Change the Wind

By Amit Koul

What kind of God denies basic necessity of living to people? Let us open our eyes. All societies have tendency to analyse, define their own norms about what is suitable and what isn’t.

We are always ignorant about such polices, including act of corruption—whether you pay it, or you take it. You see, God is great! But we humans have made this beautiful heaven a real hell and left nothing for up there. We have been living on garbage heaps by such ignorant actions.

But what we forget is: If someone is sitting in shade today, it is because someone planted a tree a long ago.

Our real struggle is to overcome mismanagement of lands, lack of infrastructure, misused public money and climatic changes—instead of shattering growth of our region by often bandhs.

The fact is: despite of living in upgraded technology, we bear the brunt of broken roads, garbage, dust, pollution, slums, and street dogs. Isn’t it ironic?

Few months ago, I came across a road-roller driver and few labourers who have changed my way of thinking. We have nothing to rejoice, or to be acknowledged. They are the real heroes, working under such hot and unfit conditions, where we cannot stand even for few minutes.

In a bright morning with sun overhead and temperature rising slightly, I found these labourers doing their routine work. By afternoon, they had completed half of their assigned work. During a lunch break, they were trying to find a shady place and water to have their meals. I offered them my corridor fitted with a small fan. They thanked me. In my heart, I was appreciating their jobs to work under such hot conditions, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

One labourer was spreading some vegetable with his finger on his bread followed by a spoon of ghee. Out of curiosity, I spoke to him regarding his monthly income and family structure. I found him literate despite being an illiterate! His literacy was reflecting in his time management and his own financial planning for his future. In comparison, all of us behave literate — but our course of actions make us illiterate.

All of us are concerned about our own belongings and behave selfishly—as our own grass should be greener. On other side of the fence, even for a penny, we can fight with anyone. But the amount of public funds wasted in making and remaking are no way our concern.

But the problem is: The lay back attitude first starts from our end—that we remain quiet, even if knowing policies. We behave like a drunken human, who always wish and forces people to sit around him for dancing on his tunes. We are ready to have a debate about grievances redressal system, but not bother to work on practical grounds. We are worse than street hawker, who collects our waste material to make his bread and butter. We allow our hard earned money to get waste by not raising our voice against such happenings.

We have to realize a bit at our own individual level for such real visible part of reality. We need to change the wind.

(The author, a Kashmiri Pandit, is Managing Director JK Fruit Company, Shopian)

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