In the name of religion and politics…

It’s interesting how traffic snarls can sometimes give you amazing insights into life. I found myself stuck in a bad traffic jam and as I listened to my radio in my car I found my eyes looking around. To my right, across the road was this temple and as I looked at worshippers stop to pay respects to the god it made for some interesting revelations. First, I see a guy on a scooter cut through and drive towards the temple on the wrong side of the road causing huge inconveniences only to stop and fold his hands in prayer…made me wonder what the great lord thought of that and what his rational was to be god fearing and yet break the rules. The second was another vehicle that stopped in the middle of the road to pay respects and caused traffic to come to a stand still. On being reprimanded by others on the road, I could clearly see that this gentleman got into extremely abusive language…again…made me wonder whether the gods would appreciate his behavior and conduct and what this man’s principles and value systems truly were.

It is surprising that if we look around us in India, one sees this happening all the time. Politicians make fools of themselves in Parliament with their atrocious behavior yet these very people will talk about value systems and are supposed to be the architects of our country’s future…

As i sat in my car i found myself thinking about this and it made for interesting -let me have you take a moment to actually introspect to see another startling revelation for yourselves. Rewind back on the last couple of years and I would like all of you to think of Political parties in the country and the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of them. I am pretty sure most of your answers shall bend towards them competing and fighting against one another which well they are all most remembered for-its all about WHO WON LAST YEAR/TERM etc…isn’t that sad? Its NEVER about what the party actually stands for….do we even know what the Congress/BJP, Samajwadi Party etc.'s principles are today??? Look at campaigns for any of these parties…all they do is spend money promoting pictures and logos of themselves-name me a party whose banner you saw that actually campaigns and promotes with a cause in mind…I cannot think of one that I last saw where their banner did not have a visual of themselves posing for a camera like icons but instead very silently was indicative of what their party stood for and what they would like to do for the people….

What are we all coming to-what does it all come down to. Have we lost our value systems, have we lost the ability to think and be thoughtful? Have we become so greedy for power, name and fame that we forget our morals and what our culture and heritage is all about? Have all the religious people started taking their Gods for granted?

These are all just my thoughts and I am sure those who read this may differ in opinion but then again…I am only trying to think, to attempt to see that I do not become a vegetable-someone who leads his life with no thought and vision for his country and what surrounds him…