Newspapers and social media are full of the news about online cheating, rapes, and terrorism. I would not say that this is a new phenomenon. Indian mythology is full of many such stories. Ravana kidnapped Sita and Duryodhana Chirharan of Draupadi. Rakshasas always used to disturb the yajna by pouring water on the altar and frightening the saints. Probably there are two questions worth examination. First, why all these things happen, and second what can be done to set the situation right.
I feel that each of us wants to live with love and peace. In fact, all the infants and young kids just want to play. They can play with a stranger as well as they play with their parents. The moment their stomach is full, they just play and explore. Love is a natural quality, we all are born with. Then where does it disappear? In the process, we come into contact with a hollow society that is en masse running after money and power. Parents start telling the kids that if they do not get into IITs or clear NEET, their lives will get wasted. We are parents, end up passing on our fears and insecurities to the kids. Kids come into contact with the teachers who are generally the ones who could not get selected for IITs, NEET, and Civil Services. They pass on their fears in turn to the kids. Kids have no other place to look forward to. Social media is so full of money. Coaching institutes are mining money by selling dreams to the kids by publishing front-page advertisements with the names and photos of the successful candidates. He also sees so much of exploration all around. If somebody does not have power, his parents have to pay bribes to even get the due salary.
A young kid who just wants to explore life freely becomes fearful. He sets his dreams in terms of clearing an examination, be it civil services, IIT, or NEET. Few children do not have enough resources or their family condition does not support the same, sets a lower target. Some feel that the legally acceptable means of getting that money and pleasure are too difficult for them and they adopt illegal means of cheating in the examinations. Some cross one barrier and get stuck with the placements. Some get frustrated in the process and commit suicide. Some keep breaking the rules and the lackluster system is unable to get hold of them, making them bigger criminals. They become more and more fearless while committing these crimes and end up doing online criminals, rapists, and terrorists.
The fundamental equation remains the same. When a young kid has love in his heart and wants to explore this world, where does that disappear? Why the parents do not instill that love by caring for the kids? Why do we become so insensitive to see the deterioration of our own kids in front of our eyes? Why do we allow such a naked display of money in front of our eyes when people are spending thousands of crores in one single function? Why doesn't mass criticism come for such acts so that the message is loud and clear to the kids that this is definitely not the meaning of life? Why we are always silent and close our eyes like Bhishma, Dhritrashtra, Vidura, and Pandavas when Draupadi's clothes are being taken away? Do we have any right to cry when the same fire burns our homes?
I feel that it is the first and foremost duty of each human being to understand what life is. Unless we contemplate this, we will end up passing on the false understanding of life to our kids. Our life will be driven by a never-ending thirst for money and power. We will remain devoid of love and will pass on the same hollowness to our kids. It does not take much effort to see the other side of the life that is full of love and compassion. It just needs a little time off social media, fixation on money, and worldly pleasures. Just like turning off the loud DJ, and we get to listen to the sweet chirping of life. We listen to that chirping of life and immediately become peaceful and full of love. We realize how we all are connected at the level of consciousness. Awareness of that inner connection brings love and compassion. Any person who has love and compassion never craves external pleasures. He can never be insensitive towards others, leaving aside cheating, raping, or killing fellow human beings. I strongly feel that it is the need of the hour to introduce mindfulness to the kids going to schools and the teachers and the parents so that we do not end up turning into a society where everybody is afraid of fraud, terrorists, and rapists. A society that is full of love and compassion can never be unsafe, and on the other hand, whatever measures we build for safety and security, a society devoid of love and compassion can never be safe.
Comments