It was a sunny day, my car was crawling on the heavily jammed road of New Delhi and suddenly it stopped with a jerk. I came out of my thoughts and stepped out to find out what had happened.
Oh! It was an accident, quite normal in metro cities of our India. While I was watching the whole scene many children came and started asking for alms. Heavily jammed roads are their favorite place for the begging industry. I think, I spoke rudely and told them to move away, some of them went, but one was still there.
He stood near me and didn’t say anything, the dirty face of his hand visible as he begged for money. He was continuously staring at me, his eyes piercing my shield, I was completely shaken up.
His eyes said so much to me. In the midst of the entire rich crowd, kicking him, abusing him, he was standing firm and there was so much inside him he wanted to reveal.
AT THAT TIME I REALISED, WHAT IS ‘REAL INDIA’?
It said, real India lives in villages but at that moment I found that real India is seen in eyes of every individual who is striving for something. Real India is fighting to survive. I was sweating abruptly. Hurriedly I went into the car and closed the windows, as if I was trying to blind myself from what I had witnessed now or to my realizations. Thoughts were popping into my head continuously. I portrayed that child in my mind; his face refused to get out of my head. His eyes so curious, his face so sad and desperate, his clothes, torn and hands, dirty. But still he has that attitude, that persona. He was completely portraying the real India. That child was a result of poverty, no care. He was a victim of child labor and no education facility was being provided to him.
Our India is facing this situation which is a problem at a global level. India is dominated by superpowers like U.S.A, U.K., France and many more. Our economy is at its verge, unemployment is at its limits. Despite being the second largest populated country of the world, we are among the weakest and poorest. No doubt we have talent, we have high ambitions, desires and at the same time we are hard working and determined, but the lack of facilities and because of lack of good leaders we are still, after 60 years of independence, a developing country.
It is not only that India is dominated by external forces only, but internally our system is so corrupt that we getting hollowed from inside. Delhi gang rape incident or 2G, 3G scams are some of prominent examples of it. We are busy in fighting ourselves, then how can we face others.
That child on his forehead bore our tricolor. I felt that, that tricolor was ashamed that it could not fill colors in the life of that child. His determination reflected the determination of the youth of India, of future India. But being surrounded by so cruel forces, his hands were begging, not for money, but for freedom, I realized.
Freedom is a thing to apply, to rejoice, to revive and to reform. Yes, he wants to reform our India. So many measures have been taken to make India, a better place.
Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption rally is one that deserves a mention. But now what? No change. Still we stand on the same street.
India is begging to be uplifted, to be developed, but after 60 years also, there are more slaves than fighters in this cut-throat world.
India is getting wounded. We need to develop in all ways, by all means. We need to come together, and work to make our India, that India which will reflect in the eyes of every child, youth or old dreams. That India which I saw in that child’s eyes needs to be transformed, so that we can be on the giving side. The process will be slow, but I am sure we will make one day that INDIA of many DREAMS. Just what is needed is co-operation of every Indian and then we will be nowhere behind in any field.
That day I too took a vow that I will do whatever I can to fulfill the many dreams I saw in the eyes of that child. I see that time is not far when these hands will not be begging for help but will be involved in giving happiness around the world.
“THE END”
Prabhasini Mathur
prabhasinipvmathur@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/prabhasini.mathur
Creative Writing event @ Panache 2013 by CampusWriting…
(Third Place Winning Article)
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