Talks-2

It was a gloomy Sunday evening! It was me and my good friend bitching about each other’s work load ahead that upcoming week.

‘Ramesh Kjeriwal on fire! This time he exposes BCA president’s alleged illegal mining scam. After the break’, the idiot box screamed.

‘He has gone mad! What does he think of himself?  ‘I shouted out of frustration suddenly.

‘Why are you getting so frustrated at him?’ he asked patiently.

‘I just don’t know. He thinks himself as a rebel or what? He is none but one among us!’ I vented off my anger.

‘Hmmm. So what do you know about him? ’, he said as if I speak for no reason!

‘He is an IITian and was in some civil services for some time and then he was working with some NGO’, I paused.

 ‘So did you think that I’m such a nonsense who complains without even knowing about him?’  I said teasingly to manifest that I don’t speak baselessly!

‘Good that you know all about him. And no! I dint think that you were unhappy without even knowing anything about him’. He paused.

‘But I just wonder why you cannot appreciate when someone selflessly fights for the welfare of us. Why can’t you spare few glitches with him even after knowing so much about him? It is the need of the hour after all’ He sounded serious.

‘Why should I appreciate him? It is my personal distaste! But why are you so much into me and Kjeriwal?’ I was little angry

‘I completely agree with you! It is your personal opinion. But I’m not so much bothered about Kjeriwal! Leave Kjeriwal off this conversation right now! But I’m very much concerned about you, me and the very us’ He reiterated. .

‘Huh?’

‘Why don’t we appreciate things that really worth it, when we readily criticize even the most acceptable mistakes and problems? We have just become fault finders!’, he sounded worried.

‘I don’t think so! We also appreciate when it is needed!’, I objected him.

‘When it is needed? Really? It is not about appreciating Ashwin for his all rounded performance and Katrina for her all innovative dance steps! Things are much beyond that! I don’t tend to stereotype everyone the same way. But I find this problem more prevalent among us. Not only with us! Even with media and many other organizations!’ He explained.

‘Maybe! But it is our right to criticize something when we feel it is wrong!’ I was not ready to agree with him.

‘Exactly, But when you feel that it is your right to criticize something when you feel it is wrong, what is stopping you from appreciating something when it is right and things are in place? If you feel that criticizing is your right, I feel that appreciating is the duty of any responsible citizen!’, he was certainly angry now.

‘Okay! Relax! Maybe, we didn’t get used to appreciate! But why do are taking it very seriously? I don’t think it should be given so much concern!’, I quizzed him while agreeing with him a little bit.

‘That’s because I can’t rule it out as just a reclusive ignorance, or even a misplaced obsession! It roots deep into our hormones these days that it has become more impulsive and routine to criticize anything and everything these days! I know that it is too much of accusation! But is even obstructing the growth of our country’ he said. At a moment I thought that we seem to agree finally, he just evoked me by correlating it with the growth and development.

‘ Kya bakwaas yaar! What it has to do with our growth? Don’t speak nonsense’.  I was not agreeing with him.

‘So whom do you think can save India now?’, he quizzed me.

‘Who knows? It is too late to correct something!’ I replied.

‘Well, I strongly believe that it all needs a young, selfless and charismatic leader to do the rescue if assisted by a positive and supportive mass!’ he said curiously!

‘So what?’, I laughed.

‘Wait! Being at a time where it is as tough as ever to find a young, selfless and charismatic person, this very attitude of us hardly lets us to accept such a person as a leader and follow! Also it unknowingly obstructs your thoughts as a responsible citizen. I know that it is the right of everyone to choose whom to follow and whom not to! But I’m just saddened by the fact we don’t follow the right persons and leave out the people who deserve it! What is even worse is, sometimes we are blindly not ready to follow! This evolution of attitude is certainly bad!’ he was very elaborative. I felt that he is making some sense. But, I was not able to agree completely with him.

‘But how come you say this as an evolution of attitude?’ I looked puzzled.

‘There were times when we were just docile!! Say before quite some decades or so! That was just not correct!! We freed ourselves from those shackles. We also learnt to lead. But having learnt to lead, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t follow people who deserve to be followed! And this very attitude stops us from doing so! I may not be completely correct! But I just feel so’

‘Yeah you are correct!’ I couldn’t help myself ceding to him, at the same time saying ‘You are too abstract to understand sometimes!’

‘Yeah I’m. I can’t help it!’, he laughed, also pulling out a gentle laugh from me.

‘Hey!  It’s time for me to leave. Cya very soon. I have got some serious work to do than this bakwaas talks!’ he laughed and left.

‘Haha. Sure! Cya soon!’ I replied as I started ‘following’ him!

P.S.: This series of my 'Talks',  is to serve as a repository of my thoughts, views and perspectives regarding few issues and so, I’m trying to bring that out through fiction. Correct me, if I'm wrong at any place.

- Karthik Selva.