SPIRIT OF INDIA

I stumbled upon this month’s issue of India Today. With nothing much to do, I resolved to have a read through it. I was lucky enough to get this copy since it was a special issue voicing the toil of common civilians around our country trying to make a difference. Each individual featured in the magazine had a wonderful story to quote along with their sweet fruits of hard work.
Our country has a long way to go. While some parts have reproduced the western culture aura with a damaging upshot other parts are deep-rooted under the ancient taboos whereas a few others are strangulated in communal violence waving an atmosphere for pessimism and intolerance. I come from a village where people are obdurate to change and reject transformations blindly. I have neighbors who complain their sons haven’t got enough dowry or have people gathering around tiny shops gossiping about the girl who they saw talking with the next door boy. I also have neighbors who consider their women impure and forbid them to daily chores once in every month. During my college days, I had to walk to the junction twice a day to catch a bus where men would stare as though they had never seen a female and had to listen to their nasty comments. And yet all that I could do was to give a callous look and speed away as far as my legs could carry. This is indeed the vibrant taste of India where women are left choice less. I will one day perhaps be a mother and I would want my children to live and be bought up as proud Indians but the truth is that I am hesitant. I am so, because unless people change their mindset and come out to the open to face reality, nothing is going to change.
We are the present youth of our nation and we have the power to change the country more than any government. If this happens, the change along with the impact would be a massive. Earlier the question used to be ‘what can the country do for us?’ but at present age the question should churn as ‘what can we do for our country?’