesh Prasad - Prasad had the last laugh
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• 2003 world Cup: Centurion

• 2007 T20 world Cup

• Harbhajan's heroics in Asia Cup 2010

• World Cup Semifinal 2011

• Afridi weaves his magic in Asia Cup 2014

Cricket would never have been the same if not for the spectators and there is no point of India-Pakistan match without giving the spectators their true worth. 

So here it is for the every single fan out there. 

India vs Pakistan Classics

With the never-ending political upheavals taking a front seat in the Indo-Pak relations, the joy of India Pakistan matches have been restricted to your birthday falling in a leap year. It’s simply quite amazing to see that same level of bustling energy and enthusiasm over generations being maintained and going strong. If anything, the negativity and acrimony amongst fans on both sides have given way to excitement and respect for each other. Every difference- gender, age, economic- present in the Indian society is asked to take a backstage, with cricket taking the centre stage. To see that bubbling enthusiasm at home and observing the actions being matched step-by-step by our brothers closer home in the neighboring land of Pakistan proves the magnanimity of the event involved. Add to it the flavor of World Cup and we have got an exciting talent given the grandest stage to perform and show the world their mettle.

Characters have evolved from such high-pressure encounters. The sight of Miandad frog-jumping in front of Kiran More in that 92 World Cup lit up the otherwise unexpected dim atmosphere. Venkatesh prasad’s famous send-off to Aamir Sohail in that 96 World cup is a sight to behold. Tendulkar tearing apart the trio of Akram, Akhtar and Waqar in Centurion have mesmerized many. The sight of a despondent Misbah after getting caught trying to scoop in that T20 World cup final is etched in the memory of everybody’s mind.

The game has become richer for spectators by being given the opportunity to witness players involved in such grueling intensity and high-pressure situations talk it out many years down the line in the commentary box. The game reaches  to a very different level when we have Ganguly and Akram talking about 2003 or Ravi Shastri and Rameez Raza talking about their times. Getting to know some wonderful insights about why Shoaib’s pace used to drop slightly with Dravid at the crease makes you go back down the memory lanes and relive those moments of joy. Few years down the line, it will be fascinating to see Dhoni have a chat with Misbah on air about the strategy behind giving Joginder Sharma that last over in that famous Indian Win in 2007. Moving forward a decade, if things go well, we might be able to see Kohli and Akmal making their feelings known on air in an Indo-Pak match in Australia with Johnson being the mediator in the Commentary Box. Everybody loves a romantic story and Indo-Pak matches give us a glimpse of that every time these two nations play. These are some of the reasons that have kept the passion and excitement going.

With political tensions not ceasing anytime soon, the opportunities to live these moments have reduced. But whenever presented, everybody has grabbed the associated joys with both hands. It’s in human nature to present them every single opportunity to please themselves and I might be correct when I say that many an Indo-Pak moments will be part of that.

However, to look at the silver lining, with matches being conducted not so regularly, it might have given the perfect break to make this contest alive every single time it is staged. No matter which team wins, the game of Cricket will always be a winner and the sheer joy associated with the event will give our lives moments to cherish.  

The game has given immense opportunities to bring together the two Asian countries to help them realize their full potential, not restricted to the game of Cricket alone. The project that was started to bring peace by using Cricket as the tool can go a long way in improving the relationships. Let's hope that someday we are mature enough to understand that

    

An Unconventional take

The movie “PK” correctly depicted the blasphemies being conducted in the name of religion everyday in today’s world. The presence of self-styled god men commanding authority over nothing but naïve followers has become a pressing issue of late. The movie did great in trying to erode the influence of these cheaters by using the medium integral to the lifestyles of “almost” everyone. People needed to be made aware and the crew of the film did a great job in spreading the message.

However, few of the messages weren't showed in the true light and their alternative approach surely made sense to me.

“Jo darta hai woh mandir jata hai”: Those who are fearful go to temples. This statement doesn’t find resonance with everybody.

