FROM SURREALITY TO REALITY

    Most of you won't agree to what I feel. Still I would like to bring out my feelings. As times change, fashions change; attitudes change; vocations and avocations change. But certain hackneyed beliefs and unwanted emotions once useful do not change but continue to haunt us. It's time we initiate a change in common thinking.
Countries and border limitations should at present be only for administrative and management purposes. In course of time, restricted movement of people and materials should vanish. No one should have a right to stop someone from entering or leaving a place in any part of the world. Freedom should be real. Most restrictions and limitations are essentially the result of negative thinking that is very difficult to eliminate with most people. This does not amount to a claim to do away totally all rules, regulations and laws. People often do not remember that any regulation or law is in place only to facilitate humanity and not to trouble. Many forget that rules are for us and we are not for rules.  In many places in the world, when any new rule or regulation is thought of, people worry more about misuse than use and put in clauses and restrictions to effectively prevent misuse. Although, in terms of numbers the mis or abusers will be small, negative attitude makes us think only of them than those who would use and be benefited. Negativity is essentially the result of the atmosphere and outlook with which we are brought up from childhood for generations. It's not easy to change to a total positive outlook easily or suddenly.
Though much is talked about globalization, it remains much within the realm of economics and business. No one is serious about globalization in the real sense. Some one being an Indian or American or Australian is merely an accident mostly by birth. Although, legally even by domicile you can, but will still be referred to by birth/ origin. What does it matter whether I am an Indian or American or Indian American or American Indian? What does it matter if my skin color is black or brown or pale? All feel hungry and eat; all feel tired and sleep; all think, feel and react.I am always upset about people talking nationalism and culture. Which nation is bad? Which culture is worthless? Why should I feel proud of my culture being antique? What advantage do I get? Parochialism is the easiest way to fool people especially an important tool in the hands of politicians to meet their needs. I'm at a loss to find even literate people falling an easy prey to such frivolous claims on national spirit; antique culture; richness of language etc., I can not appreciate taking credit or feeling proud of something that doesn't involve any input from me. Apart from living here what is my input for the nation or culture ? Why should I consider my country,my religion, my culture and my language to be superior to others when everyone in this world equally has a right to do so ? I look forward to a future where everyone considers everyone else in the world as equal in every sense and do not discriminate on the basis of region; religion; language or skin color. Let us mutually respect others in entirety. Pride talk about culture, language and land could have been useful those days to unite groups of people and to take them forward evolutionarily . We have now reached a stage of probing possibilities with people willing to immigrate to other planets. To continue with outdated concepts of self pride based on anything and that too with things for which you are least responsible such as culture, language etc is retrograde. Only those who suffer from inferiority complex need to take refuge by claiming superiority in something or the other. Let us move from surreality to reality.

Resistance to change

In India and probably many other poorer countries, often there is a resistance to change and unwillingness to take risks. It could be due to a certain uncertainty and fear for new things. This is called neophobia. For instance when gas stove and cooking gas were introduced, people were scared of accepting it for quite sometime. This is true of everything new in the market. Even tubeless tyres took quite a long time to be accepted. I can go on with innumerable examples. But the point is, people in general are unwilling to experiment with new things until the usefulness is proved, for fear of wasting money. It's not mere poverty but often due to the concept of prudence and frugality inculcated from childhood. Some could even have neophobia.
When people resist change even in things they use, how can we expect them to accept major changes in policy governance etc. This is probably the reason for some politicians who offered"change" as the main plank in their campaigns during the bygone election in Tamil Nadu to have failed miserably. Faith, reassurance, confidence and proven virtues in the electorate's favor decide electoral victory. Elitist opinion is pessimistic, as according to them the claimants lack all the above virtues and choosing one or the other would be a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea or jumping from frying pan into the fire. The entire system of governance needs radical changes and the process of elections too has to change. Since political parties and the elected positions have become regular professions by themselves instead of being an avocation for people, why not make every one desirous of entering politics and contesting election to undergo special training program designed for the specific needs of politics? It's not enough to set up ombudsman bodies like"Lok Ayukta" . In the past in India, several commissions to enquire into alleged corruption and nepotism were appointed but nothing tangible resulted. Even when a court of law convicts some one, either the person escapes through managed appeal judgement or undergoes a notional punishment after which he/she  enjoys the ill-gotten wealth. Why can't the ill-gotten wealth be confiscated? There are some very influential and powerful people who have practiced scientific corruption and earned wealth that can take care of several generations of their families. Yet they are regarded next to God by the vulnerable sections of society who are happy with the few pieces of bones thrown to them,not from their pockets but out of taxpayers money when they ruled. How to change the politics, politicians and political system of this country which is chronically sick due to indiscipline; dishonesty and extreme selfishness. A miracle has to occur or we have to wait for the future generations to rise in revolt against the misdeeds of the earlier generations. Till then we have Hobson's choice during elections and change for the better would have to remain a dream.