What can I do for India?

It all begin when a girl was brutally gangraped in a moving bus in Delhi.Everyone came on the streets, social networks were filled with accusations , different political parties accusing each other, public questioning CM, CM questioning HM , HM asking PM , PM asking President , President asking HM in return. Well, nothing boiled down to anything….Public kept on asking for justice, government kept on saying that they are looking into things, the girl’s condition went from serious to critical to better to critical again and eventually she succumbed to the injuries. People are still on the streets and the government is still working at its on pace. 

So, where is the challenge ?? I have a few questions.

1) Why do public wakes up only when something as outraged as this happens?

2) We all have been brought up in this country so I assume each one of us have seen the government working but we still expect the change to happen overnite ?

3) I saw this recent agitation as a youth movement, if youth is so active, why don’t they vote for the right candidates? I heard, India was the biggest democracy? 

Anyway, this post is not about problems, but about solutions. Yes, I said Solutions. There is a solution to every problem. With this post I propose a few solutions that we as the youth of India can do to make sure at least our children don’t face these issues. At least our children have real issues to fight with rather than fighting for basics like black money, corruption , crime against women and children etc. 

Here are a few things we can do to make our country a better place to be in and leave a better country for our children when we die. Also, it’s for those who say “What can I do alone?” 

1) Vote is Power : First and foremost thing that we need to understand that a Vote in your hand is the most powerful tool that you can use to bring about change. Yes, I heard you, that your single vote cannot do much. I agree, but when your single post on FB can bring your friends on the streets , then your single vote can also make itself count if you will think like that. Make smaller communities in your area, and vote for the right candidate. Once elected, make sure you ask /demand your rights from that candidate as well. 

2) Pledge your time, not money ! : Yes, we all pledge money in different charities and NGOs, but do you ever go back and check what’s happening with your money? I guess, the answer is No. But if you will pledge your time instead of money, you will be able to achieve more than you could have achieved by pledging money. Let me explain you how. Pledge some time out of your schedule every day, or at least every week for your community. Learn politics, know your local leaders, speak to your local leaders and try to get the basics right for your community at least. Do you work with your 100% efficiency when no one’s looking? Similarly, you should tell your leaders, that you are looking at them. 

3) Community Service : Yes, please make it a habit for you and your loved ones. Spend some time in community service every week. Know your neighborhood, know their problems, use your knowledge and connections, networks to solve the problems. I am not asking to you to become a local leader. I know it sounds like one, but what I am asking you to do is to spend some time in community service. It’s in our DNA that we have taken it for granted. We always feel that it’s a political leader’s job or a NGOs job to do community service. But, believe me if we all begin to give just an hour every week to our community. It will be a different India all together. 

4) Pledge to leave the “Chalta hai” attitude : As youth, we should begin saying No to the chalta hai attitude. How many times you see someone asking unnecessary bribe from you, but you end up giving it, just to save 5 mins of your time. You tend to offer a 100 rupee to the traffic policeman when you break a red light. Be proactive and make sure you leave this chalta hai attitude. Stop and look if you find something mysterious on the road. Most of the crimes go unheard because we don’t stop to look at them. You will see a local goon, beating a ragpicker, snatching money from them but you will never intervene. You will an accident happening, but nobody bothers to note down the no. of the vehicle or call the police. Try this, next time you see a massive traffic jam because of a broken vehicle or a faulty traffic light, instead of cursing the system, pick up your phone and dial 103. Tell them that you are stuck in this jam because of this reason. Then see the action. It might not save your time immediately, but once it is taken care of it will save others time a lot. And when traffic police will start receiving calls from everywhere like this, they will become more careful. Become a responsible citizen. 

5) Respect your culture and stand by it if you believe in it : First, as a youth, learn your culture and believe in it. Respect your elders and what they say, they are saying it from experience. Believe me nobody else other than your parents are your best friends. We tend to loose our cultural values and we think it’s cool to disrespect our culture and parents in front of our friends. No it’s not cool. 

Please don’t think that I am saying that you should not indulge in drinks or smoke. All I am trying to say is that it’s not cool to disrespect while just trying so look good in your circle. It has become a fashion to say all the bad things about everyone around. But it takes guts to say that “Yes, you believe in your culture”. 

Respect your culture, your elders and most importantly, respect women around you. 

6) Respecting women : I am not saying it for the heck of it , or because saying these things are IN due to recent agitation. I am saying this cos, I believe in this. Let me ask a question. Will you like it if your kid misbehaves with your wife or your sister, 10 – 15 years down the line? Will you like to see your kid messing around with a small girl in your neighborhood? If NO, then act now. Unless you change yourself , you won’t be able to see this change in the coming generation. Believe me, it’s easier to say that bring the change in the society, it’s easier to say that society is not equal for women, but we have created this society. We are the ones who make this society. Let’s make India a better place to live in for women. We call them sacred, we respect them as Kali and Durga, but when it comes to practical life, we are the ones, who beat our wives, who shout at our mothers, who look at every woman around as an object. Learn to respect women for what they are and not how they look. Learn to look at them in their eyes when you speak. And most important, learn to stand by them whenever required. They demand this respect, they should get this respect…. if not for anything else, but for the fact they men can not be anything without women around them. 

I know people will read this, I know people will think about this, people might act on this… Not everybody can become perfect, but the matter of fact is , even if 1 person is able to change and bring a change in his/her surroundings, I will feel that it was worth sharing. 

Thanks for reading this far… A very Happy and Fulfilling New year to all and Stay safe and stay blessed. 

Originally posted here