These two stories stared at me from the local newspaper ‘The Hitavada’ on the 30th Nov 2011. Normally I go through what is going on around the world especially the economic scenario. They tell me about what to expect in the near future to happen in the world and especially in India. The local news is generally about people and events which I speed through. That day however I could not.
The first story was from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh state. Azamgarh
is a rural place where life is difficult without any major employment sources
and in the recent past has been rocked with sectarian violence. Towa village 35
kms from Azamgarh city has a population of about 5000 and has primary schools
only up to the 5th class. While across the Kunwar River in the
nearby town of Saraimeer there are several schools, colleges, technical
institutions and markets. From the village to the town there is a circuitous 20
km road but many prefer the 2 km boat ride instead. However the rainy season
made matters worse and reaching school and college in time always remained a
problem. In the flood of 1998 a boat overturned resulting in the death of a
student. Shakeel Ahmed a resident of Towa who is not well educated himself took
the initiate of constructing a knowledge bridge across the river with funds
raised through public donations. The work started in 2004, with a simple design
of spans over six pillars, was completed in 2009 at a humble cost of Rs. 65
lacs. Initially there was no pukka road to the bridge and the entire project
was completed in 2010. Today it ferries about 800 students daily back and forth.
The news report states, “According to Shakeel it was not an easy task. ‘It was
hard to collect money from the people. In the beginning they thought that I will
cheat on them. Most of the time I was out of home because I was collecting
money. My elder brother was Headman of the village and thought that it was a
matter of insult. I couldn’t study much but I wanted to make my children
educated’.” Such an ordinary yearning yet so profound and magnanimous in its
reach. Rs. 65 lac is not a small amount that any ordinary person can afford to
spend on a social cause how-so-ever worthy. Shakeel is said to have visited
many places to raise the money including following his village members to Delhi
and Mumbai where they worked. I for myself could not have imagined and neither
have I heard anyone taking up such a task of constructing a bridge across a
river with donations. It must have been labeled preposterous and foolish at the
very first instance. Yet today hats off to the belief and courage of one man to
have made the impossible into a reality. His faith in goodness saw him through.
This was certainly an inspiring story of triumph of good intent against practical
odds.
The second one was not. The location is New Delhi the capital
of India, where there are more cars than any other place in this country. Exhibitionism
and deceitfulness has rendered the people immune to compassionate feelings.
Money seems to have become all pervasive in its priority over humanity. Egoistic
and stressed people have become ferocious, thick skinned to reason and there is
a perceptive feeling of unwillingness to go out of the way to help others in
distress. Although such sweeping generalisations do not hold good always but I
doubt whether there would be many in India today to disagree with me. Two young men from Chittaranjan Park in South
Delhi by the names Shailaj Roy and Siddharth Roy as reported had entered a
parantha eatery at early hours of dawn, where two other men Chetan and Vijay were
already present and for some reason there was an argument about who should have
been served first. Triviality escalated into a major fight. Initially it was
pacified by a policeman but both the warring sides were in no mood to let
things pass. After a short while the discord erupted once again and this time
sticks and sharp instruments were used. Shailaj
and Siddharth Roy were beaten badly and the former died. Other people in the eatery
were watching the fight and sadly nobody came forward to help these two who
were lying bleeding, calling for help and barely conscious. Someone informed
the police station who arrived after half an hour and by the time it was too
late for Shailaj.
Is the craving of the ego so powerful that we cannot
overlook minor arguments? Is this what urbanization makes of humans that we
have to kill to make a point? The first
event is from a place where circumstances are tough but people end up becoming
gentle and behave to become shining example. The second event is from a place
where circumstances are excellent but people become unruly and become examples
of how not to behave. Isn’t it ironic that in plenty, people become selfish?
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