Blog@GraceJunction

His glittering teeth would have got him millions of rupees had he been noticed by any toothpaste/toothbrush manufacturing companies. I had always found it one of the most endearing smiles in the world. But that day it was devoid of all that spirited charm and excitement.

I asked him, “What happened Pappu?” (that’s what they called him. Plus, I never bothered to ask him his real name)

“I was really enjoying my vacation back home in Rajasthan. I had really begun deciphering my cousins’ school textbooks but my uncle called me back to Ahmedabad,” said the 7-year-old.

Like many boys of his age, Pappu has been working at this tea-stall in front of my office building. And while I may try to be righteous enough and complain to my colleagues of how these kids are deprived of their basic rights, I end up like others apparently doing nothing about it (while it is now I realise I could have done something about it…not that it’s too late.)

So here we are entering the 62nd year of Independence, celebrating the past glorious six-odd decades of creating history and attaining freedom. But it’s that frail body and expectant eyes of Pappu that has made me (finally) agree with the management thinker C K Prahalad.

According to Prahalad, while India has been a free country since over 60 years it is only in the past 15 years that its growth accelerated. Yet, instead of glorifying on what has been done so far, the nation needs to focus on the task ahead. What will India be after 15 years from now? What will India be at 75?

The question that Prahalad asks is what can each one of us do to see the country rather than keep expecting the government to take up the herculean task of bettering (if there’s such a word) the world around us.

“Let me ask you this. How many of you have a domestic help at your residence? And how many of them bring their children with them? Have you ever asked them why their children don’t go to any school? Or have you tried to spend an additional Rs 500 on getting them a good education?” he asks.

Now while Prahalad is talking about India in this case, I believe this holds true for everyone universally. Even an Afghan boy right out of the books of Khaled Hosseini or a Cuban girl under Castro’s rule are missing their basic rights.

No matter how farfetched an idea ‘changing the world’ may seem, we can and should impact our neighbourhood. I believe not just by voting or pointing fingers at but also by these small, insignificant (which they aren’t though) ways we can help each of our governments create a better society.

I am reminded of how in the movie Bruce Almighty, the character played by actor Jim Carrey keeps complaining to God about his problems but ends up realising that there are bigger issues out there and he has a gift or talent to create an impact rather than crying over spilt milk in his life.

God, a perfectionist that He is, created a flawless earth but a rebellion against Him by man let all sorts of cats out of the bag. Yet His love for His creation i.e. man made Him find a way out of this mess through His Son Jesus.

The result is: He gave all the authority to man to govern the world under Him. It is, therefore, not just the government but a duty of every citizen to help govern the society and make it a better place. In 1 Timothy 2:2, the Bible urges, “… requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

So let’s endeavour to bring that glitter in smiles of several such Pappus around us and help God (and the government) create a better world.

Tags: authority, C K Prahalad, development, Economy, education, india

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 at 3:43 am and is filed under Articles, Economy, Purpose of Life, Society, Thoughts, Troubles & Problems, Vinay. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.