I Ponder…
I fly...
I sulk…
I smile
No more contemplating “The Why”
I reach out
With my voracious clasp
To the screaming spirits...
Convulsing beneath the abyss...
Trying to behold
In the Scorching Fizz….
I uproot them and scatter
Beyond the yonder skies...
And then..! What do I see...?
My Landscape so bright...
I look up and wonder…
My spirits shining high...
I Thank…
I relish...
I fathom...
I ravish…
“The Festival of lights”
Haven’t we heard these words somewhere? May be few of us have written about it, spoken about it and yes lets not ignore all of us are a divine lot who are knotted to this intensely vicious circle. Nevertheless what does Global Wobble remind us of... frustrated citizens, responsible business getting weaker, emergence for the need of enhanced social opportunity and most importantly economic opportunity…after religious contemplation, retrieval of memories and excavating the relevant literature I navigated to a point where I summarized Global Wobble as an adverse impact of the sum of events done in the interest of the society by the people living in it. The check here is, this is a total parody, I mean of the first order. Anything and everything we do to protect us, to secure us, to benefit us, leaves an unseen dust which may look trifle and insignificant but when time cascades the dust accumulates and binds with the pressure of the economic, social and cultural atmosphere and creates a hurricane of pandemonium which extends beyond the statutory obligations, legislations, human relations, economic cultural and social situations.
Proponents argue that there are two classes of people first one The Approvers, they are the pioneers, the building blocks of the world, any soul rich or poor who work tenaciously to improve their lives and the world and the second The Disapprovers who work to disapprove anything and everything done by the approvers, their only motto is to swim against the sea to prove a point, what is the point??? Well they don’t have an answer, but how many questions we ask, have one? Coming back to the point where we need to reside for a moment, the Disapprovers are accused for the wobble across the world. Why??? Well! Let’s see what they do fundamentalism, terrorism, vandalism, redtapism, nepotism, religionism, communalism, capitalism, communism a bountiful of “ISMS’ and what do they get? Let’s focus on the main aspects only, firstly Publicity! Oh sure they do… books have them, Newspapers, Politicians vows, Presidential speech all of them have just these people in them, around them, beside them, all over them. Secondly Fear! Not the Evil dead types fear but the Mad dog across the road types fear ,we never know when it may bite and we never know why it may bite and we also may never know what will happen to us after the bite ,we only have the privilege to know that there are Mad dogs! Nevertheless if we do a tiny introspection, run a virtual marathon and answer few questions to see if we are thinking in right direction. The first question will be Do these classes really exist??? All of us have an approver and a disapprover residing in our minds both may meet or may just be invisible to each other, they may react together or may individually, but the fact is they do co-exist ,as human is naturally prone to act in either ways. But why do we blame the disapprovers for the wobble in the world. If this theory is true, then the world sans “ISMS” should be heaven, is that so?? I don’t think so, this is purely my perception though, all of us are responsible in our own ways for the wobble, the contribution of each one of us may differ, but all of us have to accept the blame for the situation of the Poor Globe.
Firstly, how many of us really try our best to look at the varied inputs in our life and see what biases those inputs may hold on the society and the environment?
Secondly how many of us really in some way or the other don’t perpetuate our problems?? We all have our buttons of different sizes which holds us to the fabric of life…buttons of wealth, fame and name…buttons of love concern and care, buttons of selfishness, jealousy and remorse, buttons of welfare, kindness and peace and many more.
Thirdly how many of us are unflinchingly aware and altruistic people???
India is a country where we have a refined blend of mixture of opposites, the absolutely learned and the ignorant living together, and have got nothing to do with each other. Classes who don’t know to control birth and religiously follow more kids more income philosophy, follow ridiculous customs such as child marriage, sati, honor killing, female infanticide, tenaciously follow “Don’t educate women” philosophy, shamelessly spit on roads, religiously break traffic rules, throw trash on the streets, vote for money and there is another literate lot who efficiently pursue drunk driving, in the name of freedom involve in all kinds of divine habits, they are “The unaware and not bothered to be aware class”. The other learned Class completely aware of what is going on and the distinct role they play, but all that they do is complain about the world and its ways and proudly pursue “I am not interested in corruption and anything that is marred, I am learned and I am going to mind my work” philosophy .
These classes according to me are much more detrimental and lethal to a nation than terrorists and fundamentalists put together.
However let’s not ignore, a substantial class in the world,” The not so aware but willing to know class,”. They show concern, participate, go through all the hardships and humiliations, but still endeavor for the common good. They don’t save the world, but they leave a positive contribution and pioneer a genuine path to inspire the rest.
But the point here is, these classes are not the classes of people, these are the classes of mindset. We could have a person acting responsible and participative at an instance the next he may be indifferent. Same person could have different schools of thought at different instances.
In short, we’re all culprits, and we’re all victims.
So what is a society to do? How about its citizens? What’s the value in pointing out faults if we fail to offer any solutions?
So I have made my list to see how much I can try to reduce the wobble. It is more of a checklist, before I end my day, check them and see how much of it, do I really pursue.
My checklist enlists the following :
When we encounter the “Retail temptation” let us chose to meditate, read, or find some other channel.
Let us shop only if there is something we must have and on items that support life and is sustainable.
Let us buy things which can be recycled and can last longer.
Let us reduce consumption of Oil, Natural gas, Water and other Natural resources.
Let us protest against “free” trade agreements.
Let us support non profit organizations and NGO’s by volunteering money and time that support life, promote noble cause and have noble intentions towards the society.
Let us not stock up cars, home, and wardrobe. Three huge cars for a family of three make absolutely no sense.
Let us support local merchants, local growers, local farmers’, producers and suppliers rather than huge international brands.
Let us vote for relevant and productive politicians.
Take a walk or public transport, or do carpooling or take company cabs for office rather than own means of transport.
Ensure that all the investments we make are economically socially and environmentally responsible investments.
Talk to pervade awareness, at schools, slums, colleges about the impact of over population, sex education, pollution, poor working conditions, and other environmental, social, and political factors that contribute to a better living condition to avoid ramification of future generations.
Let’s turn off the idiot box for sometime and go for a stroll, meet new people, explore nature, pursue a hobby, enrich our creative stream.
At the end of the day, I do fall back on the list, I do not say I have done it all, but this acts as a control check, there is no hard and fast rule that we have to live in a specific way.
We might have a point of view which may say “ If I can afford, why should I underplay”. The quest here is why not??? If underplaying can do some good to us and our future generations in the long run, we can be a little selfless, can't we????
Lots to contemplate, it is our onus to make a contribution to the globe.
Evading might be impossible but atleast lets try to reduce the wobble.
Have integrity, let’s stand for something and believe in ourselves.
Preeti Venkateshan
