THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

“Rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer” is a common catchphrase in most developing countries. Despite tremendous progress few countries still carry the huge burden of poverty and inequality in her shoulder. However crucial these problems are, yet the blame game continues! The tussle between the common man and the government, among political parties, between the government and the opposition, and between law and corruption seems a never-ending process. These are unavoidable situations throughout the globe.

It is difficult to stay away from the society we live in but our mind is definitely not arrested by the society. We are for the society, society is not for us. So let us make the change we want to see!

Financial insecurity

The person living in a bungalow is considered wealthier than the person living in a one bedroom flat. The person possessing a one bedroom flat is better-off than the person living in a thatched house. The person living in a thatched house is much comfortable than the person living on the street who is deprived of even a loaf of bread. The above series of wealthiness points out that a very poor man views the person living in a bungalow as being born with a silver spoon in his mouth! Have we ever wondered who then is to blame for the person living on the street? Is it intelligent to trigger Government policies for prevalence of poverty in a society? We blame corruption. Have we ever wondered we all are corrupt, only that the degree of corruption differs!

Poverty seen from a different perspective is actually grounded by the continuous flow of materialistic expectations of human beings. High worldly expectations lead to dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction makes one feel worse off than his counterpart. What is therefore essential is a check on our worldly pleasures that would sooner or later keep us content and help cater to the needs of the actually deprived section and give them an opportunity to experience an almost (not exact) equal share in the society.

Intellectual dogma

Another essential ingredient for reducing poverty is education. Education, not to increase the literacy rate but to teach one and all to think rationally. Rational thinking would itself act as a tool to success. And so every educated person will have an opportunity to become rich. Choice is open!

It is not a crime to aim high. While it is a general tendency of a person to compete with his / her counterpart, the trophy is ultimately taken away by the one who competes with his / her own potential. Opportunity is created for the person who strives to achieve. To come out of the vicious circle of poverty one has to cross several hurdles. The deprived should develop self-reliance and learn to accept new developments instead of holding others culpable for his / her existing state of living.

The eye opener

We look forward to reforming our society to eradicate social evils. A simple question to be answered. How much have we contributed as individuals? How many of us have cared to lend a helping hand to the people on the streets when we plan for a holiday with our loved ones? Lets us not depend on any authority to open our eyes! Are we so ignorant?

Let us learn to appreciate the positive aspects and resolve the negative aspects instead of playing the blame game. Let us play our individual character honestly and sincerely. It is time we come out of the shell of conventional thinking and look at the world with a broader and different perspective. What is required is a sense of self control and a pinch of rational thinking and concern for our fellow beings.

                                                                                                          © 2014 Ahmad and Ahmad