Chaos after Rain

             It may sometimes be difficult to believe what we see after the rain. The water-logged road after two days of incessant rain. The broad Rotary Road lined with trees and houses on both the sides. This is one of the busiest roads of the city, difficult to cross on normal days due to the heavy rush of traffic. But that day it was different. The road was submerged in knee-deep water in front of our house.

             It was morning. Not a single bus or car could be seen plying on the road on that day. The students with rucksacks on their backs were wading through knee-deep water to reach their school nearby. The wheels of the parked cars were under water. Anil, my brother, could not move his car. In the foreground Anil can be seen. He volunteered to take my youngest sister to school by carrying her on his back. But he could not make it. The unusually heavy downpour continued in full fury for two days continuously. There were flashes of lightning accompanied by peals of thunder. The drainage system failed completely. There was severe large-scale water-logging. At some places, the level of the water was chest-high. Most of the civic services came to a standstill. School children and office goers bore the brunt of the consequences. It took 2 to 3 hours for the harried motorists to reach their offices.

             Public transport was severely hit. It caused hardship to everyone. Traffic jams became the rule of the road. There were several accidents. The vastly reduced number of buses which plied were chock-full. It caused frayed tempers. Most commuters were drenched. They feared impending attacks of cold and fever over the coming days.

             Rail tracks were submerged in water. It disrupted train services. Roadside vendors and stall owners were unable to do business. In the low lying areas temporary mud and bamboo structure houses collapsed; but the merciful God prevented any loss of life.

             Rainy season has a unique flavor. It is fascinating to see the sky laden with dark clouds and lightning tearing across them. But when rains change the streets into swift rivulets, often deep, it is difficult to say whether it is a challenge for man or it is his misfortune.

Democracy is the best form of Government

              It has become a fashion to sneer at “Democracy”. People think only those governments succeed where there is a dictator at the top, where a strong man rules with an  iron hand. Too much freedom, according to them, leads to chaos and anarchy. Let us first examine what democracy means. It is a form of government where those who control the government are elected by the people and are answerable or responsible for their actions to the people.

              This keeps a healthy check on all their activities and prevents anyone from  becoming an absolute ruler. The world’s biggest democracies are the U.S.A., Britain (it has a monarchy, but its powers are limited and there is democratic rule), India. France. etc. Democracy also means a form of society where there is no privileged class and in which individuals may rise to power because of ability and hard work. Democracy is also an ideal way of life because it lays emphasis on equality, liberty, brotherhood, tolerance and peaceful co-existence.

              Is there any alternative to all this? Look at the countries where there is dictatorship. President Saddam has brought grief, calamity, and war to his country. Look at Afghanistan. there is total anarchy — cultural, political and spiritual. Israel and Palestinians are still fighting — one is not giving up what it has taken by force, and other is not giving up fighting for its rights. look at what happened in Bosnia-Croatia. Nothing was solved by war or terrorism, Finally, only democracy wins.

              The Soviet Russia was so powerful with communism, a form of dictatorship. But look how it ended! The dictators, the terrorists have short lived success and in the end those who live by the sword, die by the sword.

              Democracy is the only hope for the world. Look at our own country. only democracy can save it. Otherwise it will lead to disintegration of our country. If we don’t believe in ideals like equality and brotherhood and peace. Where will we end. We are a vast country with many religions, cultures, language and unless we believe in equal rights and opportunity for all, we will be divided into fragments and play into our enemies’ hands. Threat of nuclear war loom’s and only sane people. believing firmly in democracy can save us. Democracy teaches us to be tolerant and peaceful. Democracy teaches us to be unselfish and work for the larger interest, for the good of the maximum number of people. Without ideals we cannot have progress. without tolerance we cannot have peace. The world cannot afford war or dictatorship and democracy is the best form of government for the world.

Is all Art Useless?

             Men are at times very moody. They speak out very odd things like the saying that we are discussing. If all art were useless Leonardo da Vinci would never have made the portrait of Mona Lisa with a bewitching smile. Leonardo da Vinci would never have drawn a flying machine. More recently Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal would never have been regarded as the marble marvel. If there were no art much of the charm of life would have been taken away. All men have an aesthetic sense that enables them to behold and appreciate the beauty in nature and in life around. A smiling flower, a green valley, a gorgeous building, a dancing fountain, a singing canary. a flowing river all are artistic creations of the creator. It was because of this beauty that Keats wrote, ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever.’ Art is beauty and beauty art. Life without art will be useless and not ‘all art is useless.’
             The difference lies in our attitudes. Some are negative in their thinking while others are positive in their thinking. This reminds one of an incident.When two persons looked out of the gate of the Jail. One saw a  pool of mud while the other saw the beautiful bright stars. Beauty lies in our own altitude Art life giving. It is soothing and consoling. These are beautiful depictions In the form of  pictures, architecture, writing, carvings, mouldings and in all variety of life. These beautiful things of artistic concepts are so charming that we are never tired of looking at them. We admire not only the artistic creations hut also the artists who made them.
             Art is the expression of human heart in various phases of the growing civilisation plunging forth Lu unknown goals and targets. It is because of art that man could discriminate between trash and consummate writing. Art inspires life wonderfully and makes it worth living for all its fascination. But for art all life would have become useless. Art is only a means to an end and not an end in itself. Those who say that all art is useless seem to be ignorant and unrefined in their taste and temperament, Art is not useless but it is the most useful aspect of human life.

