Pursuing Power...
Power is a key word of life. Power is what that drives the world, according to me. Today, for instance in India, though we celebrate young and emerging India, we are all witness to the fact if you are powerful, you can go scathe-free. I am talking not just of politicians, film stars and filthy rich real estate people escaping jail, but am talking of our daily life.
To me, power today is money and influence. They will always mean power to me and I shall strive for them. It is probably the most common sight on the busy Delhi roads that uber rich people driving all those Mercedes, BMW models often get down on to the road to settle scores with guileless autowallas just to show off that they are powerful.
As we talk of equality, change in the country, and sense prevailing due to education, we are just fooling ourselves. Very often people relate the IT boom to the success of young India in moving the country forward. They often cite examples of well-to-do IT professionals donating to NGOs, teaching kids and all. To me, it all seems like a faff. I do appreciate their benevolence a bit, but somewhere in me, there is a cynic who tells me it isn't their magnanimity but their drive to show off their power and in that manner, get some influence. I may be wrong though! The striking thought that doesn't allow me to accept their nobility right away is that if they are all that noble, enlightened, educated and civilised, what is the frigging problem in following lane discipline on the roads yaar?! I haven't seen their attitudes changing too. Its just their lifestyles that have changed, and that is because of the dollars that the West throws at the so-called IT Services sector of India, which hasn't done any noticeable service to the country, except boosting the mall and pub culture.
As we embark upon things like 'Lead India', which I can't make any sense of, are we really competent and enlightened enough? Do we know what we are, before we announce what we want in others? Was reading a kid, aged 11, with no offence to him and all my respect to his intellect, speaking to a ToI correspondent talking about how a leader should be, and how Gandhiji was 'all giving and sacrificing'. Am sure he spoke that out of just the prodding of that media man who must have been on the prowl for his day's dough through some filler in the newspaper.
It seems to me like a pity that we are in a hurry to jump to judgements. We are mistaking power to be enlightenment. Being powerful isn't being intelligent or mature or even sensible! It is just being wealthy, influential and likes. It is a fact , infact a maxim or I would say 'Eleventh Commandment' that 'You cannot ignore power centers'. But we must not stoop to a level that we assuage these rich and getting richer segment of the society, all the while ignoring the real meaning of society. These aren't people we should be targetting to build a better nation. When our eye is in the wrong place, it doesn't matter if we have shot in the bull's eye!
To me, power today is money and influence. They will always mean power to me and I shall strive for them. It is probably the most common sight on the busy Delhi roads that uber rich people driving all those Mercedes, BMW models often get down on to the road to settle scores with guileless autowallas just to show off that they are powerful.
As we talk of equality, change in the country, and sense prevailing due to education, we are just fooling ourselves. Very often people relate the IT boom to the success of young India in moving the country forward. They often cite examples of well-to-do IT professionals donating to NGOs, teaching kids and all. To me, it all seems like a faff. I do appreciate their benevolence a bit, but somewhere in me, there is a cynic who tells me it isn't their magnanimity but their drive to show off their power and in that manner, get some influence. I may be wrong though! The striking thought that doesn't allow me to accept their nobility right away is that if they are all that noble, enlightened, educated and civilised, what is the frigging problem in following lane discipline on the roads yaar?! I haven't seen their attitudes changing too. Its just their lifestyles that have changed, and that is because of the dollars that the West throws at the so-called IT Services sector of India, which hasn't done any noticeable service to the country, except boosting the mall and pub culture.
As we embark upon things like 'Lead India', which I can't make any sense of, are we really competent and enlightened enough? Do we know what we are, before we announce what we want in others? Was reading a kid, aged 11, with no offence to him and all my respect to his intellect, speaking to a ToI correspondent talking about how a leader should be, and how Gandhiji was 'all giving and sacrificing'. Am sure he spoke that out of just the prodding of that media man who must have been on the prowl for his day's dough through some filler in the newspaper.
It seems to me like a pity that we are in a hurry to jump to judgements. We are mistaking power to be enlightenment. Being powerful isn't being intelligent or mature or even sensible! It is just being wealthy, influential and likes. It is a fact , infact a maxim or I would say 'Eleventh Commandment' that 'You cannot ignore power centers'. But we must not stoop to a level that we assuage these rich and getting richer segment of the society, all the while ignoring the real meaning of society. These aren't people we should be targetting to build a better nation. When our eye is in the wrong place, it doesn't matter if we have shot in the bull's eye!
posted by Naresh @ 10:49 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Hahaha, I like your closing sentence. Anyway i think it is a tricky situation that India is in, i don't quite know whether she is ready to be a super power, but the pressure is there because of fast emerging counter parts. As long as results aren't half baked... i guess its all for the good..
What say?? :)
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