Food for thought!

Today, on the road, I saw three kids and a man on scooter. We had stopped at a red light and I saw one of the kids shaking the tree on the footpath and plucking its leaves. Further down the road, I saw a man sleeping on the footpath, which is not an uncommon sight at all in Delhi. But just seeing it myself, up close, I thought to myself is this what we have become? The inhumane-human? Going about doing our daily routine, without a care or bother about the rest of the world. Recently, I read in a newspaper that the world’s 1% richest people have the wealth equivalent to the wealth of 3.25 billion poor people. It is such a wide ratio. And the gap is increasing day by day, even as we speak. Why have humans become so selfish and self absorbed, that they can’t see beyond themselves, beyond their profit, beyond their benefit. Why are we so self centered?

When we see a pretty flower we pluck it. We pluck leaves and grass for no reason, simply because we are bored. Even though we are taught that they are living organisms too, we never care. We are not concerned whether we are hurting them or not, we just pluck them because its existence or death doesn’t hamper anyone’s life except its own, and we already know that they are very much essential for our survival.

We see poor people on roads, red lights etc every day. But we turn our heads away as soon as they come knocking. And true, since we have all seen a lot many times that these kids actually are being forcefully made to work for someone else. I just wanted to paint that picture of poverty and kids in your mind.

It is said charity begins at home. Same is the case here. We all have maids and drivers working for us. They also have kids. Why don’t we start from there? Why don’t we take little steps and then see how it goes? We could help those kids with studies, if they do go to school, or provide them with bags, pencil paper, books, or give them something to eat. If we are blessed with so much love, care and economic stability, why don’t share it out? Why don’t give it back to someone who does not have it?

I conclude this article with a self written quote “He, who gives peace to the minds of needy, earns a wealth which subdues any materialistic possession he owns.”