Strange no doubt but true it is that life to-day is full of challenges and difficulties which were not there in yester years. The younger generation does not seem to feel it. To them what they see is what they know. Past is history. This is what is happening in India to-day as well as in other developing countries that ape the west breaking all traditions and customs. There could be convincing explanations to all this anomalies we see. But life is changing fast and becoming more materialistic. In this rat race the less fortunate are left behind believing in the adage ' survival of the fittest '.
Rural life was the best. Free from pollution of any kind. It was rejuvenating, healthy, And Peaceful and quiet. Even to-day the rich are investing in farm houses for a quiet retreat during weekends. But for the rural folks it is turning bleak. Their life has become miserable. If there is a power cut they feel the pinch first and for long hours they remain without power. Most schools and colleges are in the cities as also the industries and offices. Naturally the Job opportunities shift to the cities. Most development activities get concentrated in the cities. So labour and dependents migrate to the cities. Slums and congestion increases. So also Crime and immorality due to competition. Even farmers quit the villages due to drought. Cattle, Sheep and other livestock migrate to green pastures. For this reason Reserve Forests have exclusive grass lands for grazing where grazing fees are collected.
Life has taken a turn for the worst for rural India where 90 % of the population live. Cities occupying 2 % of the land mass are creating 75 % of the green house gas. All kinds of allergy and illness are increasing and causing health problems. Though life expectancy has increased due to expert medical intervention, very little development takes place in villages. They have no grains, no drinking water, no health facilities, education and work. If any such facilities are there they are non functional or inadequate.
Some of the captions in the media highlight the paradox of the present day life and its priorities like the one's below.
" Pizza arrives in 30 minutes, the ambulance doesn't " (One can afford to die but the consolation is after you have had a hot and fresh pizza)
" There are more mobiles than toilets " (Health and dignity do not matter--VIP's receive a guard of honour at the air port and a different guard of honour en route on either side of the road especially in the early hours of the day.)
" Car loans are cheaper than Education loans " (It helps the uneducated to lift more cars)
" Food grains rot as people die of hunger " (There would be more demand for pied pipers)
" The guilty are honored but the victim is harassed " (To encourage more goondagiri)
" We worship Goddesses but doom our daughter's " (No comments)
Such anomalies continue to fox us, but it goes on. The chief of the State amasses obscene wealth but the state is in poverty. Many employees are not paid their salaries in time and vacancies are not filled as there is no money. Terrorists in jails have all the comfort and security but the poor hard working citizen's go through pain, harassment and hunger. There are more car's on the road's than it can handle. Cars are parked on either side of the road with hardly any space for pedestrians to walk. Every day some pedestrian is killed on the road. Crossing the road has become a hazard and few elders and ladies mostly transact their work only on one side of the road. A defaulter of car loan is harassed for non payment of installments but a firm in default goes Scot free and his loan component is written off. Funds are not available for welfare but there is enough money to be looted and transferred to safe bank's abroad.
Some common instances of vicissitudes are:
Children: They have become a headache for families and child right activities. Child injustice keep rearing their head in our society like molestation, sexual and physical abuse rejection, cruelty and barbarism are some of the ills children of to-day are having to grapple with in the world of adult selfishness. Parents are busy chasing wealth, mansions, and cars running after careers, high positions at work and fame in society. Parents hardly spend time with their children.
Health: Good health and having a physically fit body is essential. Experiencing aches, pains and sickness is a normal part of being alive. Normal human experiences are Mother Nature’s way of reminding us that you are indeed still alive. The choice is ours. We should learn to deal with common problems as a challenge or hide from reality by turning to the doctor every time we face ordinary challenges. “Let us not forget that life is stress and stress is life. Dying is easy. “You’ve have got to eat right, think right, training right. Fitness is a full time job “say’s Jack Lalanne.
Law Suits: They are vexing and long drawn with endless bills and adjournments It is the lawyer that benefits..A large number of lawyers thrive because of the law suits. Explore reconciliation and out of court settlement which is the best way to live in peace.
Women and Children: A lot of women and children are exploited and harassed. They are mostly at the receiving end. Until we are able to address and heal the wounds of growing pain of being a girl--women--mother or child, mankind will continue to hurt them. Women and children are always vulnerable and need protection...
Natural Disasters: These are not normally preventable like earth quakes, tsunami, floods, forest fires and man made disasters like the nuclear calamities. People struggle and face loss of property and life and become helpless and desperate. Rehabilitation and resettlement in such situations become a herculean task. Often they demoralize the society. For better recovery from such situations we need to take a lesson from the Japanese who face them stoically with their hard earned culture of preparedness and orderliness. They never accept defeat.
Family life: Long year’s back we did not bother to lock our houses either in the day or in the night. We welcomed visitors at any part of the day or night and entertained them. But now it is different. You may loose your possession and even your life. Family life was cherished. We had company and support of each other. At least 2 to 3 generations lived together. There was quality of life. We worked together, ate together, played together, prayed together and worshiped together. Gone are those days. We live in fear and privacy. Those were days when women realized their role as wife and mother. Now we have working mothers, Baby sitters, tuition masters, and husbands relegated to the kitchen. Life has become a routine money making machine and life without any values. Divorces, Suicides, Live-in arrangements have now become common. Work place harassment, infidelity and long hours of work are the order of the day.
Despite all these problems life goes on perhaps due to a strange mix of spiritual influence and the fear of God. It is not an altogether heathen world. Orderly life is possible and there are pockets of communities that resist this change and carry on with suitable adjustments.
Committed and dedicated leaders both secular and spiritual can make a difference in the life of the people whom they serve. Even in the ordinary life like in Bihar state, which was corrupt and badly administrated and where there was extreme poverty and caste politics, the place is now seeing a lot of development and improvement. There is peace and quiet and less of crime and people are reported to be happy. To-days man made problems can be reduced to manageable levels, when we have dedicated God fearing people to serve the society.
“Some times prayer does not change the situation. But it changes our attitude towards the situation and gives us hope which changes our entire life."
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