Early Morning Revelation

Its early 4:30 AM in the morning and I was sitting on my bed. The sound of barking dogs over the corner of the street is so loud that I wanted to go out and throw stones at them. But I didn’t, I have been used to it for 5 years.

“Am I really living?” I asked myself at these early hours. I am sad, I am depressed, I am directionless. Even after all these increments, promotions and bonuses, why my life feels empty? Why it is utterly boring and purposeless?

My whole life reeled before my eyes. I remember the days I were going to classes feeling I have no good outfits that the other guys are having. I remembered clearly how I had to bear ridiculous, sadistic behaviors of some of our famous lecturers. I remembered how I felt meaningless about this rat race called education- being top in the class. But there was a blink of hope.

A faint hope that I can have real freedom and joy once I get my job and earn my own money. That I can enjoy the life of no more surrendering to people whom I hate and never wanted to see again. That I will have opportunities to grow.

Wait…. Did I say HOPE?

Sitting on my bed at these early hours, I realize that, that piece of small hope is missing for ever. The Bangalore city life – breathing dust, ever present traffic jams, sounds, over population, growing living costs and lowering living standards, scorching heat had forced that hope out of my life. I had been constantly fighting for my rights, fighting for my dignity, fighting for my personal freedom.

I lost my health, I have no rest, I have no peace. But still I am running after things to achieve believing someday I will live my dream life by achieving these goals and then, only then, I can be really happy. I set many of these “I will be happy once I achieve them” goals, achieved them and still the happiness is eluding me over the corner of the next achievement.

I do have happiness when I get something, when I achieve or posses something. But with time this happiness fades away as soon as the reason for it diminishes. And then my devil mind comes up with another exotic goal to get this missing happiness. By this time I understood the link b/n reason and happiness should be baseless, unreliable and not worthy of pursuing. Yet I am doing the same things again and again and hoping to get different results- happiness that stays with me forever. There is a word for such actions – insanity. But I am secure in the company of like minded people.

“Why can’t I be happy for no reason?” I confronted my own beliefs. Why should I have a reason, an accomplishment or possessing something to be happy? Why can’t I experience happiness without a reason? Yes, I can. I can be just happy for happiness sake. I don’t need to go after something and achieve it to be happy. Happiness doesn’t need any justification. It is acausal. Any time I can tune into that vibration and feel happy for no reason. I need not chase goals to get this. As this happiness has no reason it doesn’t go away.

Bingo…a revelation. These early hours of the morning are turning point for my life. I decided to be happy for no reason.

Be Happy For No Reason :-)

Why India is Still a Developing Country? (Funny Story)

Some days ago I received a rather funny but thought provoking e-mail forwarded by one of my friends. The theme of it is "Why India is Still a Developing Country?". This story gently touches the sensitive issues of reservations, license raj and other obstacles for growth present in Indian society. I asked myself many times the same question, being studied as "India is a developing country" some 25 years ago and still the lesson in school goes the same - India is a developing country. 

Well enjoy the story and think about it. Imagine how it would be after 50 years.

Old Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

New Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. 

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house. Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter . Mayawati states this as 'injustice' done on Minorities. Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper. 

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to theGrasshopper (many promising Heaven & Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) . Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for 'Bengal Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers. Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act'[POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter. Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions in Government Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV, BBC, CNN.

Arundhati Roy calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice'.
CPM calls it the 'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley, 100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India ,
...AND
As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers, India is still a developing country...!!