“A state has rules for its effective administration and imposes certain restrictions on its citizens so as to avoid anarchy. People following the rules and regulations are civilized people and not fearful. Just as a state defines standards for the community, religion can be thought of as a vehicle to maintain personal standards. If only, people could be made to understand that demanding things by doing certain rituals and practices (give and take) can never be the essence of religion. Let’s leave such attitude for our daily mundane transactions and jobs. People love their father, mother, wife, children etc. Why is it wrong for someone to love God? When there is love for someone, there is no thinking of returns for our actions. Some people like to see their relationship that way, as a loving exchange and not just a transaction to satisfy others' desires.

As a society, we take pride in assimilating differences. Where does that rational mind go when we are out there despising those that try to follow their beliefs? It’s up to us that we don’t like to follow such things and rituals; fair enough, but that doesn't give us the rights to mock somebody else’s beliefs. US President Obama might be right about the religious intolerance increasing in India. 

  

This is one way through which religion can be looked upon. If religion shows the path of austerity, mercy and truthfulness, then surely we need it in our lives for a better tomorrow. The present day divisions of Hindu, Muslims, Christians etc. are not the true face of religion, it never was. It has been created by some power hungry people for their own benefits and sooner or later people will understand their trickery. Men like Asaram & Rampal have already fallen from grace and these should be enough proof for anyone to stay away from such thugs.”

Not being someone with a religious bent of mind, the explanations certainly helped in looking things with a different perspective. The time might have come to change the glasses with which the world is being seen or maybe get rid of the glass altogether.    

The Shrinking Pitcher

This is a time when the differences are expanding greatly and the tolerance is diminishing, portraying a bleak future. At a time when there is a pride in the all inclusive attitude towards the world, the charade of inclusivity & tolerance gets shattered by the world events taking place.

Instances such as “Charlie Hebdo” attack show that this tolerance is diminishing greatly and if not checked, will have disastrous consequences. It was an instance of both sides committing a grave mistake. In a world, where religion is the engine driving the lives of so many people, creating a mockery on the religious sentiments, that too continuously doesn’t make sense to a rational mind. The freedom of speech & expression are surely an integral part of individual freedom, but the actions that cause the infringement of right of others should not have any place in a civilized society.

The understanding that right & wrong are based on individual perception seems missing. It might not be the ideal scenario, but this remains the practical one. A sense of maturity is missing when the faiths of others which are not known to us in entirety are being questioned and spoofed.

While this was immature, the reaction that happened in its aftermath was insane, to say the least. Shooting down people who criticize our actions or beliefs shows the immaturity of depending on others’ perception about our “way of life”.

An alternative way might have been to answer the questions through direct responses to editors, or through publication of their own. If one can hire guns to attack people, one can surely have the money to publish their ideas, opinions & beliefs.

The ability of not being able to take criticism is becoming a very large obstacle which is pegging the society back in its journey to higher levels.

Closer home, the differences between various religious groups are again becoming intense. Take into account the theory of “Love Jihad” of Hindu fundamentalists and their corresponding solution of “Ghar Wapsi Andolan”, it depicts nothing but our inability to respect/tolerate differences and our desire to show our supremacy.

Moreover, these differences & the absence of tolerance are not just restricted to the religious domain. In the process of our nation becoming a corporate Hindu state, the governments are forcing the indigenous people to cede their control over the resources in order to fulfill the needs of the influential and the rich.

Consider the case of Dandkaranya forest and the subsequent uprising of the locals there. As a civilization, we have stooped to such low levels where we are trying to meet our ends by snatching it from others. For the corporate, the bauxite in the mountains is nothing but a resource to be used for economic opportunities. But for the locals, these mountains are the source of their life, they sustain their livelihood. Furthermore, the economic plans have no place in it for these people. So, does it make sense to a rational mind to use arms against the wish of our very own people?

 Where are we going if we cannot understand and respect the needs & views of others? India’s great ability to sustain so many differences and yet being a single entity was the thing that astonished & attracted people. While we are going forward, an intelligent society would have a sense of responsibility in understanding and carrying the lessons learnt and legacies from the past.

Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej762GCi9Zc