A PERFECT PANORAMA

“A PERFECT PANORAMA”

By

J.L. GUPTA

The Indian roads present a perfect panorama. We have the Autos. Bikes, buses.  Bullock & Pony carts. Cars & creaking camel carts.  Cycles & cycle rickshaws. Trucks, Tractors & trolleys.  Anything from an old Ambassador to a Fiat and a Ferrari. So much of vehicular variety on just one road. Also a cacophony of sounds. Smell & stink of all sorts of fumes. Equally irritating to the ears & eyes. Causing respiratory congestion & cough. An avoidable wastage of precious petroleum & time. Traffic jams have become a regular routine on our roads. Sometimes, the pedestrians move faster than the fastest cars on the road. Why? What is the cause? What is the way out?

The wide variety of vehicles on a road.

1.     Reducing congestion on the roads is a national imperative. To achieve this, an efficient, affordable and reliable public transport system is the first requirement. It should be good and be used by all – the Ministers, Senior Officers and the people. Use of Government and private cars should be totally banned or made substantially more expensive by withdrawing the concessions of free petrol etc. available to the Government cars. No caravans with blaring sirens and red beacons (an unmitigated nuisance on the road) should be normally permitted for anyone. Even raising the parking charges can help. The money thus saved or collected can be used for improving the existing public transport system.

The Pony Cart in  Chandigarh

2.     The roads present a pathetic sight. Big potholes. Sudden turns without any warning sign on the National Highway. The G T Road in Haryana.

The condition of the NH speaks for itself

Not fit for even the bullock carts

Incomplete flyovers; poor condition of the road and unsafe inter-sections. All these despite the fact that the State govt. charges substantial sums of money by way of toll. Where is the money going? Why are the fly-overs not being completed? These are a death trap from the beginning to the end, from the berm to the verge. Yet, no one seems to know the answer. Someone has to do something.

3.     In the cities, the young and physically fit should be compulsorily made to use only bicycles. It is already a practice in various countries. To illustrate: In Netherland, most of the people can be seen on cycles. The cycle is picked up from a parking lot, used and dropped at the next stop. It keeps the people fit & healthy; saves on petrol, precious foreign exchange and also helps in reducing the environmental pollution.

4.     The space required for a cycle on the road is much lesser than that for any other kind of vehicle. The number of vehicles per person in Europe may be substantially higher than those in India. But the traffic jams are far fewer. The roads are better.  

5.     It should also help reduce the number of accidents and resultantly, the claims for compensation against the Government or the Insurers.           

Shall we do something? We have to. Otherwise, the traps for which the govt. is charging toll may soon take their own toll of the govt.

GOD! Not GOLD!

GOD! Not GOLD!

By

J.L. Gupta

Sacrifice atones for sins, sanctifies the sinner. It leads to his salvation. The scriptures record the sacrifices made by various kings. On one of the occasions, the golden plates and utensils which were used in the sacrifice were thrown in the dustbin…. The heaps of gold remained unclaimed property for a long time. Even the ordinary mortals were not enchanted by the lust of gold. It was primarily meant to be given in charity. Maya was shunned.

         This is our heritage.

         Today, Mammon has enslaved man. Materialism has come to have its Sway. Just as “moths are captivated by the glaring brightness of light”, the “deluding energy” of Maya has made human being a “prey to the fire of delusion”. Man today talks in “money syllables”. The dialogue devolves around diamonds. Sapphires add a little sparkle. “Fiscal fitness” is more important than physical fitness. Fun is synonymous with “fund”. The love is at “purse sight”. Loving is becoming the means to make a living. Matrimony is a “matter of money”. The motto is “dough or die”. “Stones” are the secret of success. Gold is no longer an instrument. It is an end. Man’s goal is not God but gold. The almighty gold.

         Today, man worships gold. It is the deity. It is worshipped in all countries and in all climes. Man believes that gold is a curtain which can hide all his defects from the world. It is an ornament which can cover all the bodily deformities. It seems like the Alladin’s lamp. Man believes that loaded with the precious metal, he can reach any height, attain every position and enjoy all the pleasures. He will do anything to have it. He will even “marry a puppet or an old trot” for a few pieces of gold. He will divorce his beloved for a similar reason.

         Today, what a man stands for has become irrelevant. That he can fall for gold is the common belief. Having been made into God, the yellow metal has plagued man like the devil. Having got him into the well of wealth, it has drowned his conscience, taken away his happiness, endangered his honour and deprived him of his peace of mind.

         God can help the needy. No one can satisfy the greedy. A tub was large enough for Diogenes. Even the whole world was too small for Alexander. There is nothing in gold that may give lasting happiness. The more one has, the more he wants. Great fortune only ensures great servitude.

         Man labours. He goes through the irksome drudgery of a monotonous routine. He toils. He sweats. He even offends his most faithful friend - the conscience. He acquires wealth by and by, he amasses a fortune. But what does it give him? Can it prevent sickness? Can it postpone the mortal hour? Can it buy the heavenly bliss? No. In fact, the wealth becomes a source of fear. There is a nagging apprehension of losing it. The greater the wealth, the greater the fear. The fortune becomes a misfortune.

         It is true that money is needed to meet the needs. To an extent, it is a necessity. Too little of money is like a tight shoe. It is uncomfortable. It gives pain. But too much would be like a loose shoe. One can stumble and fall. Just the right amount to meet the essential needs would be ideal. Sometimes, a tree laden with too much fruit breaks its own bough. So does too much of wealth. It destroys the virtue of its possessor. Man can meet the perils of wealth by performing good deeds and becoming rich towards the creator.

