Licence to Kill

It’s not a fad. It’s not even a trend. It seems to have got deep seated in the brains of people - many people, should I say? It has become a part of their personality. It manifests itself in the form of their outlook. And they consider themselves above the 'rest of the crowd' when they make statements!

That’s the shabby reality of the people here (many people, I stress). Money does not differentiate people. Social status is just the garb. Poverty is no stigma. Corruption is omni-present - in every corner of the world. Hunger for power is not peculiar to any set of human beings. Even the noblest of souls struggle to eradicate ego. Terrorism thrives in any environment. Injustices prevail everywhere. Freedom is crushed in any society. Sex trade is the staple business in many parts of the globe.

Why then, should anyone carp on these, when it’s one's own country that is affected? What makes one pine and whine that our country is beyond repair? Why do people make a fashionable statement out of the dark realities of the society? How mean could one be, to complain of one's own home and do nothing about it at all? How can one make fun of one's own burning house?

Let's stop thinking that India is incorrigible. Let’s not fool ourselves into believing that India is corrupt to the core. To hell with the rankings on corruption - no one is big enough to judge a society that has all the riches of a dream civilisation. No one needs to prove anything to anyone at all; can you justify your acts to your own self? What have you done to drive the evils out, which haunt us? If you find something rotten, clean it up. If you find filth in your country, it reflects you and no one else! There is no demarcation between your country and you. India is an extension of every Indian - and it’s your body that the parasites are feasting upon!

If your face shows even a trace of smile the next time you mention of the defects in India, you do not deserve to live any longer!