Hope or Incorrigible Optimism?

Foreword

There are enough reminders of misery all around…..
Corruption, Pollution, Population, Terrorism and the most glaring of them all… the Degradation of Morals, Values Depleting faster than our forests…. the ever Diluting Character of Man…. “As Kalyug progresses in time, the dance of vices will reach the peak of glory and then there will be doom” say the religious leaders and scriptures….

Should I give evil a good fight? Will it be an exercise in futility? Should I swim along the tides? Simply let the universe unfold itself?

And then a voice jolts me from my trance “Look there! It is very feeble. It is frail and delicate. Almost non existent. It is fragile. But it is definitely there. It is hope!”

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Chapter 1

Having been born in poverty, the middle class struggled for necessities of life. A scooter was a dream. So was the “own house”. The next generation enjoyed some luxury. The cars came. Then came mobile phones, pagers, fancy music systems. Then there was a flood. Shopping malls mushroomed everywhere and there was an abundance of materials. People shopped and shopped and shopped, until there was nothing more left to buy. But in the end, a thirst still remain unquenched.
A realisation that there is much beyond materials, hit people.
People are turning to Spiritualism. The swamis, gurus have resumed their preaching. There is hope!

Chapter2

There are so many single people everywhere. Marriage seems to have become less universal than before. Those who are marrying are doing it late. Earlier it used to be 24. Now its 29. A few of those who marry don’t want to have children. Many of them have just one child. The binary tree is an inverted one now. Twenty five years from now, India’s biggest problem – Population, which is the root cause of all other problems, should correct itself.(Not a very happy solution, but…) There is hope!

Chapter 3

For several years we stood in awe of the western or English medicine which was so promising. The magical pills, the quick solutions, the sure cure called surgery….But when the anesthesia faded and we opened our eyes, the side effects loomed large before us.
More and more people are now seeking remedy in the time tested school of medicine called Ayurveda. Our own home grown herbs and roots are so much more trustworthy!
People have come home to meditation and Yoga. There is hope!

Chapter 4

Decades of this country’s politics and bureaucracy have been infested with corruption. Everyone talked about it but at the same time believed that no one could do anything. But the revolt has now begun for sure. The movie makers are trying to awaken the dormant spirit in the youth, reassuring them of the power they have. There was Mani Ratnam with Yuva. Aamir khan with Rang De Basanti. Kamala Hassan in Indian and Anil kapoor in Nayak. Central to all these movies is “The Fight Against the System”.
The seeds of revolution once sowed, have begun to germinate. Some students from IIT have started their political party, and seem promising. People are more empowered. The latest reality show, “Lead India” is testimony to the fact that the face of Indian Politics is changing. There is hope!

Chapter 5

The principle of vegetarianism was first enforced by religion - successfully for some time. Then the rational thinking new generation walked away, ate meat and laughed at the grass eaters. When the same science discovered one day that vegetarian diet was more healthy, people paid attention. Also, there is much talk about the way animals are treated, their rights and so on.
Today more and more meat eating people are converting to Vegetarianism. All the slaughtering and butchering should slow down in the near future. There is hope! (No offense to non vegetarians here…you guys enjoy!)

Chapter 6

The like of people reclining in easy chairs, resting in comfortable inaction are a rare species. The common man of India who has enough for himself has started to care about others too and about the causes of this country screaming for attention. There are quite a few NGO’s providing some relief and people are making donations towards the Betterment of the Needy. There is hope!

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Afterword

While I reflect thus………….wondering if this is hope or incorrigible optimism,………………….SKEPTICISM raises it’s hood again. Should I give evil a good fight? Will it be an exercise in futility? Should I swim along the tides? Simply let the universe unfold itself?

For now, I shall believe in the fruitfulness of Karma, in human efforts and doings. I shall tread the path shown to me by men of stature….I shall strive for the causes that I believe in and leave the rest to destiny.

Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana ... ... ..... ...... .......