While I Was Away

The last two weeks have been quite restful. Nandita and I were on vacation, holidaying in Malaysia. We based ourselves in Kuala Lumpur and went on day trips to nearby Genting and Cameron Highlands. Which leads me to reflect on the manner in which this little country has aggresively promoted itself as a tourist destination and has built the infrastructure to boot. This is not a rant about our lack of ability but one cannot but help wistfully wonder when India will be in a position to similarly offer its sights and sounds to the rest of the world.

While I was away, India’s first woman president was sworn in to office: A great step ahead for our nation, only I wish the candidate was someone worthy enough to fill Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s shoes. Instead, we are saddled with Pratibha Patel – someone I believe is a puppet’s puppet. I am interestedly watching the events in Goa – re: the touted collapse of the Congress Government and BJP’s claim to power – unfold and see how she deals with it.

Oscar Wilde rightly said, “To exercise power costs effort and demands courage. That is why so many fail to assert rights to which they are perfectly entitled – because a right is a kind of power but they are too lazy or too cowardly to exercise it. The virtues which cloak these faults are called patience and forbearance.” It is thanks to our sense of misplaced “patience” and “forbearance” that has lead to the election of a set of intermediaries who have today compromised the post of our First Citizen.

In other news, I managed to catch one of Dr. Kalam’s last public appearances – at the Ramnath Goenka Memorial Debate where the topic being discussed was “Is Excellent Journalism Bad Business?” He made a few observations about the role of the media in nation building – the articles that media should carry in print that will inspire our youth to emulate as well as the importance of a value system in building a nation. V. V. true. I believe this is a responsibility that starts and ends within each home and family – if we deplore the state of affairs in our country today, it is because we have all had an invisible tangible role to play in its getting there.

I will miss this gentleman – for the dignity, humanity and outreach that he brought to this highest office – and the wonderful way in which he served for us. God bless him.

And while I am in a quotable quotes mood, here’s one from Bruno Jasienski, “Do not fear your enemies. The worst they can do is kill you. Do not fear friends. At worst, they may betray you. Fear those who do not care; they neither kill nor betray, but betrayal and murder exists because of their silent consent.”

We have today become a nation of people who do not care. Shame on us!!!