A different face of India

I’m an Indian.A typical south Indian, from the state of Kerala. India is well known as a country with large youth population. It is also considered a merit.. But what if they are not well-off.. Again the cycle of poverty continuous, unless the individual deviates from the ancestral path.Many of the current graduates and post-graduates are jobless, which is a very bad sign. Many children of rustic areas, still doesn’t go to schools.The urban set up is not too good either. Health sector has unquestionably improved a big deal, but still it is not enough, we have copious cases of  infant deaths. Additionally, Sex-specific infanticides and foeticides are common.In, this 21st century, ‘the age of modernity and development’ as it is hyped to be, security of youth is under question. This consequently inquests the future of India…

Even though I have gone through such facts in my economics texts, the reason why I write this again is because of a personal experience. It was a situation, that one might feel very frivolous, but I had different feeling…

The situation was quite ordinary..  But sincerely but I felt a difference…. I was at Mysore.. In midst of our school tour.. I had just returned from the zoo after a splendid watch, and was trying to call up all  what I had seen, as I had plan to write a travelogue based on it…. Just before I was about to get into our bus, I saw a young girl of hardly 6 years in the streets begging for money…This scene deeply touched my heart…

She told me..

‘ Vayarri pasiyirikku setta’

which is literally translated as

‘Have Hunger in stomach, brother’

I just began to ponder upon my life… I have a splendid life with all necessities and maybe even luxuries… Even I have come to their place to enjoy..But, they are struggling hard to even a meal a day.. They sweat under the sun… None is worried about her. All are in the world of their own.. All performing their parts in their constrictions.. None even in the other 171 friends of mine, who came to the excursion, was ready to attend to her… I felt that even I might have neglected many a persons as her..Her dialogue might have been a mere trick to get more money, whatever it may be… The thing that matters here is poverty, the reason why she decided to beg. As got into my bus, gazing upon her situation round and round my head.. Only satisfaction I had was that I could satisfy her one meal’s hunger.. It And I wished her to meet many kind hearts..

Later during the same trip, I saw another young and vibrant boy named Nagaraj… I was greatly impressed by him…He was a 7th class student, but never feels he is… He was a selling an attractive item called ‘ Glow sticks’ to the visitors.. I was greatly impressed by his readiness to work… He chose to work rather than to beg.. I had a small chat with him.. He told me that he was working to pay his school fee.. I had a whole hearted respect to him.. Though he looked meek, when I asked his name a strong and confident voice came out – Nagaraj… He talked with a very confident tone.I bought some extra items from, though I never wanted them and even gifted him some money… But later I felt that gifting him money was a bad move.. Because, by doing so I was questioning his readiness to work.. I felt bad upon myself.. This is why we see a lot of people in streets begging for money.. Even many healthy can be seen begging.. I was part of the society.. The society that creates such situations and blames others for those situations… Anyway, I saw many persons buying a number of glow sticks from him.. I felt really happy for him… He must have got the money to pay his school fee… I don’t think, I would forget this young , vibrant fella with an appeasing smile.. A smile which hides many catastrophic situations….

From these we can make out a fact that education has a major impact.The girl just continued her parent’s occupation. Her future generation is gonna continued the same vicious cycle unless a change is brought.. But in the case of Nagaraj, he chose to learn even though he has to struggle. I’m sure, his hardwork and farsightedness will bring him fruitful results in the future… The young boy is a role model for the youth of India…He may go unnoticed but he would always remain  an unthroned legend..