The Problem of Unemployment in India

             The greatest problem existing in our country today is the problem of unemployment.

The Government has recently announced a major programme for the creation of three million jobs for the educated unemployed in the private sector by 1994-95.

             The proposed plan of action seeks to create three million additional jobs — 0.5 million for graduates and 2.5 million for non-graduates and these employment opportunities will be created outside the Government sector.

In solving the problem of educated unemployed, first it is necessary In train them through vocational education, In acquire skills in trades or professions which will enable them to find employment in the private sector.

             Secondly, it is essential to create inure opportunities for self-employment among the educated, by providing financial aid in terms of modest capital to them.

A massive programme of training computer professions must also he taken up. Repair and maintenance of electric goods would employ a large number of people.

             Lastly, self-employment through public sector is yet another important measure. The public undertakings could reserve some proportion of dealerships. contracts and service agencies for the educated unemployed.

             Thus the Government seeks to tackle the problem of educated unemployed by increasing employment opportunities through vocational training and creation of self-employment opportunities.

Dowry System

             India is the only country in the world where the pernicious dowry system exists. It is the most vicious system that is eating into the vitals of the nation and hampers the growth and development of the Indian womanhood on the right lines.

             The evil of the dowry system. with the ever-increasing demands by greedy parents of well-to-do young boys from the parents of the hapless young girls, has assumed such menacing proportions that the Government has taken a very serious view of the whole matter and has made dowry-giving and dowry- taking a cognizable offence punishable with imprisonment. Still, day in and day out, we are horrified by the news of bride-burning. Young brides are burnt alive by mothers-in-law in connivance with other members of the family sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, even husbands — for not bringing adequate dowry. These human sharks deserve the severest punishment, even extermination from society.

             The evil of dowry system and bridge-burning is a blot upon the Indian civilization and deserves the severest condemnation. Foreigners ridicule our callousness and inhuman cruelty towards women and fail to understand how we can call ourselves civilized when such an atrocious practice prevails in the Indian society.

             How can the menace of dowry system be effectively checked? Social boycott and wide publicity of the offenders will go a long way in reducing the menace of dowry. Women’s organizations staging demonstrations against the guilty people should be made more effective. Lastly every dowry death must be properly probed and the offenders should be awarded exemplary punishment within six months of the occurrence of the death.

Kindness to Animals

             The Bible says. “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast,” thus making kindness and justice to domestic animals an essential part of human virtue. Animals also claim our love and sympathy. not only because they are dumb and helpless but also because they are so serviceable to us. Cruelty to animals hardens our heart, and produces anus a callous and unfeeling and unsympathetic nature which is a great punishment to a human being.

             Some animals do us great services. The horse, the dog, the mule, the ox, the ass, and the camel arc our faithful and hard-working servants. Even in this age of mechanical civilization we cannot do without them. Yet how often do we come across the ugly sight of a driver whipping the horse hard or a farmer showering blows upon the stolid ox mercilessly, as if the latter were made of stone or wood, and not flesh and blood.

             Cruelty to animals is immoral. How often do we fail to realize that cruelty to these innocent dumb creatures, though it leaves us cold, makes angels weep.

“A Robin Redbreast in a cage,

Sets all Heaven in a rage;”

Kindness to animals is rewarded by God. Coleridge says ——

“He prayeth best who loveth best

Both man and bird and beast;

For the dear God who loveth us

Made and loveth these.”

In India the doctrine of Ahimsa or non-violence, though often preached, is not always practised, especially by the young.

             We must practice kindness to animals. We can show our kindness of them by providing proper food, water and shelter to domestic and agricultural animals, by allowing them complete rest one day in a week, by sending them to veterinary hospitals when they’ are ill, by making them carry only so much load as they can carry with ease, by avoiding the use of sharp goads or heavy wooden cudgels, or leather whips to exact speedier work from them, by supporting public institutions like pinjrapoles and societies of prevention of cruelty to animals, by reporting the cases of cruelty to animals to the nearest police station and thus bringing the offenders to book, by discouraging wanton slaughter of animals for food, and by discouraging hunting for mere sport.

             It is our moral duty to treat dumb animals with kindness and sympathy, especially when they are helpless and wholly dependent on our care and protection.

The Use and Abuse of Examinations

              Examinations are often denounced as a totally bad institution. But they have their uses. No better system has yet been devised that can suitably take their place.

              In schools and colleges and government departments, examinations are necessary as tests of efficiency. There must be some proof that a boy is fit to be promoted to the next higher class, that a young man leaving a Medical college can cure diseases. Examinations encourage us to work hard. If a student at a college knows that there is no examination ahead of him, he will neglect his studies, unless he has the love of acquiring knowledge for its own sake.

              Examinations encourage the habit of Cramming his quite possible to pass an examination by ‘ramming without acquiring a sound knowledge of the subject. They are imperfect tests of efficiency for the man who passes may not really be as good as the man who fail. And examinations are no tests of moral qualities, which arc the most important of all. Acquisition of mere knowledge without the formation of one’s character is useless.