Children of Chance

The weather forecast for these days has been quite right, and the cold wind seemed to dip day after day, and the cloudy weather added to the woes of the common people, who have no big shelter to protect themselves from the cold wind blowing, especially at the early hours of the day. Those who live in high-rise buildings have nothing much to worry, even if the temperature were to dip to zero and even beyond; they have all the comforts set right to protect themselves from any sort of heat and cold; they cannot be touched by any kind of weather! But I would like to imagine the Ultadanga slum-dwellers who had lost their “hutments” at the fire that broke at midday!

It is said that over 500 families lost not only their shelter, but also all their belongings. Some of them were left to stand and stare at the bellowing of flames, slowly eating up all their possessions, however big or small they are. Now that these people are left to wonder what they could do to get back to life, there are politicians ready to play their cards, throw the sympathy trump cards, and get into the good books of the hapless victims of circumstances. There would be theories which may attribute the fire to the deliberate tactics of certain political parties in order to clear the place at one go. Whatever be the theories, one thing is for sure: these people have been left to huddle with open sky over their heads, and warm themselves with the rags salvaged from ashes!

It is hard to think of these poor slum-dwellers to rise up to new life like the proverbial phoenix; there is one saving factor: they are quite used to these kinds of predicaments; they have seen several such fires, and had begun life anew several times. It has become almost a routine affair for them to keep looking at life with bright eyes, and then let the flames devour their dreams at a time they least expect. This is one thing they do not have much control; to prevent such calamities dawn on their dwellings. They seem to be playing a duel with chance, and there are more chances that they lose the battle, with all the other forces supporting the chances!

Even as 2500 people of the slum struggle to gather whatever has been left behind by the merciful flames, for most of us, the event has not touched us in any way. Our food for three times is assured; the morning coffee and the evening tea will be there, even if the whole world were to collapse! Unless there is a major natural calamity, we are sure that our building is strong and will stand for another 50 years to say the least. What do we need to worry? Many of these people who have lost all their earnings and belongings, may wonder what they will eat before they go to bed; the parents may have to beg food for their children, and their plight may not touch my life in any way!

It is not that I should now rush to handover the food cooked for me to the hungry people; that would not solve the problem in anyway. It may only seem crocodile tears! How am I to express my solidarity with these people, that would make a difference, if not for the people I symbolically care for, but at least for me! It maybe a social-crime to enjoy a cozy evening inside my room well protected from excessive heat and cold, while there are people who do not have a decent place to lay down their heads tonight. Will it be possible for me to do something for them, which may make a difference? Probably there may not be anything which I can do to make a difference, except that I do not forget the faces of these people even as I go to bed with full-stomach, after having a warm bath! If I carry them in my mind at least for a while during the day, it will have its own impact and repercussion!

Slumdogs to Skylarks

At last, many of the Indians are on the first page of most of the world's newspapers, and this time, not for something disgusting or horrifying, but noble and beautiful. Eight Oscar awards to Slumdog Millionaire has shaken the nation from its slumber, to reveal to the world that India is more than a land of snake-charmers and of hunger and thirst, where industry has not grown... The world has known India for all the reasons what it should not have been. Living in Philippines, for instance, Indians are looked down upon as people who are shrewd (thanks to the Gujaratis, who have a flourishing money-lending business), and know how to extract the most from the locals, and for Pinays India does not exist, all they know is Mumbai, what I used to call 'national ignorance'.

The picture is somewhat different in Europe; since there is a huge African population, often the Indians are grouped together with the Black, partly due to affinity due to color. For the West, the dark or brown skin is not something detestable, but something that need to be kept at a distance. Can eight Oscar awards change the most often distorted view of the great nation of cultures and religions in the eyes of the world fraternity? This is one question that I keep asking, even as the debate goes on if the movie is an Indian or a British one! Whether we like it or not, India has been put on the Oscar map, and it is there to stay, even if the future years do not find adequate talent to match the present generation!

The story of the Slumdog may come as a surprise to other nations, but to the Indians this movie has exactly the same kind of formula, with which most of the Indian films are made. The triumph of the underdog is one theme that is eternal in this land, because that give relief to the audience, even if it is only momentary, and takes them away from the humdrum reality that most of our men and women are forced to live. But the story is something that is too good to be true, and I only hope that the dalits and the marginalised tribals don't make futile efforts to reach the state of Jamaal in the film. Reasonable risks can bring in good results, and this film is a proof to it.

