Born into a better world - Not!

Excuse me for the Borat style pun there, but it came to be for a reason. When my daughter was born, I started a post about how she was born into a better world; about how the world has changed for the better for women, how the debate on global warming had become a call for action; how the people of a democracy had chosen hope over fear.

All of it came to a halt abruptly when a mass of evil disguised as human beings terrified the city of Mumbai for 4 days. I disagree with people who call them "pure unadulterated evil" - I think its an oxymoron - pure and unadulterated should never be in the same context as evil. I parsed through all news reports and remained glued to the television - so I could fathom the other extreme of "angel". I have to say, there is no yard stick nor a tape measure in the world long enough to measure the amount of devilishness that was spewed by their actions.

I switched channels and then I saw the news story of a Walmart employee who was trampled under a group pf people looking for the best deal. I guess when the world is all about material love, good looks and the gloriousness of boasting about good deals, it is not so tough to choose between a "rollback" and a human life. My faith in humanity was dwindling fast like the stock market indicator of a crumbling economy.

Assuming that there are more good people in this world than bad people - why is it that bad deeds are way more in number and effective than good deeds? Here is what I think - Good people have great intentions, but they are never dedicated to their cause like the other clan, they never undergo training nor do they rehearse their plan of action and they never focus on how precise their deeds need to be. The good people have purpose, intention, prayers and goodwill, but never the resolve and persuasion that the people on the other end of their spectrum have - except of course, when the opposite forces meet eye to eye .

As a part of the good side of people, let us all create that energy, a sense of urgency, a determination to fight for a cause and raise awareness about it - the only difference being that this cause supports greater good. Think what we can do to educate the under educated, help people who support evil regimes because they are the only people who feed them and take care of them and spread the message about tolerance and the idea of human race as "one". Of course, your armor and ammunition is right in front of you - the computer. Click, search and read about volunteering, donating and stories of people who became the change they wanted to see. Then decide on a strategy, draw up an action plan and go about executing it.

If all the good people upgraded their intentions and deeds to actions, one day some dad will be able to post a blog about how his baby was born into a better world than what he was born into. Lets at least give it a try - I am sure he will be thankful.

Furiously yours.

P.S. I hope when the Indian NSG was pointing his gun at the terrorist for the final assault, this thought came to him at least for a nanosecond - "Don't let the door hit you on your way out of this world - Don't even think of a reincarnation; I, WILL MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN."

Dearth of Posts

Hello readers,

I know that there has been a dearth of posts recently in my blog. We have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl,(I know the term beautiful is relative - all parents feel their kids are beautiful :-)) so I am going to take some time off to enjoy all the fun, baby smells and sleepless nights she has to offer. 

Meanwhile, if any of you have been checking in for new posts, please appetize (I don't think that's an actual word)  yourself with my thanks and apologies. I will be back to a screen near you shortly.

See you all in a week.

Happy Obama Day!

November 5, 2008 is a brand new day for the US of A. Voters triumphed over Pundits, Practicality triumphed over Prejudice, Intellect triumphed over Ignorance and most importantly, Hope triumphed over Fear. To put it more simply, the American people overcame their vulnerabilities as human beings and united for a greater cause fueled by hope. They got out of the train they had been traveling for the past 8 years and embarked on another one in a totally different direction.

I propose that the world celebrate this day as "Obama Day" signifying things that are much larger than Obama. He will be after all, like the Olympic torchbearer, who carries the torch lit by the millions of people he inspired. It is now his responsibility to carry this torch around the world, light many more like it and pave the way for more torchbearers. This day should remind all of us of the immense power we have - as citizens of democratic nations in the world. It also signifies how important democracy is and how easily it can be toppled by waving the magic wand - of fear; of terror and of the dark unknown. Let this day bring light into those dark tunnels that we are so afraid of - as light is still the best fear fighter known to mankind.

May this day also mark a symbolic beginning to the end of two wars - one, the unjust war in Iraq and the other, the American civil war on the middle class. America has the largest wealth gap between people in any developing country - it is a nation of the select few who have everything and everybody else who have select few things to hang on.

No matter what your political leanings are, let this day remind you that democracy is to be treasured, opposing opinions are not to be caged and that even though you are just one among the many billions in the world, you are not insignificant in the grander scheme of things. Let us as human beings, not underestimate the power of leaders who organize at grass roots, inspire men, women and children in the hope of a better future for mankind as a whole - it takes a great deal of courage, thick skin and humility to do what they do. Let us rise above our feelings of discouragement (things will never change, efforts will be futile, the rich and the privileged will always have their way by throwing more money into it) and hope that even if their chances seem grim in the beginning, they might just end up changing the world. Above all, let us teach, inspire and influence our kids to be like these leaders and to always do the right thing - though the rewards of their deeds may not be instantaneous.

Here's to hoping that all of us find our moment of awakening and not shy away from it. It was a ride in a first class compartment for Gandhiji, who then went on to inspire Martin Luther King, who in turn, paved the way for Obama. Happy Obama Day, everybody!