Having survived another semester of engineering (yea, engineering is more about survival than about passing or about good grades), I am now in my winter vacation. With nothing much to do, social networks like Facebook and Twitter keeps me busy. Amidst the storm of placement statuses, my timeline is also filled up with posts about the Delhi elections, about Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party and about removing corruption from the country. A lot of them were of the opinion that corruption was a major problem and the whole screwed up system can be rectified by just voting one Government to power or by just passing one law.
Now, is it really that simple? This started me thinking and hence this blogpost. Have a nice read.
There is this guy in college who I know of. Every time he comes late for a class, its always because "the bus was late" or "There was an unexpected problem with his bicycle" or "Because some random event, which was not in his control, happened due to which he had to be late". It is never his fault. Every time there is an assignment given, this guy copies it from one of his friend (Screw ethics, marks are more important and moreover, copying it from someone is much easier than slogging your asses off). This guy bunks many classes and asks his friend to put proxy for him (What use is attending classes anyway :/ ). In exams, this guy copies from his friend's paper, mobile phone and also the traditional "bit paper" (Again, marks are more important. Who cares if he has understood the concepts or not? ).
Life is not always a journey of roses, rainbows and unicorns. Things get tough. At tough times when things don't go the way this guy has expected, he blames everything on the system. He claims that the system is totally screwed up. It has killed the creativity in him and the system is such that the exams and grades don't test if he has understood the concepts or not. He blames the professors for not generating interest among the students and that most of the courses are useless.
You can see some guy like this all around; the ones who keep telling you that it is the system that is wrong while not realizing that it is the individuals and people like them that make up the very system.
The guy who speaks about anti-corruption and how corruption is killing the country is the same guy who, when caught by a traffic police for some minor violation, would pay a small bribe and get away with it instead of getting a ticket booked on him as that would cost him less. The guy who complains about how people don't have any ethics will most probably be the first guy to pay up some cash to avoid the long queues at the passport office or the RTO office to get a driver's license as that is the easy thing to do. The guy who talks about bringing about a positive change in the country and shares stuff, on social networks, on whom to vote for and why will probably never vote for anyone himself as he would just be lazy to go out and vote. The guy who talks about clean governance and politics will probably be the same guy who, in his hostel elections, would have given booze treats and smoked up weed just in order to socialize with more people and get more votes.
(The above comparisons were obviously exaggerated and is not to be taken literally. But then, the reality is not far off.)
Is it right on our part to stay ignorant and just blame the system?
Will just bringing out a law or voting a party to power change everything instantly?
I don't think so. In Chennai, auto rickshaws are one huge problem with the drivers charging very high prices. A law was passed recently making the use of automated meters compulsory. Its been over a month now and nothing seems to have changed with most of the drivers refusing to follow the rule or change themselves.
Agreed, the system is full of faults and needs a lot of change. But then, that would just be a small part to a better future. A bigger and more important role lies in the change that comes within, the change in the attitude of each and every individual. Or at least, I think so. After all, it is we, the people, who make up the so called system.
For sure, this change wouldn't happen overnight. It will take some time. But then, I am hopeful.
And hope is a good thing after all.
Now, is it really that simple? This started me thinking and hence this blogpost. Have a nice read.
There is this guy in college who I know of. Every time he comes late for a class, its always because "the bus was late" or "There was an unexpected problem with his bicycle" or "Because some random event, which was not in his control, happened due to which he had to be late". It is never his fault. Every time there is an assignment given, this guy copies it from one of his friend (Screw ethics, marks are more important and moreover, copying it from someone is much easier than slogging your asses off). This guy bunks many classes and asks his friend to put proxy for him (What use is attending classes anyway :/ ). In exams, this guy copies from his friend's paper, mobile phone and also the traditional "bit paper" (Again, marks are more important. Who cares if he has understood the concepts or not? ).
Life is not always a journey of roses, rainbows and unicorns. Things get tough. At tough times when things don't go the way this guy has expected, he blames everything on the system. He claims that the system is totally screwed up. It has killed the creativity in him and the system is such that the exams and grades don't test if he has understood the concepts or not. He blames the professors for not generating interest among the students and that most of the courses are useless.
You can see some guy like this all around; the ones who keep telling you that it is the system that is wrong while not realizing that it is the individuals and people like them that make up the very system.
The guy who speaks about anti-corruption and how corruption is killing the country is the same guy who, when caught by a traffic police for some minor violation, would pay a small bribe and get away with it instead of getting a ticket booked on him as that would cost him less. The guy who complains about how people don't have any ethics will most probably be the first guy to pay up some cash to avoid the long queues at the passport office or the RTO office to get a driver's license as that is the easy thing to do. The guy who talks about bringing about a positive change in the country and shares stuff, on social networks, on whom to vote for and why will probably never vote for anyone himself as he would just be lazy to go out and vote. The guy who talks about clean governance and politics will probably be the same guy who, in his hostel elections, would have given booze treats and smoked up weed just in order to socialize with more people and get more votes.
(The above comparisons were obviously exaggerated and is not to be taken literally. But then, the reality is not far off.)
The right thing to do and the easy thing to do is not the same in most cases.
Is it right on our part to stay ignorant and just blame the system?
Will just bringing out a law or voting a party to power change everything instantly?
I don't think so. In Chennai, auto rickshaws are one huge problem with the drivers charging very high prices. A law was passed recently making the use of automated meters compulsory. Its been over a month now and nothing seems to have changed with most of the drivers refusing to follow the rule or change themselves.
Agreed, the system is full of faults and needs a lot of change. But then, that would just be a small part to a better future. A bigger and more important role lies in the change that comes within, the change in the attitude of each and every individual. Or at least, I think so. After all, it is we, the people, who make up the so called system.
For sure, this change wouldn't happen overnight. It will take some time. But then, I am hopeful.
And hope is a good thing after all.
