How often have you observed the generally ignored parallel world at Traffic Signals? Just think, as in, have you always been ignoring the very presence of jam-triggered activities around you or is it something you have educated yourself not to be bothered with. Have you inherently developed a feeling that one should not pay any damn heed to all such creatures including Calcluator wallahs, brush wallahs, cushion wallahs, flower wallahs, eunuchs and beggers. Has this feeling already got deeply engraved into your sub conscious as it has got into mine? Has it got something to do with the movies like TRAFFIC SIGNAL that such beliefs have been coherently structured and concreted?
I was just thinking over the same. For the past couple of weeks I have been driving a lot in my newly acquired SWIFT and such instances have unwarrantedly become a routine passé. No, I am not at all advocating the cause of this all different world. Just that somewhere at the back of my mind this has become a generalized cognition. My spontaneous reaction to any person approaching to me in such cases is a wave of hand as if to brush off even the sight. That day at
P.S.- Normally any such down-surge of my psyche results into a Poem.So,just can go through one related to this post under this entry.
The "Third World" as you have put it has always been present...trying to rise out of their world in their own ways...or rather trying to persistently be in their world in their own way...I dont know which one of it is true but that is not the question here...I am not gonna dwell into the intricacies of the other world at "Traffic Lights".
ReplyDeleteThe question here is about the way we behave towards them...yes, I own up my insensitivity towards these kids....but as one wise man had advised, I also dont like encouraging them to beg/ sell to earn their living....
I dunno why I have developed this attitude towards them...not that it would effect my financial stability much if I do share some paise/ rupees with them...but guess this is something you learn on your way to what you are now...In the race to atleast remain in the life's race,one ends up losing his emotional, sensitive half a lot...there are thousands of issues bothering one's head and a little gal knocking at the window 1) brings one rudely into the present world 2) makes one panic about the scratches she could have caused on the car's window..;)...Nothing more nothing less...
I am not proud of what I am or how I behave to these kids...but at times I do surprise the world/myself with a hidden emotional/ sensitive half of mine..Just yesterday, I almost got grounded by the traffic police in my attempt to give a begger a rupee...I earned the brunt of the "mama" for being so pathetically slow as well as the scowl of the begger for giving him only a rupee...but that doesnt matter much as I was feeling a bit lighter in weight both at my heart as well as in my wallet....
So guess an occasional gesture to help (in a very action filled way :))is my way of undoing all the rudeness and insensitivities I show otherwise...I dunno...some questions generally remain unanswered till u force urself to answer them...Guess,this is one such thing.
@Manu
ReplyDeleteYou can make a difference if you choose to make a difference. There are many places where they need people to teach kids, not give them money.
@Prabha
You say you 'atone' indifference by giving away a rupee :) Not quite:)
Interesting comments..Is the indifference shown so serious to be atoned for..may be or may be not thats depend on individual but the mere fact that you felt remorse somewhere down inside is enough as I feel whenever God/destiny will present you opportunity to do something abt it..you will stand for it.Generally speaking..a rational person does the same thing as Prabha mentioned..thats the only way to drive the kids from streets to free school mentioned by Manu. A simple ignore rather than despise look works for me and if you are overwhelmed with your insensitivity
ReplyDeletethan a random act of generousness will help you stay human:).One interesting thing I noticed here in US that beggers approaches Indian people a lot and they easily dole out $ which their American counterpart plainly refuses. Food for thought..Now get back to Work :)
Veer