         The scripture says- “Human life is the opportunity to get free from all the material miseries”. Gold, jewels, pearls and valuable stones are nature’s gifts to man. So are the sun and the stars. We value the sun for its light. Not for its height. Similarly, the other gifts of nature like gold are good only to the extent we use them for the good of others.

         Let us make gold the slave. Not the end or idol. God is Almighty- not Gold.

DEATH SENTENCE

DEATH SENTENCE

By

J.L. Gupta

What is the most difficult thing that can confront a man? To sit in judgment over another human being. To determine whether the person is guilty or innocent. To decide whether the man should live or die. To Pronounce, "You are awarded - death sentence."

Man is not an uncivilized brute. Nor a mere animal. He is civilized and sensitive. Some may feel sick at the sight of an abattoir. Many may not be able to stomach the sight of an animal being slaughtered. And life is God’s gift. No man should have the right to take it away from another human being.

Yet, the world is not a convent. It is not inhabited by nuns. Nor is it a monastery managed by monks. It has its share of deviants. Children, men and women who do not value life. They wield weapons. Would stab another for the smallest thing. Kill for a few coins. They take away the life of another person to satisfy their own ego. We cannot visualize all that one human being can do to another. Let me illustrate.

A man and his brothers owned a piece of land. Adjoining that of their uncle and cousins. He started installing a tube well. Just next to his uncle's. His cousin requested him to shift the site so that both could get adequate supply of water. He did not agree. The cousin went to the Court. He got an injunction. Even that was violated. The cousin sought police help to ensure compliance with the court’s directive. He got it. The police intervened.  It took steps to ensure compliance with the Court’s Order.

In the evening the man picked up his gun. He let loose all hell on his uncle’s family. He killed his uncle, two cousins and their wives. One of the ladies was eight months pregnant. The sight of close relations bleeding to death did not even bother him. He had just walked away. Six precious lives were taken away in less than six minutes. Three generations were obliterated without a thought. In anger. In a moment of madness. To avenge an imaginary insult. To be one up on the other members of the family. Just to be able to install the tubewell at the place of his choice. He was not bothered as to whether or not they would get sufficient quantity of water.

Then, followed the arrest. Interrogation. Investigation. Commitment. And the trial. The process of law is really trying and tiring. Finally, the trial concluded. The Court recommended the award of death sentence to the accused. The case was placed before a Bench of two Judges of the High Court. The entire evidence was examined. Re-examined. The Counsel did the hair-splitting. Then came the moment. A trial for the two judges. Should the death penalty be confirmed? The accused is young. In all probability, he would have a young wife. Small children too. Aged parents as well. What would they do? How would they live? The Judges imagined and examined everything.

All in all, it appeared to be a traumatic experience. And then, with a grim and solemn look, one of 'the Judges wrote - "Death sentence is confirmed." Both signed it.

Just a sentence? Or, is it a Just sentence? Should a man and a monster be treated alike? It never ceases to trouble me.

SMALL SENTIMENTS

"Small sentiments"

By

J.L.Gupta

“PANDITJI! This ghee is hot. How can I pour it on my mother? It would hurt her." "Do not act like a child. Just do it. Are you not going to scotch the pyre in a few moments?

My father had overheard my protest. Probably, he had noticed my hesitation also. He knew that I had merely followed the direc­tions of the Priest. Yet, he had chided me for having poured the hot ghee over my mother's body.

It was the fateful day in November, 1989. Twenty five years back. Amman (my mother) had spent an uncomfortable night. Dr. Satinder Singh and Dr. Rashmi had remained by her side during the last 48 hours. I was an untrained nurse cum assistant to lend a helping hand to them. The drip was continu­ously on. This was her lifeline. The means of administering fluids and even some medicines, as and when required, to her. A drop went out with every heartbeat. This had kept Amman and our hopes alive for the last two days.

At 8 o'clock in the morning, she had suddenly opened her eyes. Asked for the morning dose of her medi­cines. Four tablets were given to her. She had swallowed each one with a small sip of milk. A drop was just trickling out of her mouth. Mohini had tried to give her a napkin to wipe it off. She had refused "Nidhi has specially embroidered it for me. Do not spoil it. Give me the other one". Having said that, she had just collapsed. A moment more and she was gone. All efforts of the two doctors to revive her had proved of no avail. At precisely 8.07 she was no more. A lot had happened in just seven minutes.

During the night, she had gone through her fifth cardiac infarction. In all, she had gone through the seventy and more years of her life. She had completed her journey on the rough road of life. During these years, she had faced the vicissitudes with fortitude. She had brought us up with care, love and affection. Worked hard. She never grumbled. She was brave. She had withstood her problems well. Followed the doctor's advice faithfully. Never bothered anyone unnecessarily. Helped every­one. Her heart was our school. Her love was our bliss.

When alive, she had problems. Now, she lay totally silent. No movement. No complaint. No discomfort. No pain. No nee­dles. No pricks. Absolutely at peace with herself. Even  with the whole world. There was a quiet dig­nity about her. Life with Him appeared to be better than the life in His world.

We had to now learn to live without her. This was the truth. But we could not forget that even at about the last moment of her life, she was not oblivious of her grand-daughter’s affection and effort. She had remembered the small napkin and the embroidery. And a few' hours later, the family was reluctant to put hot ghee on her despite knowing' that she was about to be consecrated to the flames.

Small sentiments! Simple and sincere expressions of a pure emotion. The thoughts of a blessed association. To be cherished as sacred treasures. Yes. May seem strange. True. But some evidence to show that we are still human. Even humane.

This is what really distinguishes a man and a beast, a human being from the other species. Isn't it?