One of the most memorable moments at the Kodak Studio in California was the presence of the tiny-tots who made an integral part of the film; the early Jamaal and Salim and Latika are too good to be true, and they probably don't realize that they are part of history, and after a decade or two, they can share with the next generations that India is no less than any other nation in the world. We may be believing strongly in age-old customs and traditions, we may be worshipping cows, we may deny women their due religious rights and privileges, we may still believe in ploughing our lands with bulls, and worship trees and shrubs, like Tulsi... we may be superstitious, but we have a civilization which can show the path to the world in the years to come.

I do not want to float in the clouds, thinking and owning the success of one movie, which tells an imaginary story, well told and portrayed though; reality is what we need to believe in, and embrace whole-heartedly. I would like to pause for a while and own the land that I am born in, and accept her as she is, without attempting to force her change according to my whims and fancies. I would like to embrace her as A. R. Rahman attributed his success to his mother, and attribute all that I am and capable of to what this wonderful land of mine has given me. I am part of the great civilization, I am part and parcel of this great nation of varied cultures and religions, and it is only proper that I salute her saying "Jai ho" (hail)!

Beyond Black and White

Today is a very significant day to every American citizen; the day that needs to be carved with golden letters in the annals of not only American history, but the history of the world. On this day, Barrack Obama ascends to the presidential chair of the United States of America, and this is something that is amazing, significant and noteworthy. Times have changed, and the socio-cultural and political situations around the globe has changed considerably; but some of the deep-seated ideologies and prejudices about certain races and colors have continued to persist, even after centuries. What has been the fate of the Afro-Americans has been the fate of the dalits of the India; though there had been prophets championing the causes of the underdogs (we may as well include the “slumdogs” of the recent film Slumdog Millionaire), the result had not been altogether encouraging. Today as Obama makes history taking reins of perhaps the most powerful nation on earth, we look forward to brighter days ahead.

It is not often that people who are on the fringes of the society rise up to occupy the most prominent chairs in society; there are in-built mechanism in most of the societies to dethrone the people who do not necessarily fit into the pre-fabricated systems. Though victories of these underdogs ascending to top-most posts of the government may be short-lived, due to two opposing poles of attraction : on the one side is the feeling that these men and women may experience, an awkward feeling that they are just misfits in the system, and therefore would be compelled to walk out of the scene themselves; on the other side are the people whose sincere efforts to bring order and discipline in the system may end up with cold shoulders; there may be imperceptible resistance from the people who matter, and those in authority may be turned to blind alleys. Even as they contemplate quitting the scene, they may find themselves outside the system too soon. We are yet to see how Obama perseveres in his battle against the races.

It is obvious that every time a person from the lower rungs of the society climbs up the ladder, there are many who raise their eyebrows, and wonder if it is a mistake; some cannot even believe their eyes and ears. But history is known to reverse the fates of many a men and women, who considered themselves indispensable to history. It is hard for a single man or woman to fight a fierce battle against races, who are soaked in centuries of dominion over the natives. Unfortunately there are many in our society who know only how to be served; they cannot think of themselves as serving others. That is why when it comes to the question of extending an arm of cooperation and collaboration, they feel shattered, and their world crumbles. Today is the day that proves that the Black too have equal rights and opportunities to lead the Whites. What we would very much love to see is a society that goes beyond all sorts of discrimination, on the basis of color or caste, social status or stratification, religion or culture.

There are several men and women who have changed the face of the earth by their sheer grit, and thanks to their tireless service and selfless dedication, today we have a world that still yearns for peace and harmony, strength and stability. It is wrong time for us to enter into a debate about the personal credentials of the leader who is going to occupy the presidential chair; we would not also enter into arguments as to the means by which he had ascended to this position. There are camps for and against, and we would spare them for more volatile debates in schools and colleges, but for now, it shall suffice to look at the traditions the leader brings in to the presidency. Certain aspects of traditions live longer than our breath, and we betray the traditions we behold every time we present ourselves in public. Our speech, mannerism, facial expressions, face-cut, bodily features, smile, everything are here to betray our identity, good or bad. Here then we stand not to condemn anyone or anything, but to behold and ennoble them.

I may not be wrong if I were to say that the universe gets the leaders she deserves. History has seen umpteen leaders, good and bad, selfish and selfless, introvert and extravert; each time phase in history begot her own leaders. Today we pause for a while to bring to mind all the leaders who in some way or other control my life and existence, and to whom I am accountable. There are leaderships at every sphere of my life, religious, cultural, social, political and economic. At the other side of the spectrum, I can see myself in leadership roles, controlling the life and destiny of the people under my care. Sometimes I have the power to care or condemn people, and sadly some of them are under my mercy, and my whims and fancies determine their fate. Today let me reflect for a while, what sort of leader am I, and what do I wish to achieve through this leadership quality that had been bestowed on me. If at any time, I am able to lay down my life, or at least my personal priorities, for the people, then I can be proud to be their leader! (Rome)