Thursday, February 09, 2006

A generation awakens...

A gneration awakens... or... does it?

"thodi si dhool meri...
dharti ki mere vatan ki...
thodi si dhool meri...
dharti ki mere vatan ki...
thodi si khushboo baaraan ii si mast pavan ki...
thodi si dhonk ni wali dhak dhak dhak dhak dhak dhak saansen...
jin mein ho junoon junnon vo boondein lal lahoo ki!
hoo oo oo .....
ye sab tu mila mila le...
phir rang tu khila khila le...
ye sab tu mila mila le...
phir rang tu khila khila le!
aur mohe tu rang de basanti yara...
mohe tu rang de basanti!"

I saw this movie the other day, and on the way back home in the bus i couldn't help thinking.
what has happened to this country?
what will happen to this country?
it's an overpopulated country where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. it's a country where corruption is actually a defined method to get your work done. it's a country where uneducated ministers rule the roost.
Someone famous once said " ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"
what can i do for this country?
what can i do for a country where the entire system from root to tip is at fault.
what can i do for a country where children are born on a street, they live their entire life on the street, and die there.
what can i do for a country where power is the most abused commodity.
what can i do for a country where "inqalab zindabad" has been replaced by "chalta hai-adjust kar lo " on every tounge.
really... what can i do?
is this what those zillion freedom fighters fought for, gave up their lives for?
somehow, i don't think so.
there was nothing in that movie that doesn't happen in this country. innocent people always pay the price, irrespective of whether they committed the crime or no. power is everything here. everything.

i was jolted out of my thoughts when the bus came to screeching halt, hopefully somewhere near the bus stop. i looked around and saw onovercrowded bus, filled with people who had lost all love for their motherland. someone got up to get off the bus, and thus emptied a seat. two people noticed the empty seat simultaniously. one: an old uncle with a receeding grey hairline, who had just boarded the bus and two: a young college going lad who had been standing for a very long time. the lad made a dash for the seat and put his hand across so that no one else could claim the seat. the old uncle gave up all hope and i looked away digustedly, preparing to get up and offer the uncle my seat. just then, the lad turned around smiled and said " uncle please sit..." the uncle who was as surprised as i was, patted the lad on his shoulder, smiled and said "god bless you my child"
so he wasn't running towards the seat to get it for himself. he was saving it for the uncle. he didn't put his hand across to claim a seat for himself. he put his hand across so that no one else could claim the seat till the uncle could sit.

maybe this generation doesn't need awakening...
maybe this generation is not sleeping at all...
maybe all it needs is a gentle nudge in the right direction...
maybe there is hope after all.

"sapne rang de...
apne rang de...
khushiyan rang de...
gum bhi rang de...
naslein rang de...
faslein rang de...
rang de dhadkan..
rang de sargam...
rang de surat...
rang de darpan...
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti yara...
mohe tu rang de basanti!

untill next time...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i dont know about many awakenings but one just happened on the bus that day after a movie.
if we just give a hard thought towards our motherland its enough for her....she just needs your thoughts and concerns .
you could and are doing a lot many things for her..... also you could try many things when u get to a good comfortable position.

Anonymous said...

hey rohan here..i've been waiting to read u.