FINGER ON YOUR LIPS

SEASONAL WHISPERS

Many of you may have heard the famous lines from a poem by Shelley which says “If winter comes can spring be far behind” from the “Ode to the West Wind”. Then there is also an old adage which goes “This too shall pass”. I am waiting for both the spring to come and for “This” to pass but it is not happening. Petrol is touching a century, diesel is not far behind. Race is on as to who will cross the finish line first.

If “Achhe Din” is “spring” and the state of the country as it is today is equivalent to “this” then it makes sense. Are we still in the winter eagerly waiting for spring? Or is it that period when we are between winter and spring, when the ice has just started to melt. Animals are out from hibernation, grass has started to sprout and frozen rivulets have started to expand. New life is about to take birth. Forest trails are now kind of visible. Still, we are short of the actual spring, when flowers will be in full bloom and there will be happiness, abundance and plenty all around.

If “this” is the present government, will it pass, to either come back again or pass over the baton to someone else to bring the “promised days” which every Indian dreams of. Moses roamed around 40 years to reach the promised lands but did he achieve achhe din? India also suffered at the hands of invaders numerous times and fought for its independence with the British. Was that “spring” for India and how long did it last because “that” too passed long back.

Leaders have come and leaders have gone, things have improved but well short of spring. India has been at war since independence, internally & externally and is still in wait for “that” bad time to pass. Body bags of soldiers are increasing every day, have not got us close to any kind of peace. Graves of terrorists and innocents alike caught in the cross fire lie six feet down under fighting for that unseen & unheard spring, yet no results.

Seasons for India have yet not changed. We think we are moving towards spring but we go back to winter.  We have yet to feel that cosy warmth of the sun to enjoy basking. A sense which is within me says, the winter blizzard has yet not passed for me the common man to see the sun.

How do “I” define my “spring”? Give veterans OROP will it be spring? Get hold of black money and distribute it to all fellow countrymen, like it was promised. Build a house and create a job to suit everyone, will it give you that feeling? Let GST be paid by the government along with income tax. I think there could be no better spring than paying no tax. Free electricity to all may definitely be a step towards spring. Free internet in India, would it be one of the yard sticks that we have become a developed nation. Youth would be more than happy then will it can be declared as spring.

Today, I as a citizen have passed through “this” and all “that”. I have seen the ups and downs of life & been through the pink and purple of health. Won a world cup and lost quite a few. Planted a tree but could not stop jungles being cut.  I have done a lot of “swach bharat” but did not see our people understanding the real meaning of it. I voted for people whom I did not know. People, who did nothing worthwhile for their constituencies & got re-elected and did the same things all over again, I wanted to see brotherhood and I found a lot of divisive politics. I found only personal interests at the fore; national interests have always been at the back burner.

The spring has to come or rather it has to be ushered in by good, efficient & user friendly policies. How can we chip in as people of this country to increase our happiness quotient? Firstly, is by voting responsibly, secondly, not let anyone temper with our fabric as a country, thirdly, by being honest and law abiding citizens, fourthly, by educating everyone and last but not the least is controlling our population. Our unity in diversity should be a trigger for a new spring.

All this is in our hands. If we the people can bear the storm together united, then definitely we shall welcome the spring. We all need to chip in. If we want someone else to clean our muck then let’s keep facing winter. People of India need to rethink and re-focus on their priorities.

I am sure the phase we are going through shall pass. With the monsoon season about to end, we now need to gear up for a difficult winter but keep working on our mission to make our country better. Once we join hands “spring” will not be far behind. Is it that simple? I wonder!!!!!!!!

JAI HIND

© Noel Ellis