Designs of the Heart

 A recent news item branded India as the most corrupt nation. Every morning, as we open the newspapers, we find cases of embezzlement, corruption and fraud, many of which involve high public functionaries and leaders of society and industry. Dishonesty has become common nowadays. It is done deliberately in a planned, cold and calculative manner. Politics, education, sports, law, medicine – in every field there are rackets. All those involved feel great in contributing their bit to this whole business of corruption.

            We, as a nation, are proud of our golden history but the fact that our present status is so despicable is something that is not so appealing at least to the generation that is going to hold its reins. We must teach ourselves to examine our day to day actions with sincerity and probe into our motives. Instead of pointing our fingers to find the faults of those around us, it would be better to keep a strict watch on ourselves. Shakespeare said, ‘To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night and day, thou canst not then be false to any man’. We must be our best critic and our best judge, so that we can be true to ourselves.                       

We had a visitor a couple of days back. Speaking to us about her work as a doctor and her passion for bird watching, she touched upon the lives of those working as “doctors without borders”. Though I had read about them previously, listening to her narrating with pride the nature of those doctors and the gravity of their work was soothing to my ears. It also wove a dream in the younger ones, hoping all those living around them work towards a world without any borders among the nations.

            I have heard many times about how we should never allow ourselves to get into the rut. The fact that everyone is doing a thing the same way for the past many years doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t keep our eyes open and look around for avenues that need an improvement. It was another moment of pride when she told us about the Public Health Centres in her part of our nation. After major renovations beyond imagination, the so called government hospitals were made to look even better than the private hospitals around. She said that it all happened due to the beautiful vision of their health minister. Being a woman she left no stone unturned to give her work the shimmer of the feminine touch. The doctors associated with these PHC’s were in total awe to see it all happening in our own sweet India.

            It may not be possible for us to strive for the epoch-making changes but if we train ourselves through observation, analysis and imagination, we can surely bring about small improvements. We must never resent criticism or correction and at the same time we can remind ourselves that when we are being criticized, we are definitely being noticed. Only the tree that is laden with fruits is pelted with stones. It is true that no man or woman is indispensable; it is also true that many are irreplaceable. Can’t we try to be ONE of these?  When the world is running behind the essentials like talent, tact, push and perseverance, we also need the high standards of truthfulness and integrity upheld by our forefathers. Can we not fully recharge ourselves with this lifetime connection to acquire a perfect glow radiating all over the earth?