The topic for the contest is intriguing. It is: “Stayfree believes that it is time to bring about a positive change in the world around us. Together we can make a difference where it matters the most.
Be the voice of change and tell us what you would want to change around you!”
When “change around us” lingered on in my mind for some time, the first thing came to my mind was Mahatma Ghandhiji. The principle and the principal. I could surely save some money (change) and make positive use of it, but, most importantly, He said, “Be the change you want to see in the World”.
This quote took me back to the time I was travelling in a long distance train some time ago and the guy next to me just removed his shoes and it stank as if some striped polecat had just arrived in to our compartment. Of course my compassionate non violent tourettes went for a toss and I was about to slam his shoes on to his nose but I decided otherwise. What I did was I removed and changed my socks to give a subtle message that he would do the same. To be honest, the thing did not work. I had to tell him politely and then the guy did not speak to me throughout the journey thereafter.
The point I am trying to make here is that sometimes you just can not be the change you want to see in the world. You can’t go on throwing trash in trashcan, while neighbours use the road like a dustbin. You have to stand up and tell them at the threatening expense of scarring the relations. But that does not mean you should not be the change you want to see in the world.
So, What are the things I would like to change around me for a positive outcome.
1. Administration
Be it Railways, Government, private offices, corporate call centres, Insurance offices, Banks or anything. I am sick and tired of running around table to table and IVRS to reach to some one responsible for the goof up and make them accountable for their act and most importantly, get the mistake rectified. Call centres have been a proven disaster with time lags in stimulus (complaint) and response (rectification) being far too much.
I would bring in a one stop shop table solution for problems with number of seats per department. The admin staff should be strictly proportionate to the consumer database and should be accountable to their services rendered. People are paying a price for the product or service and deserve an appropriate return for the same.
2. Healthcare
Friend / Family is dying? Fill out the indemnity form. You have a medical insurance and cashless facility, get accommodated in the first class air conditioned room as the entire general ward is full. What the fuck is wrong here man? Doctors over charge. Make mistakes in operations and charge doubly. Bypass surgeries where only tablets would have sufficed. Hospitals paying ambulances to get trauma patients to their and their clinics alone. The underbelly of healthcare is far more gruesome than the white collar criminal hospitals. The kidney selling doctors. Blood thirsty blood banks and what not.
This needs to change asap. The first step is medical education. If that costs a student 50 Lakh Rupees, you do know where S(he) is going to recover from. You. Secondly, there should be a healthcare act governing all of this. Where crime would be listed as crime and the noble criminals would be penitentiarise-d where they deserve to be. Inflationary bills need to be thoroughly checked and hospitals should be penalized. Not the patients. I would love to change all this to help man kind. We are at least prosperous enough that we have a healthcare, albeit a corrupt, system for us. Africa is in dire need of healthcare. I would definitely see a foreign policy helping them set up a cheap healthcare system for people over there.
3. Education
Education today is one of the biggest money making business and is in thorough corrupt hands. This should change immediately. Secondly at the same time the quality of education is decreasing day by day. The teachers are nothing but frustrated lot who vent their anger upon kids either by de-moralizing them and demeaning them or by beating them. This is creating a vicious cycle for kids. Peer pressure, parents and teachers demoralizing kids, exam tensions, CET / IEEE / CAT / MAT what the fuck not tests and everything and what remains of a child is a trotting robot.
I would change this. Bring in more institutes, bring in more distance learning courses at cheaper rates. Give priority to primary and secondary education and bring in more NGO collaborations to get education to most down trodden people of our society. Bring in more night schools. Branch out education in smaller institutions so as to reach out to more people. Education, after all, is the backbone of any country. One of the biggest worrying cause of inflation is education costs for kids. See everywhere and all the big institutes are owned by even bigger politicians. This should stop and education should be nationalized sector. I would see to it that Education is nationalized. Private institutions would be allowed only under an umbrella act made specifically for junior and senior education at rates fixed by the government. The rates would be subsidized based on income and also on income tax paid by the parents. This would help streamline the education process. Set up psychological support groups for kids to cope with depression, peer pressure, exam pressure etc.
4. Malnutrition
The worst thing a country can do is not provide food for kids. And we are doing worst than the worst. I would like to change that. Change that the mom and the baby gets proper food. See that no child is deprived of growth owing to malnutrition. Stricter rules to be brought in and government officials would be made responsible and accountable for the areas they are assigned. I would like to change
Malnutrition and Education is the most pressing phenomenon around and I would like to see some positive change in these sectors. How to go about it would require another brain stormed blog post. But for now, I would go to the point on record of saying that malnutrition hurts the image of country as children and youth are the future of the country and we should see positive change in these areas.
5. Child Mortality Rates
I would like to see a real positive change in this area. Although India faces population explosion, it is ungodly to know India fares so bad in child mortality rates. Not to mention female foeticide. That is another area I would like to see change in. For the betterment of nation a girl child is equally, or more important.
6. Religion, Casteism and sub-casteism.
World over, God Business has been the most powerful, dirtiest and corrupt business ever. I would like to change that and see the state and religion as two separate entities. If voters do not like it. It is job of the government and the elected representatives to properly guide the people. Educate them on the subject and help decrease the rampant generic beliefs in superstitions that have become a bane of our existence today. I am not an atheist, but a world where such troubles to humans exist is no work of God. It surely is man made.
Religion is Bullshit–George Carlin
I would like to see a positive change in this area. Religion should be associated with faith and not blind fucking faith. A positive change is also required in the areas of sub-casteism. India needs to show it to the world that they are truly egalitarian and whatever is required to be done has to be done to get away from sub-casteism. And believe me, quotas never help. Never did.
7. Power & Corruption
When I asked my wife, mom and dad what they would like to see changed today, they had only one answer, “Politicians”. To be replaced. Totally. The basic idea of democracy was to build up a secular society, wherein, successful, compassionate and empathetic people in various walks of life would come forward and be elected representative of people and work towards betterment of people. Thus, Government for the people, by the people and of the people. This has degenerated to lowest of standards and all we have in politics today are criminals white collar or otherwise.
First thing I would change is to dissolve the entire politician’s-businessmen nexus system and have some disciplinarians take over our country. But power corrupts. A certain mechanism would be put in place where power does not go into their heads and we do not turn in to some sort of anarchy or dictatorship.
Corruption should be dealt with severest of punishments possible to mankind, even death for that matter. This is a positive change I would like to see in our society today.
8. Justice System
Justice delayed is justice denied. The high priests of courts have forgotten this long back with cases running for up and above 10 years on an average. The only positive change I want to see is more courts to settle the cases as fast as possible so that people do not abhor going to court and do not dread at the thought of seeking justice rightfully where they deserve.
While the scales are supposed to be prudent and blind, it seems Indian judiciary is prejudiced and blind to the complainants. This should change with immediate effect.
9. Hindi Films
We get served crap. To be honest. Hindi films today suck. I would love to see some positive change in the industry and #bollywood churning out some meaningful cinema. High headed attitude like that of Akshay Kumar (He said recently, “I do films for money and money alone”) would not help the industry.
10. Myself
When I started, I quoted Gandhi. I still believe in that philosophy. Be the change you would want to see in the world. A thousand mile journey starts with a single step. I have taken that already. Have you? I work as a part of Rotary club of #Panvel, #Navi Mumbai, District 3131, which has adopted a village for betterment of its people and we have also actively been involved in eradicating polio from our beloved nation India.
