Where did we go wrong?

Everyday there are reports of killings and attacks in the same of religion. There are terrorist attacks on unsuspecting men, women and children irrespective of who they are. Somewhere behind this bloodshed, behind the young people who are willing to kill other innocent people along with with getting killed themselves, there must be something really wrong. Religions are supposed to make people better individuals who would b e responsible for the betterment of the society. How does religious indoctrination causes men to go out and kill any random person without justification is questionable. There has been a serious flaw in the upbringing of these individuals who seek violence for justifying their religious beliefs. And the fault lies with the entire community. Every individual who had the opportunity to explain the doctrines of mutual love and understanding and failed to do is responsible. The only reason the fringe elements can brainwash a person into doing something as violent as mass murder is because that individual did not receive the right guidance while growing up. It maybe the shortcomings of his parents, friends, relatives, neighbors or teachers but in the end it is the entire community that has to pay. Followers of the moderate form of religion have a duty to explain to other extremist individuals the real spiritual essence of religion. Instead of being divided into sects, everyone must reach out to others to understand the differences. There is a greater need to indulge into interfaith dialogues to prevent the youth from being misguided. Till date, we have failed the youth by letting them being misguided but it is high time to take action otherwise the world will have a forgettable future.

Keeping up the appearances

Growing up in India I never saw any child with deformity or any disease, whether down’s syndrome or any other birth defect. I never saw anyone with any physical or mental ailment except for a stray case of cross eye or epilepsy which was made fun of. It was rare to hear of a child being born with any congenital disease and such news was always received with the shaking of head and an expression of sympathy and then forgotten. However, things changed when I moved to the USA. Here I saw children with various diseases, both mental and physical, birth defects as well as those acquired later on. The reason not being that there are more birth defects in the USA than in India but rather that back in India people feel ashamed if their child is different. Children are taken to be matter of pride and ego and thus, not allowed to be different. If a child is born with a disease, he is hidden from the world. Even a child with a weak eyesight would be kept away from public to avoid any questions. People would rather keep the appearance of being perfect than actually trying to bring perfection in the lives of those who need help. By hiding a child that is unwell, parents tend to do more harm than good, ultimately adversely affecting the health of the caregiver as well. There is a need to acknowledge the differences. Parents and communities should build a strong network so that the child with special needs can come out and mingle with others. It is important that a strong support group comprising of families, neighbors, teachers and social workers is formed to guide and support those who need special help whether because of any physical shortcomings or because of mental ailments.

Mumma don't cry

Sometimes as I sit and think of you
I can feel you by my side
I can feel you laugh and fiddle your fingers
As you tell your little tales
But as I turn around to hold you
I cannot see what my heart feels
Where I hope to see you sitting
Is only a painful void for me
Sometimes I hear your tiny voice
Coming from beyond your grave
Telling me, "mumma please don't cry,
I am but with you,
Mumma, I am in your heart
I never really left you.
Mumma, dont cry, for I cry with you
One day when you are old and grey
I will come to hold your hand
And I will guide you there where I play
Where we will be together in everlasting happiness."

The quest for happiness

Everybody wants to be happy but most people aren't happy, in fact, they are as far from happiness as possible. One of the reasons for not being able to attain that state of happiness is that people tend to search for happiness outside of their own selves. They feel that some person or some material thing outside of them will make them happy. And this is something that is far from reality, they spend their entire time searching for happiness which cannot be found. The truth is that the capacity to make oneself happy lies with the person himself. Being satisfied with oneself and being accepting of one's all faults as well as goodness is what makes a person content and happy. Self love is one of the biggest aspect of happiness. A person who cannot love himself, cannot love anyone else. Only when the cup is full that it brims over and spreads love and happiness.
Another reason for not being happy is that we tend to hope and wish for a happier future. The problem is that we are living in our future. Today is yesterday's future. We end up wasting our time hoping for a future that wouldn't come if we don't try to make our today happy. One has to live in the moment, taking one day at a time. Being present is what makes for happier memories. If our today is happy, our tomorrow will also be as it would have ceased to worry us.

Robots in the farmland

About two weeks back, on the Memorial Day, as I was going to the mall, I was listening to a program on the radio in which they were talking about automation. The most important aspect was that they were talking about automation in the agricultural sector. The main discussion was about how the changing immigration pattern and laws as well as other work options have lead to a scarcity of skilled laborers to work in the farms. The farmers were sure that the use of robots in farming is just a matter of time. Scientists are creating robots that would do the work in the farms. They have created a lettuce-bot, a robot armed with cameras and sensors to select and trim lettuce. They are of the view that the work that earlier required about 15 laborers would not be done with these robots requiring just two human operators. The question is that though right now there is a scarcity of labor in the farmland, what will happen when these jobs will be taken up by robots and again unemployment will rise? If more and more jobs are taken up by automation, specially in sectors such as agriculture, where would the extra hands go? Small farmers might continue with human help but the large farms that provide employment to a greater number of laborers would definitely opt for machines as an effective replacement. Automation is taking up jobs at a very fast rate as machines are more efficient than humans and also have no social needs, making them preferable. With doors closing for so many industries, rising unemployment along with its side effects will not be surprising.

The planet earth

Today is the environment day and a question creeps up what is the role of people and government in painting the balance on the planet earth. We study about environmental pollution, we discuss about global warming, we notice the environmental degradation, but what do we do about it? There are multinational treaties that talk about lowering the pollution level, each with its own critics. Often, while signing these deals the countries think about their own interests instead of the planet as a whole. Sometimes, they talk about their jobs and development instead of focusing on the larger picture. People tend to forget that different countries do not exist on different planets but that that they all coexist on the same. They often fail to consider the fact that the pollution in one country can have negative effect on its neighbors and often to very far off places as well. When talking about development, countries often forget that any development at the expense of the environment is definitely not a development. It is high time for countries to focus on sustainable development, one where the countries progress without harming the planet. In order to preserve the planet for the future generations, the present generation is required to make changes that would be positive for the health of the entire planet and not just focus on their local goals, political or economic.